# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S441
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

b. Commissions

Normally a commission is charged with the per-
formance and execution of specific service functions
assigned to it by the Synod.

2.03 Elective Boards

The Boards of the Synod elected by the dele-
gate convention of the Synod are:

A Board of Directors

A Board for Missions

A Board of Stewardship

A Board of Directors of Concordia Publishing
House

A Board of Evangelism

A Board of Parish Education

A Board of Youth Ministry

A Board for Higher Education

A Board of Control for each educational institu-
tion

A Board of Appeals

A Board of Adjudication

2.04 Appointive Boards and Commissions

a. The criteria for determining the appointing
body shall normally be:

1. Those boards or commissions dealing pri-
marily with financial and or business affairs of the
Synod, or which require special technical compe-
tence shall be appointed by the Board of Directors
after consultation with the President.

2. Other boards and commissions shall be ap-
pointed by the President of the Synod after consul-
tation with the Board of Directors:

b. The boards and commissions appo:nted by
the Board of Directors, after consultation with the
synodica) President, shall be:

A Board for KFUO

A Board for Lutheran Television

A Board of Managers for Concordia Plans

A Board of Pensions and Support

A Board of Trustees for The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod Foundation

A Board of Trustees for Trust Funds

A Board for Church Extension

c. The boards and commissions appointed by the
President of the Synod, after consultation with the
Board of Directors, shall be:

A Board for Public Relations

A Board of Social Ministry and World Relief

A Commission for Doctrinal Review

A Commission on Architecture

A Commission on Social Concerns

A Commission on Lay Higher Education

A Commission for Christian Medical Work

A Commission for Services to the Mentally Re-
tarded

A Commission on Church Literature

A Commission on Constitutional Matters

A Commission on Fraternal Organizations

A Commission on Ministerial Health

A Commission on Worship

A Synodical Service Commission

An Armed Forces Commission

An Editorial Commission for Official Periodicals

An Advance Editorial) Commission

2.05 Boards and Commissions with Special Elec-
tive and Appointive Procedures

a. The following shall have both elective and ap-
pointive positions, as hereinafter provided in these
Bylaws:

A Commission on Theology and Church Rela-

tions

A Commission on Mission and Ministry in the

Church
A Board of Governors of Concordia Historical
Institute

b. The following shall have specific and unique
appointive and elective procedures, as hereinafter
provided in these Bylaws:

A Colloquy Board for the Pastoral Ministry

A Colloquy Board for the Teaching Ministry

A Colloquy Board for the Deaconess Ministry

A Board for Lay Ministries

To Decline to Change Bylaws Re Staff Officers
in Elective and Appointive Positions,
Milwaukee Convention Resolution 4-42

RESOLUTION 5-08
Report 5-02, I, 1 (CW, p. 204)

Wuenreas, Resolution 4-42 (Milwaukee) referred to
the Board of Directors by the Milwaukee convention
expresses the desire that all conflict of interest which
may be incurred by a staff member's service on boards
of the Synod or its Districts should be avoided; and

Wuereas, The Committee on Organization also agrees
with the concerns expressed by this overture; and

Wurreas, Adequate safeguards are provided in By-
law 2.15, Section a, b, ¢ against such possible conflict
of interest; therefore be it

Resolved, That Milwaukee Convention Resolution
4-42 be declined.

REFERRED RESOLUTIONS

To Amend Bylaws Relating to Executive
Administration

RESOLUTION 5-09

Report 5-02, I (CW, p.205); Overture 4-39 (Proceed-
ings, 1971, p. 148)

Wuergas, The synodical Constitution clearly estab-
lishes the President of the Synod as the chief executive
officer of the Synod (Article XI, B): and

Wuerras, It is desirable that certain current work-
ing arrangements of synodical officers in and with the
Board of Directors and Council of Administrators be
clarified in the Bylaws: therefore be it

Resolved, That the following Bylaw changes be ap-
proved:
1, That Bylaw 2.27 receive a new paragraph “a”
reading:
a. The President is the chief executive officer of
the Synod.
and that the present paragraph ‘a’ be redesignated as
paragraph “b,” the present paragraph “b” be redesig-
nated as paragraph “c,” etc.
2. That a new paragraph “!" be added to Bylaw 2.27
which reads as follows:
1. The President shall serve as a member and
chairman of the Board of Directors.
3. That Bylaw 2.75 be amended to read:
2.75 Officers of the Board

The President of the Synod shall serve as chair-
man of the Board of Directors, and the Secretary
of the Synod shall serve as its Secretary. The Board
shall elect its own vice-chairman and such other
officers as may be necessary.

