LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 231

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synod structure and governance
Resolved, That Our Savior Lutheran Church, Muscatine, IA,
memorialize the Synod to replace the proposed “Relation of the Synod
and Its Members” in Constitution Art. VII with “Relation between
the Synod and Its Members.”
Our Savior, Muscatine, IA; Zion, Wilton, IA
8-27

To Retain Current Congregational Representation
Whereas, From its inception, the LCMS has been an organization
of equal congregations; and
Whereas, There have been significant differences in the sizes of
member congregations from the very beginning of the history of the
Synod; and
Whereas, The proposal of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod
Structure and Governance (BRTFSSG) to give larger congregations
more votes at district conventions changes a foundational assumption of the Synod; and
Whereas, The BRTFSSG does not explain the implications of this
change to the nature of the Synod or what the benefits would follow
for the Synod as a whole; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Southern Illinois District in convention urge
the BRTFSSG to retain equal representation for all parishes at district conventions.
Southern Illinois District; Zion, Wilton, IA
8-28

231

Whereas, The 2001 LCMS convention adopted and reaffirmed
that Walther’s Church and Ministry is our Synod’s “official” position on church and ministry; and
Whereas, Walther in his Church and Ministry quotes Luther: “In
short, God does not want to be bound to a multitude, greatness, height,
power, and whatever else is personable among people, but He wants
to be only with those who love and keep His Word, even if they were
mere stableboys. What does He care for the high, great, and mighty
lords? He alone is the greatest, highest, and mightiest....­­­­­­­­­Here we
have the Lord Himself, [ruling] over all angels and other creatures,
who says that they should all have the same power, keys, and office,
even two humble Christians gathered together in His name” (p. 89);
therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2010 LCMS Convention reject the report of
the BRTFSSG; and be it further
Resolved, That the convention reaffirm that its present form of
selecting voting delegates, regardless of the size of the congregation
(both small and large congregations have equal power, authority,
and representation), is biblical and in agre­­ement with the Lutheran
Confessions as well as our Synod’s “official” teachings as found in
Walther’s Church and Ministry; and be it finally
Resolved, That the convention retain the present form and practice of selecting delegates to conventions of the Synod.
Salem
Taylorsville, NC
8-29

To Retain Voting Delegates as Lay and Pastoral
To Maintain Present Form of Delegate
Representation

Whereas, There is an attempt to change the present procedure of
selecting delegates to the LCMS convention (e.g., the 2006 Texas
District convention voted to send a resolution to the Synod urging a
“study and implementation of a new system of convention representation, based on ‘more equitable’ representation of congregations”
[July 2006 Reporter]); and
Whereas, The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and
Governance (BRTFSSG) has issued a report titled “Proposals and
Possibilities for Consideration and Discussion”; and
Whereas, The BRTFSSG proposes that the Synod “allow congregations with more than 750 confirmed members to be represented [at
district conventions] by two additional delegates for each additional
unit of 750 members or majority thereof”; and
Whereas, This plan proposes the elimination of electoral units,
thus affecting delegate representation at both district and national
Synod conventions; and
Whereas, The plan would grant larger congregations more voting power than smaller congregations; and
Whereas, Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered together
in My Name, there I am in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20); and
Whereas, In God’s sight a small congregation is just as important
as a large congregation; and
Whereas, A small congregation possesses the same Office of the
Keys as a large congregation; and
Whereas, The size of a congregation, be it large or small, is no
guarantee that it is more faithful to God’s Word and thus entitled to
more power and more authority and influence, et cetera; and

Whereas, One of the basic foundations of the structure of the
LCMS was a balance of power between the laity and the clergy; and
Whereas, This is maintained by having voting representation at
conventions consist of one pastor and one lay delegate from each parish or electoral circuit; and
Whereas, The change suggested by Blue Ribbon Task Force
on Synod Structure and Governance (BRTFSSG) making voting
representation one ordained and one nonordained, which allows commissioned ministers to replace a lay delegate, is an essential change
of this basic foundation of a balance of power between the laity and
the clergy and would give professional church workers a preponderance of voting power; and
Whereas, The BRTFSSG has not demonstrated why maintaining
this balance of power is no longer important; and
Whereas, The only justification given by the BRTFSSG is that it
would enfranchise commissioned ministers; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Southern Illinois District request the BRTFSSG
to abandon the proposal of changing voting categories to ordained
and non-ordained.
Southern Illinois District
8-30

To Retain Current Article V of Constitution
Whereas, In 2005, President Gerald Kieschnick appointed the
Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance; and
Whereas, Experience teaches that maximum attention must be
given to details and wording in making adjustments and/or changes
impinging on structure; and
2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 231

4/15/10 2:39 PM