LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 365

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FLOOR COMMITTEES: REPORT AND OVERTURE ASSIGNMENTS

9. Structure and Administration
REPORTS
R1, R2, R3–R9, R11, R15–R19,
R21–R55, R62, R65, R66.12
OVERTURES
Ov. 9-01

To Amend Bylaws to Provide Clarity
for Cross-Circuit and Cross-District
Multi-Congregation Parishes
Preamble
The 2019 Synod convention labored significantly to clarify the
representation of multi-congregation parishes in Resolution 9-05,
“To Amend the Constitution to Address Individual Membership and
Advisory Representation”; Res. 9-08, “To Amend Bylaws to
Clarify Multi-congregation Parish Representation at the Circuit
Forum”; and Res. 9-12, “To Clarify the Meaning of Parish as it
Relates to Congregational Representation at District Conventions
and Election of the Synod President, and to Distinguish Assisting
Capacity Pastoral Calls.” These resolutions had the following
principal relevant effects:
• The multi-congregation parish now has a clear definition and
clear and consistent representational expectations: “The total
number of congregations regularly cared for (served) by a
pastor or pastors constitutes a parish 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.
XII 10 A), and in voting for the Synod President (Bylaw
3.12.2.3).” (Bylaw 2.5.5)
• Congregations of a multi-congregation parish other than the
one supplying the district convention voting lay delegate
may send an advisory/non-voting lay delegate to the district
convention.
• Multi-congregation parishes are now represented at circuit
forums by one pastor and one voting lay representative (lay
representatives of congregations other than the one
supplying the voting lay delegate are possible, but
advisory/non-voting). Previously each congregation got a
voting lay delegate.
The convention’s new bylaws did not, however, provide clarity
about which district conventions and circuits these representatives
and delegates attend when multi-congregation parishes cross circuit
and/or district lines. While the several congregations of a multicongregation parish reside ideally within one visitation circuit, this
is not necessarily the case. Congregations of one parish may belong
to distinct visitation/electoral circuits and even different districts.
As of March 5, 2021, records appear to indicate 13 parishes
involving congregations from more than one district:
• Four established cross-district parishes involving a nongeographic district and a geographic one;
• Seven established cross-district parishes involving two
geographic districts; and
• Two apparent but not recorded cross-district parishes
involving two geographic districts.

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In addition, there appear to be 63 additional parishes (all of the
above, of course, naturally involve multiple circuits and are not
included in the counts below) that involve congregations from more
than one visitation circuit:
• 38 established parishes (including two triples and a quad)
involving two visitation circuits each; and
• 12 apparent but not recorded parishes involving two
visitation circuits.
Bylaws are presently silent as to how congregations involved in
such situations are to be represented at district conventions and
electoral and visitation circuit meetings. The Commission on
Constitutional Matters (CCM) has from time to time been called
upon to opine on questions of representation for such parishes and
has reached a variety of conclusions on the basis of various
principles and inferences. Of these, the following are held at
present:
• No parish divided across circuit or district lines is entitled to
additional representation on account of the division (i.e.,
each parish gets one pastoral and one lay vote and garners no
additional votes in the “other” circuits or districts in which it
may be involved).
• No pastor, due to a multi-congregation parish involving
multiple districts, votes in the convention of a district in
which he himself is not a member (CCM Op. 11-2618). (But
cf. Bylaws 2.12.1–2 and following)
In CCM Op. 11-2618, the commission opined: “When a parish
crosses district lines, it is nonetheless entitled to representation at
district conventions by one pastor and one lay member. The pastor
is a voting delegate to the convention of the district of which he is
a member. The lay vote is shared by the congregations as in any
other parish, presumably in a manner that is fair and equitable. The
district membership of the congregation of the lay delegate
determines the district convention that he/she will attend as a voting
delegate.” [Previously, in Ag. 1959 (Oct. 16, 1993), the commission
had ruled: “Because two districts would be involved in the
circumstances described, because the congregation cannot be
deprived of its vote, and because the matters under consideration
vary from district to district (including also elections), each
congregation would have a lay vote in the respective district in
which the congregation holds membership.” Before that, Apr. 23–
24, 1970, the commission in an unnumbered opinion indicated that
the lay delegate of such a parish would vote in the same district as
the pastor, even if the congregation to which he belongs is of the
other district.]
The Commission on Handbook has proposed the following bylaw
amendments (Item 19-019), consistent with the above guidance
from currently standing CCM opinions, which will make clear how
cross-circuit and cross-district multi-congregation parishes are to be
represented at circuit forums and district conventions. These will
provide clarity, with regard to important representational processes,
to the not insignificant and increasing number of member
congregations, circuits, and districts involved in such situations,
without reference to CCM opinions external to the Handbook.
A. WITH REGARD TO DISTRICT CONVENTIONS
Rationale
At the district level, the sense of existing CCM Op. 11-2618 may
simply be implemented in the bylaw treating accreditation of
delegates, which already mentions a “multi-congregation parish.”
2023 Convention Workbook