LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 233

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STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTION 233

1. The Scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments as the
written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and
practice; [and]

2. AlltheSymbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
asa true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of

God:

and therefore the members of the Synod are not free to believe,
teach. and confess anything they please or anything contrary
to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions; and
WHEREAS, Article III, Par. 8, of the Synod’s Constitution
states that one of the purposes of the Synod is to
provide evangelical supervision, counsel, and care for pastors,
teachers, and other professional church workers of the Synod in the

performance of their official duties [i.e., supervision of both doctrine
and practice]:

and therefore the members of the Synod are not free to teach or
practice anything they choose or anything contrary to Article
II of the Constitution; and
WHEREAS, Article VI of the Synod’s Constitution requires as
conditions of membership:
2. Renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every description
....fand]

4. Exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and
catechisms in church and school:

and therefore the members of the Synod are not free to teach
and practice anything they please; and

WHEREAS, This means that the congregational form of
church polity is limited according to these provisions of the
Constitution to an appreciable degree; and

WHEREAS, Competent legal counsel has advised the Admin-
istration of the Synod that, by legal definition, these factors
classify our Synod as hierarchical in legal rhetoric and in the
eyes of the law: therefore be it

Resolved, That for such legal purposes only we support and
approve the Synod’s administrative branch of government in
its qualified use of the term “hierarchical” as applied to The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod for legal purposes.

Redeemer Lutheran Church
Delta, Colo.

Alvin Hahn, President
Charles Lutje. Secretary

5-76

To Call for Congregational Referendum
on Matters of Fellowship

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention at St. Louis in 1981
considered, debated, and finally rejected by a vote of 611 to 474
a substitute resolution, “To Involve Congregations in the
Discussion and Decision Process on Fellowship,” which would
have called for a congregational referendum on the issue of
ALC fellowship; therefore be it

Resolved. That the California-Nevada-Hawaii District
memorialize the Synod as follows: ‘‘That in future altar and
pulpit fellowship issues the concept of congregational rati-
fication as applied to matters of doctrine (see Handbook 1.03)
be applied.”

California-Nevada-Hawaii District
Sergei S. Koberg, Secretary

5-77A

To Allow Districts
to Elect Board Members to Six-Year Terms
WHEREAS, Synodical Bylaw 3.125, speaking of the Districts,
states: “All terms shall be for three years” and

WHEREAS, It would be advantageous for Districts to elect
board members to six-year terms, allowing for staggering;
therefore be it

Resolved, That Bylaw 3.12 be changed to allow Districts to

elect board members for six-year terms (should this be their

choice), thereby allowing for the staggering of terms at the
District level.

Texas District

Glenn O’Shoney. President

Identical or similar:

5-77B to 5-77D

Michigan District

Kansas District

Missouri District Board of Directors

Eldor F. Bickel
Harvey Hanneman

Paul Ph. Spitz
5-78

To Elect District Presidents
at the Synodical Conventions

WHEREAs, Our founding fathers envisioned for the Synod a
strong and vital unity in doctrine, practice, and programs as
reflected in this sampling of provisions in the Synod’s Constitution
and Bylaws:

1. “The congregation is the basic unit in the Synod” and
“Membership is held in the Synod itself’ (1.33 b and c).

2. Synod “ultimately establishes policies and provides
program direction to carry on the Synod’s work” (1.35 a).

3. “The Constitution, Bylaws. and all other rules and
regulations of the Synod apply to all members of the Synod”
(1.19 a).

4. The synodical Constitution “is also the constitution of
each District of the Synod” (XII, 2).

5. District Presidents shall “submit an annual report of
their administration to the President of the Synod” (XII, 9 b).

6. “A District is the Synod itself performing the functions of
the Synod. Resolutions of the Synod are binding on the Dis-
tricts” (3.07 a)

7. The synodical President is to exercise supervision over
the doctrine taught in the Synod and over the administration
of District Presidents and officers of the Synod (2.101 b): and

WHEREAS, In recent years there has been a dangerous trend
towards the Synod ultimately becoming a loose federation of
Districts, a trend evidenced by a wide divergence among
Districts in doctrinal supervision and a decline in financial
support of the mission and higher education programs of the
Synod; and

WHEREAS, In the early days of our Synod there was a time
when District Presidents were elected by the Synod in con-
vention; therefore be it

Resolved, That nominations for the presidency of the
various synodical Districts be made by the Districts them-
selves, but that the elections be carried out by the Synod in
convention.

Zion Lutheran Church
Auburn, Wash.

Gary A. Ford, President
H. B. Schutte, Pastor

5-79
To Change Frequency of Forum Meetings

Resolved, To petition the Synod to change the requirement
for frequency of Circuit Forum meetings, in synodical Hand-
book (1981), Par. 4.31 (p. 119), from “The Circuit Forum will
meet at least twice a year” to “The Circuit Forum will meet at
least once a year.”

Ontario District
Harold R. Patzer, Secretary

To Create Office
of ‘Circuit Layman Counselor’”’

WueREAs, It is the desire of the Grace Lutheran Church
membership that the administration of the church be improved