LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 28

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28 MINUTES OF THE CONVENTION

convention be followed. By more than a two-thirds
majority vote (692 to 271) the delegates added the fol-
lowing statement to the standing rules of the conven-
tion: “On any resolution that is being debated the con-
vention shall be asked after each 30 minutes of debate
if they are ready to vote and that this be done by the
question being called.” The two-thirds majority vote
was determined on the basis of a call for a division of
the house.

Nominations

Mr. RB. Joeckel, chairman of the committee on Nomi-
nations, reported several corrections which were neces-
sary in nominations from the floor. He pointed out that
since Sao Paulo School in Brazil was no longer in ex-
istence there was no need for the election of the Board
of Control. This matter will be taken care of by a reso-
lution from another committee. In nominations for the
office of Treasurer he reported that Mr. Victor Men-
nicke had asked that his name be withdrawn from the
slate of nominees. The name of H. W. Wearth was
withdrawn from the nominations for the Board for
Higher Education since there was no signature on the
document authorizing his name to be placed on the
ballot. Chairman Joeckel then asked the convention
to help determine the action which should be taken in
several other cases. Judge Jay Pfotenhauer who had
been nominated for the Board of Control of the Saint
Louis seminary had qualified his authorization for nom-
ination by stating that he would be willing to be placed
on the ballot if meetings of the Board of Control could
be scheduled to permit his attendance. After some dis-
cussion the delegates agreed to place his name on the
ballot for this position. A question was also raised re-
garding the eligibility of Rev. Will Herzfeld for the
Board for Missions because of a possible servant-master
relationship which might arise due to his staff position
with a standing committee of the Lutheran Council in
the United States of America. The Commission on
Constitutional Matters had ruled on the basis of Bylaw
2.15 which forbids the holding of more than one office
when one office is responsible to another, that such an
unnamed LCUSA staff person would not be eligible
for nomination to a corresponding synodical board. By
convention action, however, his name was placed on
the ballot for a position on the Board for Missions. In
response to a question regarding action which should
be taken regarding a man under discipline who was
placed on the ballot, the questioner was referred to the
nominations committee for a discussion of this matter.
Because the convention declined a motion stating “That
for the purposes of this election, the term ‘parish pas-
tor’ be regarded as referring to anyone on the clergy
roster of the Synod,” the convention removed the name
of Rev. Al Pero from the slate of nominees for the Com-
mission on Theology and Church Relations.

Elections

Chairman Mennicke of the floor committee on Elec-
tions directed the distribution of ballots for the boards
and commissions of the Synod and instructed the dele-

gates regarding the method of election and changes
which were to be made on the 32 cards containing 331
names. Motions to remove cards 12 and 13 from the
ballot were declined by the delegates.

Higher Education

At the request of Chairman Elwood Zimmermann
of the floor committee on Higher Education Resolution
6-13 was referred to the committee for rewording of
an amendment which had been previously approved
by the convention. The committee was also asked to
consider the meaning of the word “consultation” in its
deliberations.

Social Ministry

Chairman John Zimmermann of the Committee on
Social Ministry introduced Resolution 9-16 (TB 88)
calling for a strengthening of our ministry in behalf of
Indian Americans. Through amendments the heading
of this resolution was broadened by substituting for the
word “Indian Americans” the phrase “North American
Indians, Eskimos, and Metis.” After the elections had
been declared closed by Chairman Mennicke, Chairman
Zimmermann introduced Mr. Melvin Witt who pre-
sented Mr. Eugene Crawford of the National Indian
Lutheran Board to the delegates. In his remarks he
thanked the Synod for its support in the past and stated
that American Indians need the help of Christians today
more than ever before because of the loss of other
sources of income, primarily federal sources. After
declining to substitute the words “To implement the
provision of funds for meeting the needs through the
synodical treasury” for the last phrase in the final re-
solved and to change the wording of the second last re-
solved from “our congregations” to “members of our
congregations,” the delegates approved Resolution 9-16
(TB 88) as amended.

American Bible Society

President Preus introduced Dr. Norman Temme,
representing the American Bible Society, to the dele-
gates. In his statement he thanked the members of the
Synod for their support of the society’s work and stated
that it would be his privilege next Sunday to present
the 42nd million copy of Good News for Modern Man
to a returned prisoner of war in North Vietnam, Air
Force Captain William G. Byrns. Captain Byrns had
used this book effectively in converting a number of
his fellow servicemen to daily Bible reading. Dr.
Temme stated that one of the reasons for the popularity
of this common language translation was its use of sim-
ple line drawings which have universal appeal. The
convention was given the privilege of hearing from the
illustrator, Annie Vallotton of Vincennes, France. She
gave particular thanks to the Aid Association for Lu-
therans for money which made it possible to do another
series of 14 Bible stories which would soon be seen on
television screens and would later appear on films for
use in churches, Sunday schools, vacation Bible schools,
and summer camps. She closed her presentation by
yodeling a hello to all the members of the convention.

AME ERENT SY SIAR BAS AY RAE Tee

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