# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S219
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 219

WHEREAS, The Constitution of the Synod has been amended
and changed over its past 125 years plus; and

WHEREAS, The circumstances that exist for the church in
these years have changed considerably; therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod establish a commission to (1) study
the nature, history, and present contents both of the Constitu-
tion and Bylaws of the Synod; (2) solicit from every congrega-
tion, board, and committee of the Districts and of the Synod their
suggestions and concerns regarding the Constitution and
Bylaws of the Synod on every level; (3) be widely representative
of all geographic areas of the Synod and all membership cate-
gories in the Synod, i. e., pastors, teachers, congregations, men,
women, etc.; and (4) prepare a total revision of the Constitution
and Bylaws; and be it further

Resolved. That this commission be elected by the Council of
Presidents, which shall also determine the necessary size of this
commission; and be it further

Resolved. That the Synod authorize the Board of Directors
to fund this commission with necessary funds for travel and even
for the hiring of specialists and advisers in the field of constitu-
tional law; and be it finally

Resolved, That this commission report to the conventions of
the Synod regularly and complete its work in no more than
6 years from the adoption of this resolution.

Board of Directors
Texas District
Carl A. Heckmann, President

5-08A
To Work Toward New Constitution

WHEREAS, The rising cost of biennial conventions is a matter
of grave concern to many in the church; and

WHEREAS, The current policy of representation seems
grossly inequitable (a District of 150,000 members is represented
by 62 delegates, another having 258,000 members has 64 dele-
gates): and

WHEREAS, The present Constitution disfranchises almost
two thirds of the Synod’s professional workers (e. g., teachers,
assistant pastors, campus pastors, institutional chaplains, profes-
sors, deaconesses, DCEs, youth directors, synodical officers and
employees, etc.); and

WHEREAS, The administration of the 20th-century church
must be different. from that required a century and a quarter
ago (e. g., call and placement procedures for a highly diversified
ministry); and

WHEREAS, Available manpower and talents are not always
wisely used in that some elective administrative positions are
open only to ordained clergymen, though such positions are
primarily administrative; such procedures fail to permit the use
of competent, nonordained people in some administrative
positions in the church; and

WHEREAS, An increasing number of suggestions for changing
the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod have been proposed;
and

WHEREAS, The number of suggestions seems to indicate the
need for a comprehensive review of those aspects of the Con-
stitution and Bylaws that deal with the governance of the Synod
and not the doctrinal basis as stipulated in Article II; therefore
be it

Resolved, That the Commission on Mission and Ministry in
the Church develop guidelines for a Constitutional Committee
that will be modeled upon Overture 5-05A of the previous
convention (see Convention Workbook. New Orleans convention,
1973, p. 213); and be it further

Resolved. That the Commission on Mission and Ministry in
the Church present the guidelines to the 1977 convention.

Facuity

Concordia Teachers College
River Forest, Ill.

Merle L. Radke, Secretary

Identical or similar:

5-08B and 5-08C

Peace, New Berlin, Wis.
Grace, Jacksonville, Fla.

M. W. Bangert
Paul Brenner

5-09

To Restore Constitutional
Government to Synod

WHEREAS. The Lutheran Church-— Missouri Synod has from
the beginning experienced the blessings of Almighty God; and

WHEREAS, These blessings have included the ability to
govern itself, to carry out the mission of God’s people, and to
use the diversity of God’s gifts to the church with a unity of pur-
pose but without elaborate and restrictive government and
regulation; and

WHEREAS, In the years of great vitality and growth the church
found it sufficient to be loyal to Christ and His Word as found in
the Sacred Scriptures, to be firm in doctrine on the basis of the
Lutheran Confessions, and to carry out its work governed by
a simple and clear Constitution; therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod return to its Constitution and to
constitutional government: namely:

Article II Confession

The Synod. and every member of the Synod, accepts without
reservation:

1. The Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament as the
written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and of
practice;

2. All the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of
God, to wit: the three Ecumenical Creeds (the Apostles’ Creed, the
Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed), the Unaltered Augsburg Con-
fession, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald
Articles, the Large Catechism of Luther. the Small Catechism of
Luther, and the Formula of Concord.

This requires that the Synod renounce every effort either to
subtract from or add to this confessional basis.

Article VII Relation of the Synod to Its Members

In its relation to its members the Synod is not an ecclesiastical govern-
ment exercising legislative or coercive powers, and with respect to
the individual congregation's right of self-government it is but an
advisory body. Accordingly, no resolution of the Synod imposing
anything upon the individual congregation is of binding force if it is
not in accordance with the Word of God or if it appears to be inex-
pedient as far as the condition of a congregation is concerned.

This requires that the Synod and its officials and boards
renounce the use of force and power to enforce synodical resolu-
tions, and rely upon the love of Christ and the conscientious
concerns of its people.

Article VIII C Resolutions at Synodical Meetings

All matters of doctrine and of conscience shall be decided only by the
Word of God. All other matters shall be decided by a majority vote.
In case of a tie vote the President may cast the deciding vote.

This requires that the Synod allow the Word of God to have
free course among us, especially in eliminating dissensions and
working toward being united in the same mind and the same
judgment (1 Cor. 1:10), and renounce every effort to define the
Word of God by majority vote; and be it further

Resolved. That being firm in our practice of living under the
Word of God, consistent with the Lutheran Confessions, and
being loyal to the simple and plain words of the Constitution
of the Synod, we ask God to give us harmony and the ability to
do the work He has placed before us.

Faith Lutheran Church
Westchester, JII.

Carl Kaminska, Secretary
Eugene P. Roeder, Pastor