# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1941_S264
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

264 Constitutional Matters

stitution, By-laws, and other regulations of Synod, steps shall be
taken by the District officials to suspend such person or congre-
gation from membership in Synod..

Concurrence in Suspension

Since the suspension of any member of Synod from member-
ship in Synod — pastor, teacher, professor, or congregation —is a
matter of far-reaching importance, the District President shall not
suspend any member unless the two Vice-Presidents and the
respective Visitor, after a thorough investigation, and after having
granted a hearing to the person or congregation to be suspended,
concur in his decision and sign the public notice of suspension.

Notice of Suspension
Before the District President publishes the suspension of any
member in the synodical church-papers, he shall first send the
accused direct notice of such contemplated suspension, with the
information that four weeks after such notification the notice of
suspension will be forwarded to the official church-papers for

publication. Hearing of Suspension by District

If the suspension has been published, the case shall be in-
vestigated and decided in the following convention of the District,
which shall either confirm the suspension and expel the accused
from Synod or declare that the suspension has been unjustly im-
posed and shall be annulled. When the case is tried, the accused
shall be granted the right of a hearing and shall have the privilege

of counsel. Expulsion

Whenever a member of Synod has been expelled from the
synodical organization by a District, the District shall have the
right to publish, through its President, such expulsion in the
synodical church-papers, even though the expelled member appeals
to Synod. Synod shall respect the action.of the District and con-
sider said member to have been expelled.

B. Appeals

1) Synod and each District shall elect a Board of Appeals,
that of Synod consisting of four clergymen and three laymen and
that of the District of not fewer than three clergymen and two
laymen. Their term of office shall be six years. No member shall
serve on this Board successively longer than two terms. No official
of Synod or of any of its Districts shall be a member of a Board

of Appeals. Election of Boards of Appeals

2) Synod’s Nominating Committee shall present a slate of
fourteen names (eight clergymen and six laymen), from which the
seven members of the Board of Appeals shall be elected by ballot,
four clergymen and three laymen. Members of the Board shall be