# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S229 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 229 WHEREAS, All pastors duly ordained and serving in member congregations of the Synod should be judged capable of respon- sible participation in the decision-making processes of the church: therefore be it Resolved. That the synodical Bylaws governing the selection of pastoral delegates to synodical conventions be set aside: and be it further Resolved. That pastoral delegates of electoral circuits shall be selected on an alphabetical rotation of cities represented in the Circuit, and of congregations when a city is represented by more than one congregation: and be it further Resolved. That where a pastor is serving in a multiple parish the prime listing shall be alphabetical; and be it further Resolved. That where congregations are served by more than one pastor, those congregations shall determine which pastor shall serve as delegate; and be it further Resolved. That in order to be eligible to represent a given Circuit, the pastor must have begun his service in that Circuit at least 9 months prior to the opening of the convention, and be in service in that Circuit at the time of the convention, and shall not have served as delegate to a synodical convention for at least 10 years: and be it finally Resolved. That the selection of the alternate pastoral dele- gates be chosen in the same manner from the next eligible congregation in the rotation. Trinity Lutheran Church Pasco, Wash. K. Larry Sannes, President Ronald Hess, Secretary Donald Frerichs, Pastor Identical or similar: 5-41B to 5-41D Bethlehem, Yakima, Wash. Redeemer, Richland, Wash. Hope, Wapato, Wash. E. L. Bauer M. Kellerman T. Schoenborn 3-42A To Change Selection of Lay Delegates WHEREAS. The present system of selecting lay delegates requires, for responsible voting, that the qualifications and atti- tudes of candidates on current issues be known by those voting, if the election is to be more than a choosing of a person whose name is known for one reason or another not necessarily related to the work of the church; and WHEREAS, This system has and will continue to invite maneu- vering by various groups with special concerns to accomplish the election or defeat of certain candidates: and WHEREAS, This has the effect of politically silencing the voice of others by majority power: and WHEREAS, This all but eliminates a truly representative convention; and WHEREAS, This makes efforts at reconciliation and coopera- tion more difficult: therefore be it Resolved. That the present system for selecting lay delegates for synodical conventions be set aside: and be it further Resolved. That lay delegates of electoral circuits shall be selected on an alphabetical rotation of cities represented in the circuit, and of congregations when a city is represented by more than one congregation: and be it further Resolved. That congregations sending the lay delegate select that delegate in the manner used by such congregation in their local elections; and be it further Resolved. That in order to be eligible to represent a given circuit, the layman must have been a communicant member of a member congregation of the circuit at least 9 months prior to the opening of the convention, and be a member of a congre- gation of the circuit at the time the convention convenes, and must not have served as a lay delegate to a synodical convention for at least 10 years, nor shall he be from the congregation send- ing the pastoral delegate; and be it further Resolved. That the selection of the alternate lay delegate be done in the same manner from the next eligible congregation in the rotation. Redeemer Lutheran Church Richland, Wash. Wm. Watson Jr.. Secretary Identical or similar: 3-42B and 5-42C Trinity, Pasco, Wash. Bethlehem, Yakima, Wash. Donald Frerichs E. L. Bauer 5-43 To Permit Only Laymen to Elect Lay Delegate WHEREAS. The visible church is composed of both clergy and laity: and WHEREAS. Both clergy and laity are priests before God (1 Peter 2:9): and WHEREAS. Both have the duty to maintain doctrinal purity and unity and the proper administration of the sacraments: therefore be it Resolved. That the historic balance of one pastoral and one lay vote be maintained (Constitution, Art. V A) in synodical and District conventions: and be it further Resolved. That the Committee on Constitutional Matters reconsider Resolution 5-27 of the New Orleans convention. which deals with Bylaw 1.53. to permit only the laity to vote for the lay delegate and that he be selected by the voters’ assembly of a congregation on a rotational basis within a Circuit. Calvary Lutheran Church Buffalo, N. Y. Henry T. Schmidt. President To Provide Franchise for All Called Personnel WHEREAS. The Synod has as one of its objects the training of ministers and teachers (Constitution, Art. III 3: “The training of ministers and teachers for service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church”’): and WHEREAS. God has bestowed His blessings on the Missouri Synod through capable, dedicated, ‘called’ Christians (Bylaw 4.01 a: ‘Congregations which are members of the Synod, in conformity with Article III, 3 of the Constitution of the Synod. shall call and be served only by pastors and called teachers who have been admitted to these respective ministries in ac- cordance with the rules and regulations set forth in the synodical HANDBOOK and have thereby become members of the Synod”): and WHEREAS. Those called by God and serving the church have not all been granted franchise (Constitution, Art. V B: “Advisory members only are the following: 1. Pastors whose congregations do not hold membership in the Synod: 2. Assis- tant pastors; 3. Ministers not in charge of congregations: 4. Pro- fessors at the Synod’s educational institutions: 5. Teachers of parochial schools; 6. Candidates for the office of the ministry or for that of a teacher in the parochial schools:" therefore be it Resolved. That the Synod in convention assembled in Ana- heim grant franchise to all called personnel (Bylaw 4.01: see above): and be it finally Resolved. That the Synod amend Article V A of the Consti- tution to read as follows: All organized congregations that have joined the Synod hold voting membership. At meetings of the Districts of the Synod every congregation or parish has the right to discharge its franchise in the prescribed manner: