# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S197
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Constitutional Matters 197

appoint a committee of investigation which is to report at the next
convention of the District when the District President reports on
the matter. If the Vice-Presidents cannot serve, two Visitors that
have not acted in the case shall appoint such a committee in order
to expedite the adjudication of the case. (Cp. Synodical Hand-
book, p. 30, 6.)

2. A District President is empowered to suspend a member of
Synod from membership in the time between two conventions of
the District observing strictly the rules and regulations laid down
by Synod regarding such suspension and submitting the case to
a confidential committee if the member to be suspended so desires
(p. 10,8; pp. 29.30). At its next convention the District shall in-
vestigate the case and either confirm the sentence of suspension
and expel the accused from Synod or annul the sentence (p. 10, 8;
pp. 29.30; p. 12).

3. Every one against whom the decision of the local congre-
gation (excommunication) has been upheld by the District or who
has been disciplined by the District (expulsion) has the right to
appeal from the decision of the District to the Synod (p. 30,7;
p.12,2). Such appeal is to be made to the President of Synod.
At the request of the appellant the President of Synod shall appoint
a committee which is to study the case in the name and place of
Synod, render a verdict, and report at the next convention of
Synod, when its verdict is to be accepted or amended or reversed,
according to the recommendation of a committee appointed by
Synod itself at its convention. If upon the recommendation of this
committee a final investigation is to be made, Synod itself is to
appoint a committee for such purpose. The verdict of this com-
mittee is to be final; the case is closed and will not be reopened
unless absolutely new information or evidence is presented, and
all future appeals are to be summarily rejected.

In considering again and again this matter of appeals, the
undersigned also thought of another way of handling them, i. e., by
having a permanent Committee on Appeals. This way has been
tried by other church-bodies with satisfactory results. To show
how this would work out with our other rules and regulations,
a few paragraphs have been formulated tentatively.

Committee on Appeals
1. The Committee on Appeals shall consist of seven members:
four clergymen and three laymen elected by Synod. Their term
of office shall be three years. No member shall serve on this
committee successively more than two terms.
2. The officers of this committee shall be: a chairman, a vice-