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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 526

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

526

ECCLESIASTICAL SUPERVISION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

taken up their duties, just as if the entire board membership had
changed.” (Robert’s Rules of Order, p. 489, ll. 10–14); and
WHEREAS, All other boards and commissions of the LCMS
follow the guidelines spelled out in Robert’s Rules of Order, as do
district conventions and boards of directors; and
WHEREAS, The chairman of COP represents the members of the
council in so many and varied important matters as noted above;
and
WHEREAS, It is clear from Robert’s Rules of Order that, since
some district conventions had been held but others had not (the last
LCMS district convention met July 8–10, 2018, to elect its
president), electing a chair for the COP in the April 2018 COP
meeting disenfranchised those newly elected district presidents
from selecting their own chairman; and
WHEREAS, Some newly elected district presidents had the
privilege of voting for the chairman, while others not (at least one
of whom was elected [at the time of the meeting] but would not
assume the office until June 2018), resulting again in some
disenfranchised; and
WHEREAS, The new Council of Presidents (2018–2021) met for
the first time in September 2018; and
WHEREAS, Synod Bylaw 1.5.3.1 reads “At the initial meeting
after election or appointment, all mission boards, commissions, and
governing boards shall organize themselves as to chair, vice-chair,
secretary, and other committees and positions as necessary or
mandated by these Bylaws and shall conduct business in accordance
with accepted parliamentary rules”; therefore be it
Resolved, That the South Wisconsin District in convention
recommend to the LCMS in convention 2019 that Bylaw 1.5.3.1 be
amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Organization
1.5.3.1
At the initial meeting after election or appointment, all
mission boards, commissions, and governing boards shall organize
themselves as to chair, vice-chair, secretary, and other committees
and positions as necessary or mandated by these Bylaws and shall
conduct business in accordance with accepted parliamentary rules.
The Council of Presidents shall, after the round of district
conventions is completed, comply with this bylaw.

South Wisconsin District
Ov. 10-12

To Align the Voting Practice
of the Council of Presidents
with the LCMS Constitution and Bylaws
WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.10.1 of the Synod has determined that “The
President, the First Vice-President, the regional vice-presidents, and
the district presidents shall comprise the Council of Presidents”; and
WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.3.2 of the Synod has determined that “The
vice-presidents shall be elected advisors of the President and, upon
the President’s request or as provided by the Synod, shall assist him
in discharging his responsibilities or represent him”; and
WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.10.1.2 of the Synod has determined that
among the several reasons for existence, “The Council of Presidents
shall provide opportunity for the President of the Synod to advise
and counsel his representatives in the regions and districts and for
the regional vice-presidents and district presidents in turn to give
counsel to the President”; and
2019 Convention Workbook

WHEREAS, The vice-presidents are not ecclesiastical supervisors
under the Constitution. Rather, Article XI B 1 of the Constitution of
the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod limits ecclesiastical
supervision to “the President of the Synod, who has the supervision
regarding the doctrine and the administration of a. All officers of
the Synod; b. All such as are employed by the Synod; c. The
individual districts of the Synod; and d. All district presidents” and
according to Constitution Article XII 7, to the district presidents of
the Synod who have “moreover, especially…supervision over the
doctrine, life, and administration of office of the ordained and
commissioned ministers of their district and acquaint themselves
with the religious conditions of the congregations of their district”;
and
WHEREAS, The vice-presidents are not ecclesiastical supervisors
under the Constitution. Rather, Bylaw 1.2.1 (i), in harmony with the
Constitution, defines ecclesiastical supervision as “The
responsibility, primarily of the President of the Synod and district
presidents, to supervise on behalf of the Synod the doctrine, life,
and administration of its members, officers, and agencies… Further,
those constitutional articles [such as Articles XI B 1 and XII 7] and
Bylaws [such as Bylaws 3.3.1.1.1 and 4.4.4–4.4.6] pertaining to
ecclesiastical supervision shall determine the full definition of
ecclesiastical supervision”; and
WHEREAS, The vice-presidents of the Synod have not been given
the authority and responsibility of ecclesiastical supervision in the
Constitution of the Synod; and
WHEREAS, Constitution Article XI A 1 states, “The officers of
the Synod must assume only such rights as have been expressly
conferred upon them by the Synod, and in everything pertaining to
their rights and the performance of their duties they are responsible
to the Synod”; and
WHEREAS, The Commission of Constitutional Matters ruled in
opinion CCM 16-2791 (June 20, 2016), “The term Praesidium does
not occur in the Constitution of the Synod. Article XI C lists the
duties of the vice-presidents: “The vice-presidents shall upon
request of the President represent him in all his functions.” The
Constitution does not assign ecclesiastical supervision to the office
of vice-president or to the Praesidium as a whole, but to the
President and the district presidents (Constitution Art. XI B 1–3;
XII 6–8)”; therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.10.1 be revised to include additional
Bylaw 3.10.1.5 as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.10 Other Councils, Committees, and Boards
A. Council of Presidents
3.10.1
The President, the First Vice-President, the regional vicepresidents, and the district presidents shall comprise the Council of
Presidents.
…
3.10.1.5
The vice-presidents shall be elected advisors of the
President and shall not have a vote on issues before the Council of
Presidents, but shall serve in their advisory capacity. The power to
vote on any agenda item, when a vote on the Council of Presidents
is required, is limited to the President and district presidents (Council
of Presidents) only, with the vice-presidents having no vote and
limited to the “advice and counsel” role.

Board of Directors
Pacific Southwest District