Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 226
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 226

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

226 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

has been removed from his position. However, in Bylaw
6.83, which deals with the procedures which are to be
followed in removing a faculty member, the District
President is finally directed to proceed according to
Sections 5.31 ff. But 5.31 speaks of the District Board
of Appeals. Your commission feels that this is an over-
sight and that Bylaw 5.23 is the prevailing bylaw in this
instance. In order to remove the discrepancy, the
commission recommends that the following addition
(printed in italics) be made to Bylaw 6.83:

... If the Board for Higher Education concurs in the find-
ings, it shall make necessary recommendations to the District
President, who is to proceed according to Sections 5.31 ff.,
with the provision, however, that in the event of a suspension
the case shall be submitted to the synodical Board of Appeals
instead of the District Board of Appeals.

D. Elections by Majority Vote. The Constitution of
the Synod (Article VIII, C) requires: “All matters of
doctrine and of conscience shall be decided only by the
Word of God. All other matters shall be decided by
a majority vote.” Up to this point, however, the Synod
has permitted most elections to be settled by a simple
plurality instead of a majority. Computerization has
now made it possible for the Synod to bring its election
procedures into harmony with its Constitution, We are
therefore submitting a separate overture making perti-
nent recommendations.

E. Convention Procedures, Bylaw 1.27
The Commission on Constitutional Matters has been

PRESENT WORDING

1.27 Reports, Overtures, ete.

a. Reports, overtures, proposals, petitions, and other mat-
ters intended for presentation to and consideration by a
delegate convention of the Synod may be submitted only
by a member of the Synod, an officer of the Synod, a board
or commission of the Synod or of a District, the Council of
Presidents, a faculty or Board of Control of an educational
institution of the Synod, or a convention of a District of the
Synod,

b. Such reports, overtures, proposals, petitions, and other
matters must be submitted in triplicate to the President of
the Synod not later than 14 weeks prior to the opening date
of the convention if they are to be published in the Con-
vention Workbook as hereinafter set forth. All such matters
received thereafter up to within 10 days of a convention may
be published in a Convention Workbook Supplement if the
President shall so direct. All such matters submitted within
10 days prior to the opening date of the convention shall be
received only after review and recommendation by a special
committee of three delegates appointed by the President and
by special resolution of the convention.

ce. The President shall decide which of the matters sub-
mitted for presentation to and consideration by the conven-
tion shall be published in the Convention Workbook or Con-
vention Workbook Supplement or in any other manner.

d. A copy of the Convention Workbook shall be delivered
to each pastor, professor, and teacher of the Synod and to
each elected lay delegate not later than 8 weeks prior to the
opening date of a convention.

sensitive for some time to the need for improving the
regulations governing convention procedures as set
forth in Bylaw 1.27. The special committee appointed
to study the question “Who shall be permitted to submit
overtures to a convention?” also came to the conclusion
that the section needed major attention. Feeling, how-
ever, that this would really take the special committee
beyond the scope of its specific assignment, the commit-
tee communicated its concerns and observations to the
Commission on Constitutional Matters for consideration.

Some of the items under scrutiny are the following:
the production schedule for the Convention Workbook;
the whole question of the necessity of a Workbook Sup-
plement, which for lack of time can never receive ade-
quate attention from the delegates: the proper pro-
cedure for reacting to proposals being offered to the
convention; the mechanics of handling last-minute sub-
missions; the mailing of the Workbook also to all lay
delegates and alternates: the necessity of having reports
as “fresh” as is humanly possible while still allowing
adequate time for thorough study; and the confusion
regarding committee appointments,

It is difficult when dealing with such a lengthy bylaw
divided into many subparagraphs to adequately set
forth all concerns, comparisons, arguments, in a series
of whereases. We feel it best under the circumstances
to list the present and the proposed bylaws side by side
in the hope that the suggested improvements may pre-
sent themselves in a favorable light to the reader,

PROPOSED WORDING

1.27 Reports and Overtures

a. (The special Overtures Committee will bring a sug-
gested rewording)

b. Reports and overtures must be submitted in triplicate
to the President of the Synod not later than 12 weeks prior
to the opening date of the convention. No report or overture
received subsequent to that date shall be accepted for con-
vention consideration unless a committee consisting of the
President, the First Vice-President, and the Secretary ad-
judges it to be a matter of overriding importance and ur-
gency which is not adequately covered by documents al-
ready before the convention.

c. (see present f) Overtures or petitions requesting the
Synod to take action which is in conflict with the Constitu-
tion or Bylaws of the Synod or in matters for which the
Constitution or Bylaws have provided specific procedures;
or overtures which contain defamatory allegations; or over-
tures or petitions 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 committee or to
the convention: nor shall any overture, proposal, or petition
be accepted with reference to any case involving suspension,
expulsion, or appeals.

d. (see present c) A convention manual containing re-
ports, overtures, and other information shall be published
under the editorship of the Secretary subject to the approval
of the President. The President shall also decide which of
the matters accepted for presentation to and consideration by
the convention shall be published in the convention manual