LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 235

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synod structure and governance
this preliminary ballot shall be placed on the next ballot.
On the next ballot each voter shall vote for only one
candidate. Balloting shall continue with the candidate
receiving the least votes being removed from each
succeeding ballot until one commissioned minister
shall have received a simple majority of all votes cast,
whereupon he or she shall be declared the commissioned
minister delegate.
8. The congregation from which the commissioned minister
delegate has been elected shall then be removed from
consideration for supplying an alternate commissioned
minister delegate to that particular convention unless there
are no other commissioned ministers available from other
congregations.
9. All other commissioned ministers who received at least one
vote on the initial ballot shall be eligible for election as the
alternate.
10. Each voter shall now vote for only one candidate.
11. Balloting shall continue with the candidate receiving the
least votes being removed from each succeeding ballot until
one commissioned minister shall have received a simple
majority of all votes cast, whereupon he or she shall be
declared the alternate commissioned minister delegate.
12. The counselor shall report the results of the election to the
secretary of the district in writing immediately after said
election.
13. If neither the delegate nor the alternate can serve, the
vacancy may be filled by the district president in
consultation with the respective circuit counselor.
14. Circuits that have no commissioned ministers that
hold membership in circuit congregations will have no
commissioned minister delegate for the district convention.
15. All direct costs for the commissioned minister in
participating in the district convention shall be born by the
district.
16. The voting delegates shall replace the previous advisory
delegate status of commissioned ministers.
And be it finally
Resolved, That the CCM make such changes to the Bylaws of the
Synod as are necessary to implement this resolution.
Board of Directors
Northern Illinois District
7.

8-40

To Establish Process for Electing Commissioned
Ministers as Voting Delegates to Synod
Conventions
Preamble
This resolution presupposes the adoption of the resolution “To
Establish Process for Electing Commissioned Ministers as Voting
Delegates to District Conventions.”
Resolved, That the LCMS in convention adopt the following process for selecting commissioned ministers to serve as voting delegates
to conventions of the Synod.
1.
Each district shall elect (a) commissioned minister(s) at its
district convention to serve as (a) voting delegate(s) to the
national convention.
2.
Each commissioned minister who has served as a voting
delegate to the district convention shall be considered as
nominated to be elected as a voting delegate to the Synod

235

convention unless he/she removes himself/herself from
consideration by notifying the district secretary.
3.
The commissioned minister(s) who receive(s) a majority of
the votes cast shall be elected as delegate(s) to the Synod
convention.
4.
If further balloting is necessary, the ballot shall contain
two names for every remaining position to be elected,
determined by who received the highest number of votes on
the first ballot. On all subsequent ballots, the commissioned
minister with the lowest number of votes shall be removed
from the ballot.
All districts shall be entitled to at least one commissioned
5.
minister voting delegate.
6.
Districts with more than ten non-exceptional circuits shall
be entitled to one extra commissioned minister delegate and
one more in every multiple of four above that (i.e., districts
with 11 circuits will have two delegates; if there are 15
eligible circuits they receive 3 delegates, etc.).
Non-exceptional circuits are those that meet all the
7.
numerical numbers in Bylaw 3.1.2 without exception.
8.
Six months prior to the district convention the Secretary
of the Synod shall determine and notify each district how
many commissioned ministers it is entitled to elect;
and be it further
Resolved, That the CCM shall make such changes to the Bylaws
of the Synod as are necessary to implement this resolution.
Board of Directors
Northern Illinois District
8-41

To Provide for Commissioned Minister
Representation at Conventions
Whereas, God led the framers of the LCMS Constitution through
Pastor Martin Stephan and the Marbach controversy to establish an
equal lay and pastoral balance at all conventions; and
Whereas, Additional categories of church professionals, all under
the heading “ministers of religion—commissioned,” have arisen to
meet the opportunities and challenges of congregational ministry over
the years; and
Whereas, The LCMS has struggled with the challenge of giving voting authority to its ministers of religion—commissioned; and
Whereas, The congregations served by many of these workers
are larger than congregations served only by ministers of religion—
ordained; therefore be it
Resolved, That each congregation be permitted to send to
each circuit forum and district convention one “ministers of religion—ordained” delegate, one lay delegate, and one “ministers of
religion—commissioned” delegate and one additional lay delegate
if they have one or more such workers; and be it further
Resolved, That each circuit having “ministers of religion—
commissioned” delegates be permitted to send one “ministers of
religion—commissioned” delegate and one additional lay delegate
to Synod conventions; and be it finally
Resolved, That all circuit forums have advisory “ministers of
religion—ordained” delegates and one advisory “ministers of religion—commissioned” delegate, but that all advisory delegates be
eliminated from district and national Synod conventions.
Deshler Circuit Forum
Nebraska District
2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 235

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