LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 120

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120 RESOLUTIONS

~— Missouri Synod establishes procedures for determin-
ing whether men meet the standards. One of the ad-
vantages which a congregation receives when it joins
the Synod is the protection against pastors who do not
meet such standards.

The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod has pro-
vided two methods whereby a man may qualify for its
ministry: (1) a graduate of either of the synodical min-
isterial seminaries must first be endorsed by the faculty
of his respective seminary; or (2) a man who is not
a graduate of one of the ministerial seminaries must
be recommended for acceptance by the Commission on
Colloquies. Following the endorsement or recommen-
dation, the candidate for the ministry must have re-
ceived and accepted his first call through the Council
of Presidents, acting as the Board of Assignments, and
must be ordained by the President of the District to
which he has been assigned (or by his representative).
Having made proper application, he becomes a member
of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod upon sign-
ing the Constitution of the Synod. (Bylaws 4.09 to 4.19,
4.55 to 4.67)

The Constitution of the Synod (Art. VI 3) sets forth
as one of the conditions for a congregation to acquire
and hold membership in the Synod the regular call of
pastors and teachers and the regular election of dele-
gates. The term “regular call” as used in our Synod
has always meant a call extended in conformity with
the procedures adopted by the Synod as set forth in
the Handbook. The very fact that the “regular election”
of delegates is required in the same sentence leaves no
doubt of this, because if a congregation is not a member
of the Synod, it has no right to elect delegates. The
obligation of a congregation to seek the advice of the
respective District officials when calling pastors or
teachers (Bylaw 4.01) emphasizes this meaning.

Article XIII of the Constitution of the Synod, Bylaw
1.05, and Bylaw 1.09a are binding on every member of
the Synod, and refusal to comply with the rules and
regulations of the Synod constitutes divisive and un-
brotherly conduct which destroys the very concept of
the Synod as a “walking together.” The right of a con-
gregation to exercise the right of expediency (Bylaw
1.09b) applies only to resolutions of the Synod and
not to the Constitution and Bylaws.

In confirmation of the above interpretation, the
Commission on Constitutional Matters in answer to
a question raised by the President of the Synod handed
down the following opinion on June 14, 1968:

“After thorough study of the Constitution and By-
laws, the Commission on Constitutional Matters has
come to the conclusion that having a pastor who is not
a member of the Synod is not permissible and that such
a congregation cannot remain a member of the Synod
or exercise any rights and privileges of membership.”

In order that there may be no misunderstanding or
misinterpretation of the condition that the membership
of congregations in the Synod requires of a congrega-
tion that all pastors, as also all teachers, who are called

to and who serve the congregations of the Synod must
have been admitted to the ministry of the Synod in
accordance with the procedures provided by the Synod
for certification, recommendation, ordination, or com-
missioning of such pastors or called teachers, this com-
mittee deems it advisable to reiterate the basic constitu-
tional requirements in clear and unmistakable words
also in the Bylaws; therefore be it

Resolved, That the following Bylaw be adopted b
the Synod: ‘

4.02 Eligible Pastors and Teachers

a. Congregations which are members of the Synod, in
conformity with Article III, 3 of the Constitution of the
Synod, shall call and be served only by pastors and called
teachers who have been admitted to these respective minis-
tries in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth
in the synodical Handbook and have thereby become mem-
bers of the Synod.

b. Congregations which violate this requirement and per-
sist in such violation shall after due admonition forfeit their
membership in the Synod.

and be it further
Resolved, That Overture 5-61U be declined.
Action: Adopted (16).

To Define District Boundaries in Kentucky
RESOLUTION 5-24

Overtures 5-43 to 5-45 (CW, p. 244)

Wuereas, The Ohio District, the Mid-South District,
and the Indiana District have requested that the Synod
establish the boundary line of the Ohio District in the
State of Kentucky; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod establish the Ohio District boundary line in the
State of Kentucky to follow a line starting at the Ohio
River on the north, dividing Gallatin and Boone Coun-
ties, and ending on the south boundary of the state on
the line that divides Bell and Harlan Counties, the fol-
lowing counties of the State of Kentucky to be included
in the Ohio District:

Boone Lewis Johnson
Kenton Bath Lawrence
Campbell Rowan Martin
Grant Carter Floyd
Pendleton Greenup Breathitt
Bracken Menifee Knott
Harrison Morgan Perry
Robertson Elliott Leslie
Mason Boyd Pike
Nicholas Wolfe Letcher
Fleming Magoffin Harlan

and the following counties to be included in the north-
ern boundary of the Mid-South District:

Union Webster McLean
Ohio Grayson Hart
Green Taylor Casey
Pulaski Rockcastle Jackson
Lee

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