LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 169

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RESOLUTIONS 169

Wuereas, The membership in the Synod acquired by
pastors and teachers is according to their calling a pro-
fessional membership, and quite distinct from voting
membership which only the congregations of the Synod
possess; and

Wuereas, The Committee on Organization has made
a study of the concerns dealing with voting rights at
synodical conventions, and has summarized its report
on CW p. 209; therefore be it

Resolved, That the historic balance of one pastoral
vote and one lay vote be retained (Constitution, Art.
V A); and be it further

Resolved, That in case of multiple parishes, voting
privileges continue to be extended on the basis of one
pastoral and one lay vote for the entire parish; and be
it further

Resolved, That the current requirements (Bylaw
1.51) concerning the number of communicant members
and number of congregations in electoral circuits be re-
tained for the present, but be subject to ongoing review
by the Commission on Constitutional Matters; and be
it finally

Resolved, That the franchise not be extended to in-
dividuals, but continue to rest with member congrega-
tions of the Synod as the Constitution presently pre-
scribes in Art. V A and Art. IX.

Action: None. Referred under omnibus Res. 4-47 to
the Board of Directors.

To Clarify and Affirm the Right of Franchise
and to Decline the Request for a General
Franchise of Church Workers of All Categories

RESOLUTION 5-15

Report 5-02, II; Overtures 5-21A, 5-21B, 5-21C, 5-22, 5-23,
5-24A, 5-24B, 5-25A, 5-25B, 5-26, 5-27 (CW, pp. 208—209,
220—221)

Wuereas, The request that the Synod grant voting
rights to all professional church workers within The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod at the conventions
of both the Synod and its Districts is not a question sim-
ilar to that of the equal rights of persons in a civil gov-
ernment which follows the rule of “one person, one
vote”; and

Wuereas, It is always fitting that the Synod in con-
vention assembled give an answer to those who make
requests not in keeping with the principles underlying
the polity of our Synod; and

Wuereas, It is well to remember that the Synod is
not a union or association of professional church work-
ers, but a federation of congregations, who alone have
the franchise, which they may delegate to pastors and
lay persons chosen by them to vote in their behalf at the
conventions of the Synod and in its Districts; and

Wuereas, The right to vote at the conventions of the
Synod and its Districts is neither a personal right nor
a professional right of church workers inherent in them

by virtue of their respective status, but a right delegated
or conferred upon a pastor and a lay person chosen to
represent a congregation; and

WHEREAS, It is the rightful call issued by a congrega-
tion, or by congregations acting in concert, or by con-
gregations who delegate the function of calling pastors
or teachers to a joint agency established by them —
it is such a call which confers the office of pastor or of
teacher to persons qualified for such ministry; and

Wuereas, The membership in the Synod, acquired by
pastors and teachers, is a professional membership, and
as such is entirely distinct from voting membership,
which only the congregations of the Synod possess; and

Wuereas, Every request that the right to vote be
granted to church workers as individuals instead of
being delegated to the chosen representatives of con-
gregations, would not merely subvert the integrity of
representative government in The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod, but actually create an ecclesiastical
status or rank in the church by virtue of a professional
service rendered and destroy the balance of pastoral
and lay representatives of congregations; and

Wuereas, There are different functions in the con-
gregations as well as in the institutions established by
them to serve them, such differences in function must
never be interpreted as warrant for the establishment
of differences in rank, so that church workers have
voting rights independent of election by congregations
and inherent in them by virtue of their professional
qualifications; and

Whereas, Voting rights delegated by a congregation
to a pastor or layman are a commission by the congre-
gation that their representatives serve the interests and
objectives of the congregation by the exercise of its
franchise in the conventions of the Synod and its Dis-
tricts; therefore be it

Resolved, That the requests made for voting rights
for all professional church workers of all categories
mentioned in the overtures cited above be declined as

contrary to the principles set forth by the Constitution
of the Synod.

Action: None. Referred under omnibus Res. 4-47 to
the Board of Directors.

To Decline to Change the Legislative Process
in the Synod and Districts

RESOLUTION 5-16
Overture 5-08 (CW, p. 215)

Wuereas, Major recommendations of this overture
would entail fundamental changes in the Synod’s Con-
stitution; and

Wuereas, Other studies dealing with these topics are
now in progress; therefore be it

Resolved, That Overture 5-08 be declined.

Action: None. Referred under omnibus Res. 4-47 to
the Board of Directors.