Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2019 · 67th Convention, Tampa › Page 94
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 94

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

94

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

Synodwide Corporate Entities: Concordia Historical Institute submitted its Articles of Incorporation to the commission
during this triennium and is in compliance. The commission
reviewed the Articles of Incorporation which were on file with
the office of the Secretary of the Synod and found that the Articles of Incorporation of the Concordia University System, the
Lutheran Church Extension Fund, the LCMS Foundation, and
Concordia Plan Services contained the required asset-disposition language, and had relationship to the Synod language that
was deemed adequate. Concordia Publishing House had the
required asset-disposition language and relationship language
was implied, but not specifically spelled out.
George J. Gude, Chairman

R10

Commission on Doctrinal Review
Along with the undersigned, the Commission on Doctrinal
Review consists of four additional members: Dr. Paul Raabe
(Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis), Dr. Walter A. Maier III
(Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne), Dr. Naomichi
Masaki (Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne), and
Dr. Steven Mueller (Concordia University, Irvine). In this triennium (2016–2019), the Commission has rendered one decision regarding material already in print and three decisions in
response to appeals from the authors or publisher. In keeping
with the bylaws of Synod, which govern the doctrinal review
process, the Commission seeks to ensure that all materials published by the Synod through its official organs and Concordia
Publishing House are clearly in agreement with the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.
John T. Pless, Chairman

R11

Commission on Handbook
The Commission on Handbook (Bylaws 3.9.4–3.9.4.2) consists of eight individuals: five voting members and three nonvoting advisory members. Three of the voting members are
individual members of the Synod (ordained or commissioned
ministers) and two of the voting members are attorneys. The
three nonvoting advisory members are the Secretary of the Synod, the Chief Administrative Officer of the Synod, and a member of the Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM). The
voting members are appointed by the President of the Synod for
six-year, once-renewable terms from nominees provided by district boards of directors and selected as candidates by the Council of Presidents. Names of the members of the Commission
on Handbook are listed in the Convention Workbook Directory.
The primary responsibility of the Commission on Handbook is to provide for the ongoing maintenance and management of the Synod Handbook (Constitution, Bylaws, and Articles of Incorporation of the Synod per Bylaw 3.9.4). Specific
responsibilities of the commission are detailed in Bylaw 3.9.4.2
as follows: (1) assisting convention floor committees when developing amendment proposals to the Constitution, Bylaws,
or Articles of Incorporation of the Synod to determine their
2019 Convention Workbook

agreement in language (terminology) with the existing Handbook; (2) in consultation with the CCM, revising the Handbook
of the Synod immediately after each Synod convention in order
to bring it into harmony with the resolutions and changes adopted by the convention; (3) maintaining a complete file of succeeding handbooks so comparison can be made between current and preceding provisions; (4) carrying out assignments by
Synod conventions relating to the Handbook; and, (5) responding to requests from Synod agencies to propose new provisions
to address specific Handbook-related issues that arise between
conventions of the Synod.
Following the 2016 convention of the Synod and in consultation with the Commission on Constitutional Matters, the commission finalized work on a number of revisions to the Synod
Handbook that were adopted by the convention. In addition, the
commission adopted and incorporated a completely redesigned
and more user-friendly index. An electronic and continuously
updated version of the Handbook was posted in February of
2017 and is available in both Adobe PDF and Microsoft Word
formats, as well as in a PDF format that includes red lines noting every change from the 2013 version of the Handbook. The
electronic versions of the Handbook are available on the Synod’s
website under the “About” menu, then the “Leadership” link,
and then the “Commission on Handbook” tab.
Synod Bylaw 7.1.2 provides that in exceptional circumstances and upon the express direction of a convention of the
Synod, Bylaw amendments may be made by a two-thirds majority of Synod’s Board of Directors following review by the
Commission on Constitutional Matters and the Commission
on Handbook. 2016 Res. 12-14 (“Regarding the Right of an
Accuser to Appeal When a District President or President of
the Synod Fails to Act or Declines to Suspend”) directed that
the Bylaw 7.1.2 process be used along with an additional provision for input from the Council of Presidents to develop Bylaw
changes “providing mechanisms to implement expulsion processes consistent with and not contradicting the Constitution of
the Synod.” Synod’s Board of Directors approved these Bylaw
changes in May of 2017, whereupon the finalized 2016 Synod
Handbook was printed and distributed.
Since the 2016 convention of the Synod and as part of its
Bylaw responsibility for the ongoing maintenance and management of the Handbook, the Commission on Handbook has adopted several minor corrections and non-substantive editorial
changes to the Bylaws. These corrections and changes primarily
have been to punctuation, format, or terminology, thereby providing greater clarity and consistency throughout the Bylaws.
All changes immediately are posted on the electronic version of
the Handbook available on the Internet.
Over the course of its meetings this triennium, the commission has received inquiries, recommendations, and input from
various Synod agencies, commissions, councils, committees, and
task forces concerning certain portions of the Constitution and
Bylaws of Synod. In response, the commission has responded
both by providing appropriate feedback and by formulating and
approving several proposed revisions to the Handbook in the
following subject areas: Dispute Resolution Processes, Practical
Bylaw Considerations, Call and Roster Matters, Simplifying the
Handling of Commissioned Categories; District Convention
Representation; Multi-Congregation Parish Representation at
Circuit Forums, and Clarification of Certain Bylaw Provisions.