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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 494

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

494

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION

Congregations A & B. Congregations A & B have their own
pastor (Pastor 2), and Congregation C has its own pastor
(Pastor 1). Pastor 2 merely assists part-time at Congregation
C.
• Congregations D & E both have their own pastor, and
because of their size both are in need of some additional
pastoral help. However, neither has the size or resources to
call an associate pastor on their own. To resolve their
situations, Congregations D & E decide, in addition to the
pastor that each one has, to call a pastor between them, who
would split his time serving both congregations. Here
congregations D and E each have their own pastor, but a third
pastor is shared, assisting at both and “the (head) pastor” of
neither.
In both of these examples, since, in each case one of the pastors is
serving all of the congregations, present interpretation makes all the
congregations involved become a multi-congregation parish,
entitled to one pair of delegates at the district convention and for the
President of the Synod.
The resolution adopted in 1866, however, would seem to indicate
that in these examples, while these congregations or parishes have
some sort of a joint arrangement or relationship, each congregationor-parish (e.g., the parish comprised of A and B, and the
congregations being C, D, and E) has its own independent pastor,
and each congregation-or-parish should be allowed to be
represented by two delegates at a district convention, one ordained
and one lay. Bylaws as they currently exist, however, make no
provision for this possibility, and in addition pose significant
problems in allowing this to take place. For example, the current
bylaws allow any ordained minister called by a congregation to be
designated as the pastoral delegate of that congregation. In the
example of 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
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

2019 Convention Workbook

(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 non-assisting
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
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