# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S262 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 262 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 5-152 To Provide Clarification re Suspension and Expulsion of District and Synodical Presidents WHEREAS, The President of our Synod is expressly entrusted with “the supervision regarding the doctrine and administration of all officers of the Synod,” including also the District Presi- dents (Art. XI B 1): and WHEREAS, The same supervision is assigned to the District Presidents over the pastors and teachers in their respective Districts (Bylaws 3.41 and 3.45): and WHEREAS, Article XIII of the Synod's Constitution treats of “Expulsion from the Synod” and the Bylaws carefully out- line the procedure in cases of ‘Adjudication and Appeal,” with special attention to “Suspension and Expulsion” (5.01 to 5.29 inclusive); and WHEREAS, However, no procedure in dealing with District Presidents themselves or even with the President of the Synod, in case suspension or expulsion should be indicated, seems to be spelled out in either the Constitution or the Bylaws, clearly setting forth what steps are to be taken and whois to take them: therefore be it Resolved. That the Commission on Constitutional Matters be instructed to publish clarification on this score to the congre- gations of the Synod as soon as possible: and be it further Resolved. That, should satisfactory clarification prove im- possible for want of material to be clarified, the President be asked to direct either said commission or, if he deems it more feasible, to appoint a special committee of no less than five that will submit to the next synodical convention guidelines in the form of additions to the Bylaws regulating the procedure to be followed if—and may the Lord of the church mercifully prevent this'~a District or synodical President becomes guilty of per- sistent error in doctrine or life. Calvary Ev. Lutheran Church Seattle, Wash. Carroll E. Cooper, President Karl J. Jaech, Secretary John F. Falk, Pastor 3-153A To Make =xplicit the Authority of the Synodical President in Relationship to District Presidents WHEREAS, The Handbook gives the President of the Synod supervision over the District Presidents (Art. XI B 1 d): and WHEREAS, District Presidents are required to submit annual reports of their administration to the President of the Synod (Art. XII 9 b: Bylaws 2.27 b and 3.41): and WHEREAS, The District Presidents and the synodical Presi- dent are specifically charged with the duty to see that the Synod’s resolutions are carried out (Art. XII 9 a and Art. XI B 4): and WHEREAS, Carrying out the Synod’s resolutions certainly includes obeying and honoring constitutionally adopted Bylaws of the Synod: and WHEREAS, Some District Presidents have openly disobeyed the Constitution and Bylaws or have supported those who have done so: and WHEREAS, The President of the Synod has the duty to ad- monish District Presidents who do not “act in accordance with the Synod’s Constitution,” but if such District Presidents do not heed the admonition is instructed merely to “report such cases to the Synod” (Art. XI B 2): and WHEREAS, There is need for the authority of the President of the Synod in regard to the District Presidents to be stated as explicitly as is his responsibility regarding them: and WHEREAS, Bylaw 2.29 b states that the President of the Synod “shall exercise executive power when the affairs of the Synod demand it and when he has been expressly invested with such power for such specific purpose”: therefore be it Resolved, That the President of the Synod hereby be invested with executive power under Bylaw 2.29 b to suspend from office any District President who, after patient admonition, persists in actions contrary to the Synod’s Constitution and Bylaws or synodical resolutions, or who permits persons under his juris- diction to do so: and be it finally Resolved, That the President of the Synod be required to report all such executive actions to the next convention of the Synod. Trinity Lutheran Church Elkhart, Ind. Lorrain E. Melser, President Leslie H. Grebe, Secretary James T. Nickel, Pastor Edmund J. Nickel, Pastor Identical or similar: 5-153B Our Savior’s, Pacifica, Calif. John H. Rische 5-154 To Restore Traditional Authority to President WHEREAS, The Constitution and Bylaws assign responsibility for the supervision of doctrine to the President of the Synod, a function he must normally carry out through others over whom he has been given no direct authority (cf XI B 1 d contra XII 7 and 8: Bylaws 2.27 a contra 2.27 c and d: 3.41 contra 3.45 and 3.47): and WHEREAS, The assignment of responsibility without cor- responding authority is a violation of sound business and ad- ministrative practices and has made the management of synod- ical affairs painfully turbulent in recent years; and WHEREAS, The discrepancy between responsibility and authority presented no practical problems as long as our Synod functioned as a sociologically homogeneous subculture in which the President was not required personally to enforce discipline but could rely on his assistants to have a spirit of ready coopera- tion and to work in complete harmony with him: and WHEREAS, This traditional reverence has degenerated into an egalitarian spirit prompting District Presidents to exceed their constitutional authority and violate synodical policies, challenging the President of the Synod: and WHEREAS, The Bylaws describe Districts as subordinate extensions of the Synod (3.01, 3.03, and 3.07: ef. Constitution XII 1) and describe District Presidents as assistants to the Presi- dent of the Synod (2.27); and WHEREAS, Certain Districts appear to assume differing char- acteristics which derive from their administrations rather than from geographic factors and thereby threaten the unity of the Synod: and WHEREAS, Our fellowship experience with the ALC has taught us that heterogeneous elements can be integrated by giving the synodical President direct authority over District Presidents: therefore be it Resolved. That the traditional authority of the President be made explicit by granting him powers commensurate with the responsibilities outlined in the Constitution, with ine prayer that by this action God will restore the harmony that befits co-workers in our portion of His gracious kingdom: and be it further Resolved, That the President of the Synod be empowered to dismiss District Presidents at his discretion, to replace them with Vice-Presidents of the Districts affected, or with Presidents of other Districts: and be it further Resolved, That a full report of any such executive actions be given to the following general convention of the Synod: and be it finally Resolved, That the Bylaws be amended to reflect this applica-