LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 241

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synod structure and governance
A circuit, which has both electoral and visitation functions, shall
consist of from 10 to 15 congregations in geographical proximity. The
district in convention shall have the duty to determine the number of
circuits and the membership in those circuits by congregations of the
district.
Prior to each district convention, the district president shall meet
with the circuit counselors to determine if and where there is a need for
circuit adjustments. If so, he shall forward a proposal for such specific
adjustments to the district board of directors, which shall consider it and
amend it (if necessary). The district board of directors then shall present
it to the district convention for further amendment (if necessary) and
adoption. Delegates of circuits affected by such adjustments shall meet
prior to the closing of the district convention to elect the counselors of
these revised circuits.
The procedure for circuiting shall start with the largest metropolitan areas in a district. The goal is to produce circuits that are compact,
i.e., not elongated along any axis. All circuits shall consist of contiguous congregations. Since unusually large congregations (over 2,000
baptized members) possess an unusually large number of resources, an
attempt shall be made to have no more than one of these per circuit,
or as few as possible per circuit, while still adhering to the principles
of compactness and contiguity. When the metropolitan areas have been
circuited, circuits shall be drawn out into the rural areas of the district,
using the same principles of compactness and contiguity. Congregations
in the outer suburbs of metropolitan areas may be circuited with rural
congregations.
If congregations in certain rural areas are so dispersed that driving
time to a central location for circuit meetings exceeds three hours one
way, those areas may be divided into two parts for visitation circuits of
five to eight congregations. In these cases, two visitation circuits shall
be one electoral circuit of 10 to 15 congregations. In each district, when
necessary, two rural electoral circuits may also be formed with eight
or nine congregations each, in order to accommodate odd numbers of
congregations, as well as expansion or contraction in the number of congregations in a district.
Congregations in remote places, such as the Hawaiian Islands or
northern Alaska, or where there are less than five congregations in a
three-hour driving radius, shall be considered as exceptions to these
rules. They will be organized as visitation circuits according to the number of congregations in closest proximity (i.e., not limited to groups
of five to eight if that is not practical). They shall participate in their
electoral circuit meetings via conference call or other electronic means,
according to the electoral circuit standard of 10 to 15 congregations.

St. Paul, Milford Center, OH;
St. John, Champaign, IL
8-57

To Amend Bylaw 5.3.2 re Voting Representation
at Circuit Forums
Whereas, The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and
Governance has provided its report to the Synod and has proposed
bylaw changes to carry out its recommendations; and
W hereas , Recommendation #2 advocates changing the
Constitution and Bylaws regarding who is eligible to represent member congregations of the Synod with the right to vote; and
Whereas, The task force recommends that commissioned as well
as ordained ministers be eligible to represent congregations as voting
delegates under the category of “associate” members; and
Whereas, Bylaw 5.3.2, which provides for congregational voting
representation at circuit forums, is not included in the task force’s proposals for bylaw changes, although Bylaw 5.3.2 currently stipulates
that congregations are to be represented by “a pastor of each congregation and one member of each congregation,” without mention of
commissioned ministers; and

241

Whereas, For the sake of good order and consistency, providing
for congregational representation by “associate” members at circuit
forums would allow a congregation to designate a commissioned minister as its voting representative; therefore be it
Resolved, That current Bylaw 5.3.2 be amended to read as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
5.3.2 The circuit forum consists of an pastor associate member of
each congregation and one lay member of each congregation, both to be
designated by the congregation.

Commission on Structure
8-58

To Continue Current Practice of Election
of Circuit Counselors
Whereas, The Synod is an association of congregations and
ordained and commissioned ministers who are bound together not
by an overarching organizational structure that exercises power and
authority over its members but by agreement in the doctrine of the
Gospel; and
Whereas, The Synod is its congregations walking together; and
Whereas, The only power and authority which is to rule and govern in the Synod is the Word of God, and
Whereas, The Constitution of the Synod provides freedom for its
members from any coercive kind of power exercised by elected officers of the Synod (Constitution, Art. VII 1); therefore be it
Resolved, That the South Wisconsin District in convention memorialize the 2010 LCMS convention to reject the recommendation of
The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance
(BRTFSSG) under “Congregations and Districts” that proposes to
“involve the district president in the selection of circuit counselors”;
and be it further
Resolved, That the South Wisconsin District in convention memorialize the 2010 LCMS convention to continue the current process
of electing circuit counselors by the vote of circuit congregations.
South Wisconsin District
8-59

To Return to Use of Title “Circuit Visitor”
Whereas, The congregations of the Wyoming District at the 1991
Wyoming District convention adopted Res. 1-03-91, “To Continue
Visitation of Pastors and Congregations,” articulating the following points:
1.

2.

3.

A concern for unity and purity of doctrine and practice, as well
as the welfare of congregations and pastors prompted Dr. Martin Luther to draw up instructions for, and make provisions for,
visitation of parishes and pastors;
Dr. C. F. W. Walther and his colleagues had the same concerns,
and thus organized our Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
in order to provide for such support and assistance, unity and
protection for congregations and pastors through visitation and
oversight;
Our Wyoming District has had the same concerns for unity in
doctrine and practice, and assistance and support for congregations and pastors, and has therefore gone back to this visitation
process.

and

2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 241

4/15/10 2:40 PM