LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 369

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STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
E. Seminary Boards of Regents
…
3.10.5.5
The board of regents of each theological seminary shall
become familiar with and develop an understanding of pertinent
policies, standards, and guidelines of the Synod.
…
(e) It shall approve institutional fiscal arrangements, develop the
financial resources necessary to operate the seminary, and
participate in its support program.
(1) Only the board of regents is authorized to establish a line
of credit or to borrow for operating needs, subject to the
policies of the Board of Directors of the Synod.
(2) All surplus institutional funds above an adequate working
balance shall be deemed to be surplus and shall be deposited
with the Chief Financial Officer of the Synod for investment.
Earnings from such investments shall be credited to the
depositing seminary.
…

and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.10.6.4 (e) be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
F. Concordia University System Boards of Regents
3.10.6.4
The board of regents of each institution shall become
familiar with and develop an understanding of pertinent policies,
standards, and guidelines of the Synod and the Board of Directors of
Concordia University System.
…
(e) It shall approve institutional fiscal arrangements, develop the
financial resources necessary to operate the institution, and
participate in its financial support.
(1) Only the board of regents is authorized to establish a line
of credit or to borrow for operating needs, subject to the
policies of the Board of Directors of Concordia University
System and the Board of Directors of the Synod.
(2) All surplus institutional funds above an adequate working
balance shall be deposited with the Concordia University
System for investment. Earnings from such investments shall
be credited to the depositing institution.
…

F. REGISTRATION PROCEDURE
FOR PRESIDENTIAL VOTERS
Rationale
Bylaw 3.12.2.3 governs the registration of presidential voters by the
congregations-and-parishes of the Synod. This process involves the
collection of name, address, e-mail address, phone, and a “security
question” for the pastoral and lay voters to be registered.
Handwriting of this information on a form and subsequent data
entry have proven very error-prone and time-consuming. Especially
the important e-mail address has been a challenge. Improperly
completed or signed forms take a long time to detect and correct,
with the consequence that some congregations have difficulty
completing the process in time.
The Office of the Secretary implemented an online registration
process in preparation for this convention to address the above
issues and to allow for districts to be involved in reminding
congregations to register their voters, as required by 2019 Res. 9-16
and its amendment of Bylaw 3.12.2.3 (d). This required an
interpretation of the Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM

369

Op. 20-2930) to understand an online interface to be within the
definition of “form” and the “signatures” required to be satisfied by
“verifiable attestations, by some commonly understood means of
physical or electronic signature.”
Proposed is to adapt the language of the Bylaw to be similar to the
“secure and verifiable method” used elsewhere, so as to clarify
requirements without seeming to imply use of an unwieldy paper
process.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.12.2.3 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
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
(b) The congregation or parish shall present to the Secretary of
Synod 90 days prior to the election a proper credentials form
provided, via a secure and verifiable method provided by the
Secretary, the voter(s) selected by the congregation or parish,
signedas well as an attestation by two of the congregation’s
officers that the voter(s) are properly authorized by the
congregation to vote on its behalf. If a congregation or parish has
more than one pastor eligible to vote, the congregation shall
designate on the credentials form which pastor will cast a vote on
behalf of the congregation.
(c) If one or both voters are unavailable, congregations shall be
provided opportunity to select substitute voters up to a deadline
designated by the Secretary.
(d) The registration status of congregations shall be made
available to respective district presidents for the sole purpose of
their encouraging registration for greater congregational
participation. The registration status of congregations shall not be
further disseminated.

G. NOMINATION PROCEDURE
FOR REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENTS
Rationale
The Office of the Secretary implemented for the first time, in
connection with the 2023 convention, “a secure and verifiable”
online method for submission of congregational nominations for
President, First Vice-President, and regional vice-presidents of the
Synod. The use of a “secure and verifiable” (possibly electronic)
method was enabled by 2010 Res. 3.12.2.4, to which this language
in Bylaw 3.12.2 (b–c) is due. The same convention made the second
and following vice-presidents regional (2010 Res. 8-14A) but
copied over the old procedure used for pre-convention nomination
of the President and First Vice-President (paper ballots, signed by
two officers) rather than adopting the new “secure and verifiable
method” language. At the request of the Office of the Secretary, the
Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM) found in its Op. 202930 (CCM Minutes, April 24, 2020) that:
[In addition to 2010 Res. 8-14A, which provided for vicepresidents after the first to be elected regionally] [t]he 2010
Synod convention also adopted Resolution 4-07, which made a
large number of bylaw changes pertaining to the preparations for
conventions of the Synod. One of these bylaw changes altered
how the President and all vice-presidents of the Synod were to
be nominated. The 2010 change to then-Bylaw 3.12.1 eliminated
2023 Convention Workbook