Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2023 · 68th Convention, Milwaukee › Page 395
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 395

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

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
removal of the terms for the offices of district and Synod Presidents;
and be it finally
Resolved, That all proposals made by the task force shall be
released to the public for comment at least one year before the 2026
Synod convention for public input, with the final proposals being
submitted in time for inclusion in the 2026 Convention Workbook
and action by the 2026 Synod convention.
Mount Calvary
Englewood, OH
Ov. 9-45

To Amend Constitution to Grant Lay Vote
to Every Congregation
WHEREAS, The Constitution of the Synod Article V A deals with
voting members of the Synod and states: “All organized
congregations that have joined the Synod hold voting membership”;
and
WHEREAS, “Multi-congregation parishes” are allowed to send a
single lay delegate to the district convention (Bylaw 3.1.2.1 [c]);
and
WHEREAS, Each individual congregation is a member of the
Synod and should be entitled to a lay vote; and
WHEREAS, The Southeastern District in its 2022 convention
voted to forward this overture to the 2023 Synod convention for
consideration; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod at its 2023 convention:
• give all organized congregations that hold membership in the
Synod the opportunity to be represented by a lay delegate
and a pastoral delegate at district conventions;
• retain a single vote for a pastor who represents more than one
congregation;
and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.1.2.1 (c) be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.1.2.1
Elections of voting delegates shall take place in accordance
with established policy and procedure.
…
(c) The privilege of voting shall be exercised by one pastor and
one layperson from each member congregation or multicongregation parish of the circuit, both of whom shall have been
elected in the manner prescribed by the congregation or parish.
Congregations of a multi-congregation parish not contributing a
lay voter may send an advisory lay representative, with voice but
no vote. A pastor serving a congregation in an assisting capacity
(Bylaw 2.5.6) is not eligible to cast that congregation’s pastoral
vote.All organized congregations that have joined the Synod hold
voting membership. At the meetings of the districts of the Synod
every congregation or parish is entitled to two votes, one of which
is to be cast by the pastor and the other by the lay delegate. In the
case of a single pastor representing two or more congregations,
no individual shall cast more than one vote.
…

Southeastern District;
Circuit 15 (Mecklenburg), Southeastern District

395

Ov. 9-46

To Consider Realignment
of Constitution Article III Objectives 1 and 2
WHEREAS, In Scripture there is clear teaching about the mission
and witness of the Church given by our Lord Himself (Matt. 28:18–
20; Acts 1:8); and
WHEREAS, In Scripture there is no official structure for the
Church or church bodies given; and
WHEREAS, The Church is blessed when the mission of God is
first in the hearts of its people, and a primary focus on official
structure providing defense against schism, sectarianism, and
heresy is, while praise worthy (Rev. 2:3–4), a departure from our
first love (Rev. 2:4–5); and
WHEREAS, Article III of the Constitution of the Synod states:

Article III Objectives
The Synod, under Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, shall—
1. Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3–6;
1 Cor. 1:10), work through its official structure toward fellowship
with other Christian church bodies, and provide a united defense
against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17), and heresy;
2. Strengthen congregations and their members in giving bold
witness by word and deed to the love and work of God, the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, and extend that Gospel witness into all the
world;
…

and
WHEREAS, This is not the original order of our objectives but was
shifted in 1917 when the Constitution of the Synod was rewritten,
and the order was changed without specific convention attention to
the order of Const. Art. III; and
WHEREAS, There has been a demonstrated deterioration in
mission outreach for the past 50 years; and
WHEREAS, A priority of “bold witness” applies to both those
already gathered in the worshipping church and those who are yet
to come to faith in Christ and will not impede an emphasis on
bringing this witness with sound and pure doctrine; therefore be it
Resolved, That the California-Nevada-Hawaii District in
convention take note of and apply this priority in word and action;
and be it further
Resolved, That the district memorialize the Synod in its 2023
convention to return the “bold witness” and the mission of God to
its rightful place as the first objective of a church of Christ dedicated
to unity of the true faith which proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ
into all the world.
California-Nevada-Hawaii District
Ov. 9-47

To Create True Synod-Wide Dialogue
and Study with Respect to Controverted Matters
Preamble
In the Preamble to the Constitution of the Synod, two reasons are
given “for the forming of a Synodical Union: (1) the example of the
apostolic church (Acts 15:1–31)” and “(2) our Lord’s will that the
diversities of the gifts should be for the common profit (1 Cor. 12:4–
31).” Clearly, the framers of the Synod’s Constitution were
2023 Convention Workbook