LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 188

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188 STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTION

deait with and are incorporated at other points in this report,

notably in the recommendations regarding stewardship and

planning. The number of Districts, the size of Districts, and

inter-District staffing are also subjects which should receive
widespread study.

G. The Commission on Ministerial Health
and Commission on Health and Healing

The Board of Directors requested the Commission on
Structure to evaluate the possibility of combining the Commis-
sion on Ministerial] Health and the Commission on Health and
Healing. Both commissions worked together on this matter
and presented proposals for review. The Commission on
Structure recommended to the Board of Directors that a full-
time person be engaged who could provide the leadership in
bringing together both of these commissions over the next
triennium. The Commission on Structure has requested both
commissions to present bylaw proposals to the 1986
convention.

* * *

In concluding this part of our report, it should be taken for
granted that still other topics are under review at the present
time and will be under study by the commission in the next
triennium. But what is reported here is intended to give some
indication to the church as to the activities of the commission.
Reactions, evaluations, and suggestions regarding these ac-
tivities and other structural issues from Districts, Circuits, and
congregations would be most welcome.

II. Recommendations

The Commission on Structure offers the following
recommendations.

A. Eligibility of Directors of Christian Education
for “‘Teacher’’ Membership in Synod

The Commission on Structure supports the proposal that
those who have been synodically trained and/or certified as
directors of Christian education shall be regarded as “‘teach-
ers” for constitutional purposes, thereby making them eligible
for membership in the Synod.

B. District Membership of Emeriti (Bylaw 1.19 d)

Bylaw 1.19 d makes it plain that the choice of District
membership is not an option on the part of the active workers of
the Synod. The case of emeriti pastors and teachers needs
attention. In many instances such emeriti move far from their
former field of endeavor, and unless their membership is
transferred to the District in which they now reside, they may
very well suffer from a lack of care and concern. Since “the
consolation of the brethren” is an important aspect of our
synodical life together, the commission suggests that addi-
tional bylaw provision be made for emeriti. The commission,
however, also recognizes that there may be exceptional cases
involving close proximity, though in another geographical
District, or involving membership in nongeographical Dis-
tricts. The commission therefore suggests that the following
sentence be added to Bylaw 1.19 d:

1.19 Relation of the Synod to Its Members

d. ...Emeriti pastors and teachers shall hold their
synodical membership in that District in which they
reside; District Presidents, however, may grant ex-
ceptions upon request.

C. Suspended Status

In many instances a pastor or teacher cannot be recom-
mended, at least temporarily, by the District President for a
call. The classification of c.r.m. (candidate) indicates that the
individual is a candidate eligible for a call, when in fact he
cannot be recommended at the time for a call.

This has consistently distressed District Presidents and
has placed them in a difficult position of saying at one and the
same time that an individual is a candidate(c.r.m.) and is nota
candidate.

The Commission on Structure therefore recommends thata

separate classification be created for such instances, a classi-
fication to be known as Suspended Status. This would mean
that the individual’s membership is in a suspended state, a
temporary status, until the situation is properly resolved.
Safeguards of course must be built into this process. The
commission recommends the adoption of the following new
bylaws:

1.19 Relation of the Synod to its Members

f. Although the Constitution (see Art. VI, 3, and
Art. XII, 7 and 8) deals with the “life” of pastors and
teachers of the Synod and provides for dealing with
“ungodly life’ of pastors, professors, and teachers,
this does not suggest that the Synod, including any
District of the Synod, has the duty or even an
opportunity to observe the activities in the life of a
pastor, professor, or teacher or has the means or
authority to regulate, restrict, or contro] those activi-
ties. The only remedy available to the Synod in
response to improper activities in the life of such a
member of the Synod is, where appropriate under the
Constitution or these Bylaws and following the pro-
cedures set forth in these Bylaws, to take such action
as may lead to the termination of that membership
and the attendant rights and privileges.

1.20 Reviewing Continued Eligiblity of
Individual Members

a. If information with respect to an individual
member of the Synod is made known to or becomes
known by the President of the District in which the
person then holds his membership, and the District
President, after a reasonable investigation, believes
that there may be a basis, given the nature of the
circumstances, for suspending the person, the Presi-
dent of the District in which the person then holds his
membership may suspend that person until the ap-
plicable adjudication and appeals procedures, as set
forth in Chapter VIII of these Bylaws, can be
completed.

b. During the period that the suspension is in
effect, the member shall have “Suspended Status” as
provided in Bylaw 5.48 and shall be ineligible for
service in the Synod. All records of the Synod shall
reflect this fact. In addition, the District President
shall notify the President of the Synod and all other
District Presidents in writing of the suspension of the
accused person’s membership.

5.48 Suspended Status

There shall be a separate category entitled ‘“‘Sus-
pended Status” for those pastors and teachers who
have been suspended from membership in the Synod
in conformity with Art. XII, 8, or the appropnate
Bylaws, including Bylaw 1.20. This is a temporary
status. Eventually such individuals shall either be
removed from membership or restored to the clergy or
teacher roster. Until they are restored, they shall be
ineligible for service in the Synod; until they are
removed, they shall retain the right of utilizing
adjudication and appeal procedures as outlined in the
Bylaws.

D. Two Congregations Forming One Parish (Bylaw 3.23)

Former Bylaw3.17 contained the clarifying statement: ‘Ifa
pastor serves two or more congregations, these shall be
regarded as one parish and shall be entitled to only one lay
vote.”

Anticipating that the convention would adopt the recom-
mendation of Task Force II regarding franchise, the Task
Force had recommended deleting that sentence from new
Bylaw 3.23 on the assumption that it would no longer be
necessary.

However, the 1981 convention chose to refer the recom-
mendations regarding franchise to a special committee; the
former provisions therefore are still in effect.