LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 386

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386

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
Ov. 9-31

Ov. 9-30

To Have Next Available Convention
of the Synod in Detroit
WHEREAS, Detroit, Mich., has not hosted a Convention of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) since 1965; and
WHEREAS, Since the Pittsburgh Convention in 1992, the LCMS
has deemed it wise to move the triennial Synod Convention to
various cities across the United States, assuming competitive rates
for hotels, travel, and convention sites, and thus helping create a
deeper appreciation for our Synod and her faithful, biblical,
doctrinal stances, confession, and practices; and
WHEREAS, The Detroit metropolitan area has a historically large
LCMS population and has notable historic congregations,
cemeteries, and history, as well as nearby Concordia University
Ann Arbor, and is a major international airport and a hub of Delta
Air Lines; and
WHEREAS, Synod Bylaw 3.1.9 (j)(3) states that “A district may
submit an invitation to host the convention. In such case, a host
group shall determine the minimum requirements from the
convention manager, agree to provide any needed local support, and
submit a proposal to the Board of Directors of the Synod for
evaluation and consideration”; and
WHEREAS, The Michigan District and English District have
headquarters buildings in the nearby area, and our partner synod,
The Lutheran Church—Canada, has a concentration of
congregations in Ontario and just across the Detroit River in
Windsor and nearby counties; and
WHEREAS, The Michigan District and English District could
team together in hosting the convention; and
WHEREAS, Significant Lutheran heritage and sightseeing is
available in relatively close Frankenmuth, Mich., as well as in
Dearborn, Mich. (including the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield
Village) and other cultural and sports amenities; and
WHEREAS, The Detroit metro area is a huge mission field, a
highly multi-ethnic milieu, and one of the largest Black
concentrations in the nation at a time when it would be wise for the
LCMS to show its support of the Black community, in particular;
and
WHEREAS, The Detroit metro area is also home to a huge mission
field of Arabic and Islamic peoples who need to hear the Gospel of
life and salvation in Jesus Christ; and
WHEREAS, The Detroit area congregations, schools, pastors, and
church workers have demonstrated a high level of confessional
witness and missionary support (one of the OIM Regional Director
families is from Windsor, ON, and a member of a Detroit
congregation); therefore be it
Resolved, That the English District, together with the Michigan
District, determine to act as host by determining the minimum
requirements from the convention manager, agreeing to provide any
needed local support, and submitting a proposal to the Synod Board
of Directors; and be it further
Resolved, That upon consultation and approval from the Synod
Board of Directors, the English District, together with the Michigan
District, invite the next available Synod convention to Detroit after
the 2023 Synod convention.
English District

2023 Convention Workbook

To Restore Direct Voting by Congregations
to All Changes in, and Amendments to, the Synod’s
Constitution and Bylaws
Preamble
Self-governance by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
(LCMS) congregations is a fundamental and historical principle of
how we as congregations come together as a Synod and walk
together. Over the years, our governing documents (Constitution
and Bylaws) have changed from unanimous congregational consent
by each individual congregation to a representative determination
through convention. This change alters the role of the individual
congregations and deprives them of a direct vote in the structure of
their governance. Self-governance is more than control over what
we do as individual congregations internally; it is how we as
collective churches relate. This overture seeks to restore the right of
all congregations to exercise self-governance over changes in
Synod governance.
Rationale
The founders of the early LCMS, especially C.F.W. Walther, were
very protective of the self-governance of the individual
congregations, so much so that the Synod’s first Constitution could
only be changed through the unanimous approval of all
congregations.
The self-governance of our LCMS congregations is a fundamental
and historical principal of how we as congregations come together
as the Synod and how we are “walking together.”
Over the years, our governing documents have been changed to shift
the self-governance by the individual congregations to
representative determinations by the Synod in conventions.
• Constitution Article XV 2–3 requires a two-thirds vote of the
convention to send any constitutional amendment to the
congregations for ratification. Conversely, one-third of the
convention delegates can deny any proposed amendment
from reaching the congregations.
• Bylaw chapter 7, “Amendments to Bylaws” allows all
changes and amendments to the bylaws to be solely decided
by the convention, thereby completely circumventing
congregational approval.
This governance is contrary to the Synod’s founders view of selfgovernance which is expressed in the first Synod Constitution of
1847 Article VII, “About changing the constitution”:
Changes in and additions to the constitution may be made if they
are not contrary to the propositions set forth in the second article
of the present constitution and if all members of Synod, at the
order of their congregations, to whom the matters have been
presented a year in advance, unanimously adopt them. All
proposed changes must be presented one year in advance to all
congregations, and the vote for the changes must be unanimous.
This expression by the Synod’s founders shows that selfgovernance is more than control over what is done as individual
congregation; it is how the Synod as collective churches relate.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That henceforth all changes to the Synod’s
Constitution and Bylaws will be decided by direct vote to all
member congregations; and be it further
Resolved, That Const. Art. XV be amended as follows: