LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 20

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20
(B)

SYNOD REPORTS
When a rostered pastor who is interested in membership in
the partner church body wishes to be considered for a call by
a congregation or other calling entity of that church body:
1. Pastors under discipline will be regarded as not eligible for
this process until all matters at issue have been resolved.
2. A pastor in good standing who is interested in being considered for a call by a congregation or other calling entity of
the partner church body must inform his immediate ecclesiastical supervisor, who will obtain from his counterpart
in the partner church body any required forms.
3. Upon completion of the forms by the pastor and, as necessary, his ecclesiastical supervisor, the pastor will request an
appointment with the partner church ecclesiastical supervisor of the geographical area in which he resides in order
to submit his forms.
4. The partner church ecclesiastical supervisor will be responsible for interviewing the pastor and deciding whether and
to what extent his name and information will be disseminated in the partner church body. He may discuss questions
and concerns with the pastor’s current ecclesiastical supervisor. He may obtain counsel from the president and/or
presiding pastor of the church bodies.
5. If the ecclesiastical supervisor agrees to make the pastor’s name and information available for consideration for
a call, he will provide the pastor’s name to the congregations of his district or region as appropriate. If requested by
the pastor, he will also make the name and accompanying
information available to other ecclesiastical supervisors in
his church body.
6. Lists created for the purpose of circulating such names will
be maintained and monitored by the ecclesiastical supervisors of each partner church body.
7. Congregations who choose to call a name from this list
will be required to follow the steps provided in Section (A)
above, as appropriate.

(C)

When a rostered pastor is the called pastor of a congregation
that moves its membership to the partner church body:
1. A pastor who is the called pastor of a congregation that
moves its membership to the partner church body and who
is interested in membership in the partner church body will
inform his current and the receiving church body’s ecclesiastical supervisors who in turn will inform the President
and Presiding Pastor of the church bodies. Any obstacles to
movement of membership will be attended to at this time.
2. The receiving ecclesiastical supervisor will provide a
statement for the pastor’s signature acknowledging his subscription to the Constitution of the receiving church body
and testifying to his willingness to uphold its bylaws and
other rules and regulations.
3. Upon receipt of the signed statement, the ecclesiastical supervisor will report its reception to pastor’s former
ecclesiastical supervisor in the partner church body. Both
ecclesiastical supervisors will provide official reports to
their church bodies, which reports will finalize the movement of the pastor’s membership from the one partner
church body to the other.

(D) Other cases when a rostered pastor is interested in moving his
membership:
All other cases in which a pastor is interested in moving his
membership to the partner church body will be handled by
existing colloquy or reinstatement policies and practices,
as appropriate.

__________________

This agreement signed on behalf of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod and The American Association of Lutheran
Churches by
_____________________________________Date: __________
Rev. Gerald B. Kieschnick, President
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
_____________________________________Date:__________
Rev. Franklin Hays, Presiding Pastor
The American Association of Lutheran Churches
Appendix V
The American Association of Lutheran Churches (TAALC)
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS)
OPERATING AGREEMENT II
ISSUES RESULTING FROM THE MOVEMENT OF
CONGREGATIONS/PASTORS BETWEEN ROSTERS

Operating Agreement I provides processes for the movement
of congregations and ordained ministers between rosters of The
American Association of Lutheran Churches and The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod. This Operating Agreement II provides
detailed responses to ecclesiastical supervision, vacancy service and
voting privilege issues associated with the movement of congregations and ordained ministers between rosters. Operating Agreement II,
to which additional policy may be added as situations arise, intends to
honor existing practices as articulated in the constitutions and bylaws
of both church bodies.
The following general principles apply in every case:
• Graduates from either church body’s seminaries who have
been declared qualified for service may receive first calls
from either church body.
• TAALC probationary pastors and LCMS vicars/interns may
not hold a position of service in the partner church body until
rostered as pastors.
• A pastor of one church body who serves in a congregation of
the other church body will be welcomed and encouraged to
participate in activities in that church body.

__________________
RE: ECCLESIASTICAL SUPERVISION

(A) When a congregation and its pastor determine to move their
membership to the partner church body:
1. The congregation will continue to be responsible for the
day-to-day supervision of the pastor.
2. Ecclesiastical supervision of the congregation and the pastor will be provided by the ecclesiastical supervisor of the
church body where membership is currently held.
3. Submission of official reports of membership transfer by
ecclesiastical supervisors will finalize the movement of the

2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 20

4/15/10 2:37 PM