LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 345

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PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.10.5.7.3 be amended to read as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.10.5.7.3 The board of regents on recommendation of the president
of the seminary shall appoint all full-time members of the faculty
and all instructors (other than instructors who are emeriti faculty of
the seminary, or instructors who do not teach in more than one
academic year in any three academic year period).
(a) All initial appointments to a seminary facultiesfaculty, and
all initial appointments of instructors (other than instructors who
are emeriti faculty of the seminary, or instructors who do not
teach in more than one academic year in any three academic year
period), shall require prior approval by a majority vote of the
President of the Synod (or his designee), the chairman of the
Council of Presidents (or his designee), and the chairman of the
Board for National Mission (or his designee), and shall include a
thorough theological review. The three voters shall be ordained.
The process shall be facilitated by the Executive Director of
Pastoral Education.
(b) The terms and conditions of every appointment shall be
stated in writing and be in the possession of both the seminary
and the prospective faculty member or instructor before the
appointment is consummated. Limitations of academic freedom
because of the religious and confessional nature and aims of the
seminary shall be stated in writing at the time of the appointment
and conveyed to the person being appointed.
(c) Ordinarily candidates for full-time teaching positions and
instructors shall be rostered members of the Synod. When
laypersons are employed in full-time teaching positions or as
instructors, they shall pledge to perform their duties in harmony
with the Holy Scriptures as the inspired Word of God, the
Lutheran Confessions, the Synod’s doctrinal statements, and the
policies of the Synod.
(d) The board of regents may decline to renew an initial-level
appointment of a faculty member at its discretion and without
formal statement of cause. If reappointment to the teaching staff
is not contemplated, the board of regents shall so notify the
faculty member in writing through the president of the seminary
at least six months prior to the expiration of the current
appointment. Notice of non-reappointment shall be made at least
6 months before the expiration of an initial-level appointment of
a faculty member. Instructors shall serve only for the duration of
their contract and shall not be subject to the foregoing provisions
of this subsection.
(e) The board of regents shall maintain standards of good
practice that provide uniform procedures for renewing faculty
employment contracts.
(f) Each seminary shall state policies regarding faculty
appointments, employment contracts, contract renewal, and
contract termination for all employees.
(g) For purposes of this bylaw, an “instructor” means any person
who is not a full-time member of the faculty of the seminary, who
is engaged to teach one or more seminary courses as the instructor
thereof.

St. Paul
Brookfield, IL
Ov. 6-43

To Provide Latitude to Seminary Boards
of Regents in Faculty Matters
WHEREAS, Current Bylaw 3.10.5.7.2 circumscribes the ability of
the seminaries’ boards of regents to balance the composition of their
faculty appointments, as it is understood to require an “up or out”
standard whereby faculty members who have served six years

345

should either be granted continuing appointment status—tenure—
or be terminated; and
WHEREAS, Current Bylaw 3.10.5.7.2 (d)(1) provides that persons
who, prior to joining a seminary faculty, have taught at another
educational institution of Synod for at least four years can petition
the board of regents of the seminary for continuing appointment and
receive credit for such prior service, meaning that the board must
consider for tenure a person who may have taught at the seminary
less than two years; and
WHEREAS, These requirements significantly limit the ability of
the board of regents to determine the appropriate percentage of the
seminary faculty that should hold tenured positions, insofar as all
faculty who serve six years have the right to petition for tenure; and
WHEREAS, Such requirements do not exist for faculty of the
Concordia University System schools; therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.10.5.7.2 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.10.5.7.2 Each theological seminary shall have established policies
and procedures related to appointments. There shall be two levels of
faculty appointments: (1) Initial level, where the appointment can be
terminated with no formal requirement for a show of cause; (2)
continuing level, where termination requires a formal show of cause.
…
(d) Standards or qualifications for moving a faculty member
from initial-level appointment to continuing-level appointment
shall be the following:
(1) The faculty member shall ordinarily have completed four
to six years of creditable service (periods of leave are not
included) as a member of the faculty of one or more
educational institutions of the Synod, at least the last two years
of which shall have been in the seminary currently served.
(21) The faculty members shall, as determined by their
academic discipline, regularly continue to demonstrate
scholarly achievement that may be institutionally funded as
determined by the board of regents.
(32) The faculty member’s reputation, character, concern for
students, and ability to honor leaders shall present a good
reflection on the seminary and the church.
(43) The faculty member’s aptness to teach has been
demonstrated by effective communication in the classroom.
(e) Steps in moving a faculty member from an initial-level
appointment to a continuing-level appointment shall be the
following:
(1) If the board of regents, on recommendation of the
president of the seminary, determines that a faculty member
meets the above requirements and is still at the initial-level
appointment, it shall either carry forward the procedure for
promotion to a continuing-level appointment or inform the
faculty member of its decision not to do so, in which case the
individual either may continue at the initial-level appointment
or be terminated. Any continuation of employment at the
initial-level appointment shall be on a year-to-year basis.
Faculty employment during the initial-level appointment
period may be terminated without disclosure of cause. In cases
in which the decision is made to terminate the individual’s
contract, the contract shall be extended for at least six months
beyond the time at which notice is given. If the board of
regents does not take up the question of promotion to a
continuing-level appointment at least nine months prior to the
end of the sixth year of service, the faculty member may
petition the board of regents to do so.

2023 Convention Workbook