LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 406

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406

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION

response in congregations’ submission of annual statistical information. While this information has always been valuable, increased
abilities to use such information for the general good of the Synod and
its agencies has increased interest in a unanimous response.
The Commission on Handbook has approved the following bylaw
changes proposed by the Secretary of the Synod for submission to the
2016 LCMS convention.

4.4.7 The district president shall be responsible for maintaining the
official rosters of his district.

Proposed Action

(c) An ordained or commissioned minister accepting a call to a congregation in a sister district or to an institution which relates to such district shall immediately report such decision to his district president
and ask for a transfer of membership. The district president shall
forward such transfer to the president of the sister district.

Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaws 1.3.4–1.3.4.1; 3.3.3.2; 4.4.7–4.4.8; and
5.2.3 be amended to strengthen requirements for congregations’ submission of annual statistical information, as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
1.3.4 Congregations together establish the requirements of membership in the Synod (Constitution Art. VI). In joining the Synod,
congregations and other members obligate themselves to fulfill such
requirements and to diligently and earnestly promote the purposes of
the Synod by word and deed. Members of the Synod, compelled by love
for each other, accept the responsibility to support financially the work
of the Synod and provide annual statistical information to enable the
Synod to plan current and future ministry efforts based upon an accurate
picture of the results of current ministries within its churches, communities, and world.
1.3.4.1 Members agree to uphold the confessional position of the
Synod (Constitution Art. II) and to assist in carrying out the objectives
of the Synod (Constitution Art. III), which are objectives of the members themselves. Thus, wWhile congregations of the Synod are selfgoverning (Constitution Art. VII), they, and also individual members,
commit themselves as members of the Synod to act in accordance with
the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod under which they have agreed
to live and work together and which the congregations alone have the
authority to adopt or amend through conventions.
1.3.4.2 Members of the Synod, compelled by love for one another,
accept the responsibility to support financially the work of the Synod.
1.3.4.3 Congregations of the Synod, to enable the Synod to plan
current and future ministry efforts and to lend accuracy and integrity
to the Synod’s delegate representation and voting processes, agree to
provide annual membership and statistical information to the Synod.
3.3.3.2 The Secretary shall perform such other work as pertains to
his office or such other work as the Synod in convention, the President,
or the Board of Directors of the Synod may assign to him.
(a) He shall serve as a voting member and secretary of the Commission
on Constitutional Matters.
(b) He shall administer the Synod’s dispute resolution process.
(c) He shall serve as a voting member of the Board of Governors of
Concordia Historical Institute.
(d) He shall supervise the maintenance of the official roster of member
congregations and ordained and commissioned ministers on the basis of information supplied by the district presidents.

(a) He shall add the names of those ordained or commissioned ministers
initially placed in the district and those accepting a call to or otherwise transferring to the district.
(b) He shall remove the names of those who have died or have resigned
their membership or have had their membership in the Synod duly
terminated.

(d) Upon receipt of the transfer and of a request for installation from the
minister of religion, the district president of the sister district shall
install or authorize installation of such minister.
(e) He shall regularly forward roster reports to the Secretary of the Synod for publication in The Lutheran Annual.
4.4.8 The district president shall revise annually the official rosters
of ordained ministers and of commissioned ministers for publication in
The Lutheran Annual, with the assistance of his district’s circuit visitors,
promote and pursue unanimous participation by congregations in the
submission of annual statistical reports as an expectation of membership in the Synod.
5.2.3 Each circuit visitor shall assist the district president within
the circuit.
(a) He shall serve under the direction of and be accountable to the district president and shall serve as his spokesman when so authorized
and directed and shall assist him in doctrinal and spiritual supervision.
(b) He shall serve in a servant role.
(c) He shall seek to remind and encourage members of the circuit of
their responsibilities as God’s people and the privilege they have in
being about His mission.
(d) He and any other officers of the circuit shall have the primary responsibility for maintaining liaison between the circuit and the Synod at the national and district levels.
(e) He shall be conversant with and supportive of Synod-wide and district resolutions and programs.
(f) He shall seek to strengthen the spirit of cooperation among pastors,
commissioned ministers, and congregations.
(g) He shall assist in the development and attainment of Synod-wide
mission and ministry emphases.
(h) He shall assist the district president, as requested, in promoting and
obtaining unanimous participation by congregations in the submission of annual statistical reports.
(i) He may, when requested to do so by the district president, serve as
a mediator to effect reconciliation of disputes within the circuit not
under dispute resolution of the Synod as outlined in section 1.10 of
these Bylaws.
(ij) He shall regularly convene the pastors of his circuit for circuit conferences.
(jk) He shall regularly report on his activities to the district president.

(f) He shall serve as editor of The Lutheran Annual.

(kl)The district president shall meet with the circuit visitors of the district at least once per year to discuss their work, to encourage them,
and to conduct ongoing training for congregational and pastoral
visits.

(fg) He shall keep a file of all governing instruments of all agencies of
the Synod.

(lm) The circuit visitor is authorized to draw on the district treasury for
his expenses.

(e) He shall supervise the process for obtaining annual statistical information from all member congregations of the Synod.

2016 Convention Workbook