# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S258 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 258 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS Our Savior Lutheran Church Pinole, Calif. Douglas McCay, President Franklin Runkle, Secretary Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church Kernville, Calif. Arthur T. Lewis, Pastor Lutheran Church of Our Savior San Jose, Calif. A. L. Alfeld, President Dennis Trexel, Secretary St. Luke Lutheran Church Santa Rosa, Calif. Richard C. Lystra, Chairman Miles T. Wyth, Secretary Charles W. Keturakat, Pastor 3-137A To Investigate Activities of District Presidents WHEREAS, Reports have been circulated in the Synod that some District Presidents have condoned or promoted certain activities in their respective Districts that are not in keeping with synodical resolutions, particularly in regard to the autho- rization of the ordination and installation of candidates who are not properly declared qualified according to the Bylaws of the Synod (Art. XII 9 c: Bylaw 4.15): therefore be it Resolved. That the synodical President appoint a committee to investigate the activities of District Presidents with regard to ordination and installation of improperly certified pastoral candidates. Peace Lutheran Church Waverly, Nebr. Dick Mohlman, President Gerald Haertel, Secretary Justin J. Burns, Pastor Identical or similar: 3-137B St. Peter's, Elk Creek, Nebr. Harold Stelzer 3-138 To Investigate Activities of Certain District Presidents WHEREAS, The District Presidents have not only a responsi- bility to their own conscience but also a responsibility to their Synod to which they have committed themselves at their in- stallation as President: and WHEREAS, The District Presidents have no right under their oath of office to work counter to the directions established by our Synod in convention: and WHEREAS. It is evident that this has been done in the past ‘i.e., the installation of uncertified graduates of unrecognized and unauthorized institutions as pastors, and working together and speaking in behalf of those whose evident purpose is to undermine the authority of our Synod which has spoken in convention): therefore be it Resolved, That the synodical President appoint a committee to investigate such activities of the District Presidents—not in a furtive way but confronting each District President as to his personal conscience, goals, and purposes: and be it further Resolved, That if it is clear that the District President is un- willing to work as an officer of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, the convention request his resignation or his immediate apology and promise to sever all such relationships: and be it further Resolved. That if the District President in question will accept neither of the above alternatives, he be removed from office by the President of the Synod and an interim District President be appointed until the District in convention elects a new President or confirms such nomination. St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Brownstown, Ind. John Stuckwisch, Chairman Lynn Hinnefeld, Secretary J. V. Moyer, Pastor 3-139A To Review Actions of District Presidents WHEREAS, A District President serves as an officer of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in a given District (Art. XII of the Synod's Constitution, particularly Section 6): and WHEREAS, A given District President in his oath of office (The Lutheran Agenda. pp. 195—96) promises to fulfill the duties of his office to the best of his ability in accordance with the Constitution of the Synod, with the Bylaws of the Synod, and with the resolutions of the Synod: and WHEREAS, In recent months a number of District Presidents by their actions would appear to be acting in a manner that does not fulfill their oath of office as taken by them when they accepted election to their respective District presidencies, and neither do their actions appear to fulfill either the letter or the spirit of the Constitution of the Synod ‘Art. XII 9 a, ¢, d), the Bylaws of the Synod (4.01, 4.15 a 1—6), or the resolutions of the Synod as noted by the President of the Synod in a synodical news release issued on 9/20;74 by the Department of Public Relations. The President of the Synod stated: However well-intended the authorization of uncertified men is, whatever appeals are made to a “higher law of love,” the fact re- mains that this action of eight District Presidents has brought The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod ‘to a very grave hour in her his- tory. Not only has the corporate integrity of the Council of Presidents been virtually destroyed, so that any future resolutions of that body will have little credibility, but the very life of our church body is threatened by the deliberate violation of constitutional authority. The ordination of these young men who have refused to be inter- viewed by Concordia Seminary is null and void in our Synod, and the District Presidents who have authorized these ordinations have violated their office (pp. 4—5, 9 20;74, News Release, Department of Public Relations): therefore be it Resolved, That we, the members of Grace Lutheran Church, Strasburg, Ill., call upon the President of the Synod to appoint a special convention committee to review the actions of our District Presidents in order to determine what discipline and correction is needed: and be it further Resolved, That this special committee of the convention bring the results of their study and their recommendations concerning the actions of District Presidents before the entire body of the convention delegates no later than 24 hours before the closing session of the 1975 synodical convention: and be it finally Resolved. That the President of the Synod be instructed to carry out the adopted action of the delegate body of the con- vention within one month after the close of the 1975 synodical convention. Grace Lutheran Church Strasburg, II. Floyd D. Storm, Secretary Identical or similar: 3-139B to 5-139E Emmaus, Ridgewood, N. Y. Trinity, Scarsdale, N. Y. St. Paul, Lowell Twp., Nebr. Hope, Chicago, III. Elwood Mather Merlin Meyer David Caspersen H. T. Wians 5-140 To Seek Unanimity Between Council and President WHEREAS, The President of the Synod is charged with the overall supervision of the doctrine and practice of the Synod: and