# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S235
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 235

Church — Missouri Synod on the subject of calls to those clergy-
men nominated as candidates for the office of President and
First Vice-President of the Synod: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Southeastern District memorialize the
Synod in 1975 to amend paragraph b of Bylaw 2.129 be deleting
all wording following the word “candidate” in the second line,
so that the paragraph in its entirety shall read: ‘“‘b. The Secretary
of the Synod shall notify each candidate.”

Southeastern District
Ralph Wiechmann, Secretary

5-64

To Amend Procedure for Preconvention
Nominations

WHEREAS, The members of the Committee for Convention
Nominations are elected by the convention while the members
of the Committee on Elections are appointed from among the
delegates: and

WHEREAS, It would therefore seem more appropriate for
the chairman of the Committee for Convention Nominations
rather than the chairman of the Committee on Elections to
assist the Secretary of the Synod in the procedures governing
preconvention nominations for President and First Vice-Presi-
dent from the congregations of the Synod: therefore be it

Resolved, That “the chairman of the Committee for Con-
vention Nominations” be substituted for ‘the chairman of the
Committee on Elections” in Bylaw 2.127 d.

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
North Platte, Nebr.

L. V. Schneider, President

Craig Wolske, Secretary

5-65A

To Change Method of Choosing
Synodical and District Officers
and Boards

WHEREAS, The political maneuvering developing within The
Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod caters to factions and thus
creates a distrust and lack of confidence that undermines the
effective leadership of the church’s officers and boards: and

WHEREAS, The political maneuvering often focuses undue
attention on personalities and special interests rather than on
the total work of the church: and

WHEREAS, The pettiness, bitterness, misrepresentation, and
personal ambition for power manifest in such maneuverings are
offensive to the membership of the Synod, a scandal to Christen-
dom, and a source of ammunition for those opposing organized
churches: and

WHEREAS, The Synod needs procedures that minimize the
opportunity for the politically powerful to use and serve the
Synod for their own ends and purposes: and

WHEREAS, It is the desire of the membership of the Synod
that its officers and boards be staffed by people, chosen by God
for the given time, who owe their positions of leadership and
responsibility to the Lord of the church rather than to a segment
known as the majority: and

WHEREAS, The present system of electing officers and boards
more often reinstates people or selects replacement on the basis
of name familiarity rather than ability: and

WHEREAS, We as a church body seriously profess faith in the
power of the living God and His willingness and wisdom, to re-
spond to the earnest prayers of His people: and

WHEREAS, There is Biblical precedent for the proposed pro-
cedure (Acts 1:12-16): and

WHEREAS, The present high cost of man hours and money
expended at our conventions for elections would be almost
eliminated and thus provide more opportunity and time for the
conventions to do their work: and

WHEREAS, The proposed change would provide a better

random cross-section representation of the Synod and thus
supply better balance against extremes in leadership: therefore
be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church-— Missouri Synod set
aside its present system of selecting officers and boards: and be
it further

Resolved. That the following procedures be adopted:

a. All congregations of the Synod shall have the privilege
to nominate one person for each office to be filled at a given
convention. The qualifications for the nominees shall be the
same as now.

b. All nominations shall be in the hands of the designated
and bonded Auditors no later than 1 month before the con-
vention.

c. The 5 individuals receiving the most nominating ballots
shall constitute the slate from which the final selection will be
made.

d. Selection of the new officers shall take place in the first
regular session of the convention and shall be done by the cast-
ing of lots following prayer: and be it finally

Resolved, That such constitutional changes as are necessary
be made at the opening of the 1977 convention and govern the.
elections of the Synod and its Districts beginning with the 1977
synodical convention.

Redeemer Lutheran Church
Richland, Wash.
Wm. Watson Jr., Secretary

Identical or similar:

5-65B
Bethlehem, Yakima, Wash.

5-664

E. L. Bauer

To Make Laymen Eligible for
All Synodical Offices

WHEREAS, Article X B 1 of the Constitution of the Synod
requires that the President, the Vice-Presidents, and the
Secretary of the Synod be ministers of the church: and

WHEREAS, Article X B 1 also applies to the same officers in
the Districts of our Synod: and

WHEREAS, This constitutional requirement severely limits
the persons who are eligible for nomination to these offices; and

WHEREAS, Such limitation would seem to be contrary to the
doctrine of the priesthood of all believers: and

WHEREAS, There are many members of our Synod who are
not ordained ministers who have the training and the com-
petency to fill the responsibilities of these offices: and

WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of the stewardship of
talents of all our members to remove these limitations: therefore
be it

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
repeal Article X B 1 of its Constitution.

Emmaus Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, Ind.

John H. Klemm, President
D. V. Dubbelde, Pastor

Identical or similar:

5-66B to 5-66E

St. Pauls, Wellston, Okla.
Christ, Coos Bay, Oreg.
Hope, San Leandro, Calif.
University, Los Angeles, Calif.

Herbert Fritze
Herbert Schutte
Wm. Grunow
Roger Timm

5-67
To Elect District Presidents and First
Vice-Presidents at Synodical Convention

WHEREAS, District Presidents are the representatives of the
synodical administration within the Districts; and