4. That Bylaw 2.17a 1, dealing with the Council of
Administrators, be amended to read:

1. The President of the Synod, who shall serve
as chairman of the Council, or in his absence,
designate the chairman.

To Retain Present Practice
of Receiving Overtures

RESOLUTION 5-10
Report 5-02 (CW, p.207); Overture 5-44 (CW, p. 224)

Wuereas, Milwaukee Resolution 5-12 (Proceedings,
1971, p. 153) assigned to the Committee on Organization
the matter of receiving overtures and reports from
councils, auxiliaries, and individuals at the synodical
convention; and

Wuereas, The recognized auxiliaries (17.01, 17.03,
17.05, and 17.07) have a unique privilege to submit
short reports to the synodical conventions upon the
President's request: and

Wuereas, Other councils and groups have several
channels open to them to report their concerns to a con-
vention, primarily through the reports of boards, as well
as the Board of Directors: and

Wuereas, Such groups have an opportunity to report
directly to the convention on the assignments given to
them by the convention; therefore be it

Resolved, That Bylaw 1.27 be retained in its present
form, and that the Synod continue its present practice
of receiving overtures.

To Decline Overture 5-29 (Milwaukee)
RESOLUTION 5-11
Report 5.02, 1 (CW, p. 208)

Wuereas, It is not in keeping with the spirit of the
Constitution to restrict congregations from being heard
in convention; and

WuereaS, Sufficient limitation has been imposed in
the Synod'’s Bylaw (1.27c) to reject certain overtures
which provides:

c. Overtures requesting the Synod to take action
which is in conftict with the Constitution or Bylaws
of the Synod or in matters for which the Constitu-
tion or Bylaws have provided specific procedures;
which centain defamatory allegations, or overtures
which may subject the President of the Synod or
the Synod to civil actions for libel or slander, shall
not be published or presented to any floor com-
mittee or to the convention; nor shall any overture
be accepted with reference to any case involving
suspension, expulsion, or appeals.

therefore be it

Resolved, That Overture 5-29 (Milwaukee) be de-
clined.

441

To Decline Overture 5-45
(Convention Committee Appointments)

RESOLUTION 5-12
Overture 5-45 (CW, p. 224)

Wuereas, The delegates to the synodical convention
are elected by their respective circuits and their names
are ordinarily submitted to the President through the
District Secretary's office: and

Wuereas, District Presidents are able to offer per-
tinent information regarding the qualifications and ap-
titudes of such delegates; and

Wuereas. The President of the Synod in appointing
committees for the convention from the list of delegates
has therefore much information available to him in
making his selection from the various Districts, and

Wuereas, Conventions in session have the power to
accept or reject or amend such committee recommenda-
tions as they see fit: therefore be it

Resolved, That we decline Overture 5-45 and con-
tinue with our present arrangement of convention com-
mittee appointments as outlined in the Handbook Bylaw
127.

To Retain Present Voting Rights
RESOLUTION 5-14
Report 5-02 (CW, p. 209)

Wuereas, It is well that all congregations, pastors,
and teachers study the constitutional terms which are
foundational to any discussion of the franchise in syn-
odical conventions; and

Wuereas, It should always be remembered that the
Synod is not a union or association of individuals, but
a federation of congregations, who alone have the fran-
chise, and may delegate the right to vote to pastors and
lay persons chosen by them: and

Wuereas, The membership in the Synod acquired by
pastors and teachers is according to their calling a pro-
fessional membership, and quite distinct from voting
membership which only the congregations of the Synod
possess: and

Wuereas, The Committee on Organization has made
a study of the concerns dealing with voting rights at
synodical conventions, and has summarized its report
on CW p. 209; therefore be it

Resolved, That the historic balance of one pastoral
vote and one lay vote be retained (Constitution, Art.
V A); and be it further

Resolved, That in case of multiple parishes, voting
privileges continue to be extended on the basis of one
pastoral and one lay vote for the entire parish; and be
it further

Resolved, That the current requirements (Bylaw
1.51) concerning the number of communicant members
and number of congregations in electoral circuits be re-
tained for the present, but be subject to ongoing review
by the Commission on Constitutional Matters; and be
it finally

Resolved, That the franchise not be extended to in-
dividuals, but continue to rest with member congrega-
tions of the Synod as the Constitution presently pre-
scribes in Art. V A and Art. IX.

To Clarify and Affirm the Right of Franchise
and to Decline the Request for a General
Franchise of Church Workers of All Categories

RESOLUTION 5-15

Report 5-02, I]; Overtures 5-21A, 5-21B, 5-21C, 5-22, 5-23,
5-24A, 5-24B, 5-25A, 5-25B, 5-26, 5-27 (CW, pp. 208—209,
220—221)

Wuereas, The request that the Synod grant voting
rights to all professional church workers within The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod at the conventions
of both the Synod and its Districts is not a question sim-
ilar to that of the equal rights of persons in a civil gov-
ernment which follows the rule of “one person, one
vote”; and

Wuereas, It is always fitting that the Synod in con-
vention assembled give an answer to those who make
requests not in keeping with the principles underlying
the polity of our Synod; and

Wuereas, It is well to remember that the Synod is