LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 214

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214 STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTION

B. Advisory Members

Advisory members only are the following:

1. Pastors whose congregations do not hold
membership in the Synod;

2. Assistant pastors:

3. Ministers not in charge of congregations:

4. Professors at the Synod’s educational institu-
tions;

3d. Teachers of parochical schools;

6. Candidates for the office of the ministry or for
that of a teacher in the parochial schools.

Article XII Districts of the Synod and Their
Regulation

10. The meetings of the Districts of the Synod are
composed of the following:

A. Voting Representatives

The pastors of such congregations as hold voting
membership in the Synod and the lay delegates
elected and deputed by these congregations shall be
voting representatives.

B. Advisory Members

Advisory members are:

a. Pastors whose congregations do not hold
membership in the Synod;

b. Assistant pastors;

c. Ministers without a charge;

d. Professors at the educational institutions;

e. Teachers of parochial schools;

f. Candidates for the office of the ministry or for
the office of parochial school school teacher.

The following were appointed by the President of the Synod
to serve on this committee: Dr. Karl L. Barth, pastor, who also
served as chairman; Dr. Wilbert H. Rusch, Sr., and Mr. Lyle
Saeger, teachers; Mr. Don Graf, Dr. Robert M. Nauss, and Mr.
Norman Troyke, laypersons. The committee met four times,
twice in St. Louis and twice by conference telephone call. It also
shared its preliminary findings with members of the Commit-
tee on Structure.

In reviewing the resolutions in question the committee
identified several questions for study, including the following:

1. Who shall cast the nonpastoral vote at District and
synodical conventions?

2. If the present system is retained (one pastor, one lay
vote), should teachers be designated as athird category eligible
to vote?

3. Shall a vacant congregation be entitled to two votes ata
District convention? If so, who shall cast the two votes?

4. Shall a multiple parish be entitled to more than two votes
at a District convention?

5. Shall lay ministers serving congregations without a
pastor be permitted to cast the pastoral vote at District
conventions?

6. Shall retired pastors who are serving as vacancy pastors
be permitted to cast the pastoral vote?

To facilitate the committee’s work, several independent
studies were conducted by individual members. Since the
number of teachers varies greatly from District to District, the
ratio of voting delegates to communicant members in the 38
North American Districts was reviewed. This was done to
determine what effect the establishment of a third category of
voting delegates (teachers) would have on that ratio, and
several options were developed as to how under such an
arrangement the teachers would be elected. Statistical data
was gathered on the number of multiple parishes in each
District, including the number of multiple parishes with at
least two stations of more than 100 communicants each. The
basis of the “one pastor, one lay vote” procedure was researched
back to the early days of the Synod.

Regarding the nonpastoral vote referred to in both the

B. Advisory Members

Advisory members are the following:
(Continue as at present.)

Article XII Districts of the Synod and Their
Regulation

10. The meetings of the Districts of the Synod are
composed of the following:
A. Voting Delegates

The pastor of each member congregation and one
additional person elected by the congregation shall
be voting delegates.

B. Advisory Delegates

Advisory delegates are:
(Continue as at present.)

Action: Withdrawn in view of action on Res. 2-14.

second and fifth resolveds of Res. 2-14, the committee con-
sidered three options: maintain the status quo, requiring the
nonpastoral vote to be cast by a layperson; adopt the recom-
mendation of Task Force II, permitting the congregation to
choose ‘‘a layperson, a parochial school teacher, or any other
communicant member of that congregation who is on the
clergy or teacher roster of the Synod in some other capacity"; or
establish a third category of voting delegates, giving the
franchise to a limited number of teachers on the roster of the
Synod. The committee found no strong consensus for change
but herewith lists reasons for and against the three options.

The present arrangement continues a long-established,
well-working procedure. It assures continued balanced lay
participation. It enables the church to continue to use the
special insights of teachers, faculty members, and those in
special ministries by maintaining their right as advisory
delegates to speak at conventions and their privilege of serving
on many synodical and District boards and committees. It
retains the concept that only the congregation has power to
determine who shall cast its vote. On the other hand, it
continues to deny the franchise to a significant number
engaged in the public ministry of the church.

The proposals of Resolution 2-14 also maintain the vote for
the congregation. They open up the franchise in a limited way
to teachers and advisory clergy and enable the church in the
fullest sense to use their gifts at conventions. Conversely, the
proposals have the potential for weakening lay influence and
opening the way for professional domination. They may be
viewed by some as a failure to recognize the status of the
teacher as a minister of the Gospel and may havea detrimental
effect on the morale of those not chosen.

The possibility of a third category of voting delegates
assures the franchise to teachers. However, it removes the
concept that the vote belongs to the congregation, since the
selection of teacher delegates by individual congregations
would be cumbersome if not impossible. It increases delegation
size as well as cost. It has the potential for professional
domination and establishes precedent for establishing other
voting categories.

Since the 1981 convention in a proposed amendment
discussed the possibility of opening the pastoral vote of the