LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 199

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9. STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
Congregations D & E the one individual who is called by
both congregations would be eligible to vote for either.
The Commission on Constitutional Matters has proposed
the following additions to the bylaws to clarify the
definition of the meaning parish in Constitution Article V A
and the bylaws dealing with district conventions and
election of the Synod president, and to provide a means for
dealing with these unique situations so that congregations
having their own pastors are not deprived of the privilege of
voting at the conventions of a district and for the President
of the Synod.
The following bylaw revision is possible under the
Constitution of the Synod because the definition adopted
falls within the originally adopted meaning of
Pfarrgemeinde or congregation-or-parish, as the 1866
resolution demonstrates. If adopted, it would replace and
supersede the understanding derived from the former 1963
bylaw (removed without replacement in 1981), namely,
that any congregations served by any pastor in common are
one parish.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaws 2.5.5–6 be added to Bylaw section
2.5, “Calling Ministers of Religion by Congregations,”
under the new heading as indicated:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
2.5 Calling Ministers of Religion by Congregations
…
Calls and multi-congregation parishes
2.5.5
The total number of congregations regularly cared
for (served) by a pastor or pastors constitutes a parish as
used in Const. Art. V A and as it applies to bylaws dealing
with representation at circuit forums (Bylaws 3.1.2.1 [c];
5.3.2) and district conventions (Bylaw 4.2.2; Const. Art. V
A), and in voting for the Synod President (Bylaw 3.12.2.3).
However, the called service of a pastor in a designated
assisting capacity (Bylaw 2.5.6) does not render the
congregations that he assists part of a parish with any other
congregations he serves, whether in an assisting or nonassisting capacity.
2.5.6
The call of an ordained minister to a congregation
may be designated as in an assisting capacity if the call
entails service under the supervision of another called
pastor of that congregation. A pastor serving in an assisting
capacity is not in charge of that congregation (Const. Art. V
B 2, XII 10 B b) and is a pastor but not “the pastor” of that
congregation (Const. Art. V A, XII 10 A). An assisting
capacity call does not, therefore, confer that congregation’s
pastoral vote or eligibility to serve as circuit pastoral
delegate, or cause the congregation assisted to constitute a
parish with other congregations served by the assisting
pastor. Those rendering assisting service on a regular basis
shall be called, installed, and rostered as such. One serving
a congregation in an assisting capacity is, with regard to
that congregation, an assisting pastor.

and be it further
Resolutions

Resolved, That Bylaws 3.1.2.1 (c) and (d), regarding the
election of circuit delegates, and 3.12.2.3 (a), regarding the
election of the Synod President, be amended as follows, to
indicate that calls to a congregation in an assisting capacity
do not confer the congregation’s pastoral vote or eligibility
to serve as pastoral delegate:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.1.2.1
Elections of voting delegates shall take place in
accordance with established policy and procedure.
...
(c) The privilege of voting shall be exercised by one
pastor and one layperson from each member
congregation of the circuit, both of whom shall have
been elected in the manner prescribed by the
congregation. Multi-congregation parishes shall be
entitled to a lay vote from each member congregation. A
pastor serving a congregation in an assisting capacity
(Bylaw 2.5.6) is not eligible to cast that congregation’s
pastoral vote.
(d) All pastors who are not advisory members under
Article V B of the ConstitutionEach pastor who is serving
a congregation of the circuit in a non-assisting capacity
and not a specific ministry pastors shall be eligible for
election.
(1) Each voter may write in the names of two such
pastors on the initial ballot. The three pastors (or
more, in case of a tie vote) who receive the highest
number of votes in this preliminary ballot shall be
placed on the next ballot.
(2) Each voter shall now vote for only one candidate.
Balloting shall continue with the lowest candidate
being removed from each succeeding ballot until one
pastor shall have received a simple majority of all
votes cast, whereupon he shall be declared the
pastoral delegate.
(3) The congregation or congregations served (in
other than an assisting capacity) by the elected
pastoral delegate shall be removed from consideration
for supplying any other voting delegate or alternate
for that particular convention.
...
…
3.12.2.3 The Secretary of the Synod shall compile and
maintain the voters list for the election of the President of
the Synod. This list and any of its parts shall not be
disseminated.
(a) This voters list shall include:
(1) the pastor of each member congregation or multicongregation parish (assisting pastors are not eligible)
(2) a lay person from the congregation or parish
...

and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.3.1, regarding the service of the
President of the Synod, be revised as follows to incorporate
the new language of assisting capacity rather than the nowremoved constitutional category of assistant pastor:
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2019 (67TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 199