LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1995, Page 157

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION 157

Overture Subject Reason
707 Voting Eligibility of Vacancy Pastor Creates confusion
7-11, 7-13 Synodical Officers’ Terms Current procedures provide
limitations in voting process
7-12 Eligibility of District Presidents Contradicts synodical policy
to be Synodical Vice-President
7-15 Requirements for Holding Not clear in intended result
Synodical Office
7-20-23 Election of CCM Present system works well
7-30 Advisory Responsibility of Bylaws 2.45 a and 4.73
District Presidents
7-31 Involvement of District President Inconsistent with synodical
in Pastoral Calls policy
1-32 Congregation’s Right to Call Bylaw 2.45
7-33 Congregational Calling Process Bylaw 2.45
7-34 Responsibilities and Limitations Bylaw 2.45
of District Presidents
7-35 District President and Present system contains
. Restricted Status checks and balances
9-37 Synodical President as Chairman Present system works weil
of Council of Presidents
742-43 Equal Time for Candidates Impractical from standpoint
of time and logistics
7-63 Synodical Constitution Amendment Bylaw 2.39 explains the word
well
1-19 ; Change of Church-Body Affiliation Process in place to deal with
this
7-83 Elimination of Council of Presidents Present system works well
7-96 Doctrinal Discipline Present Bylaws cover situa-
tion
Action: Adopted (10).

To Designate Certified Lay Ministers
as Ministers of Religion—Commissioned
RESOLUTION 7-21A

Overture 7-95 (CW, p. 253)

WHEREAS, The auxiliary office of certified lay minister is
a longstanding ministry begun already in 1959 by The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, Certified lay ministers continue to carry out
extensive ministry responsibilities that include visitation,
education, social ministry, youth ministry, administration,
and evangelism; and

WHEREAS, Certified lay ministry entrants have definite
education requirements that include completion of a BA de-
gree; and

WHEREAS, All certified lay ministers must earn at least
47 credit hours 0 theology and complete a semester of in-
ternship;. their certification can only be obtained through
Concordia University Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, -We thank God for the 500- plus men and —

women who have faithfully served, and the approximately
175 currently serving in this position of certified lay minis-
ter; all who have demonstrated their professionalism as

Resolved; ‘Tha all: Bylaw references to lay ministers in
the Handbook of ‘the Synod be changed to “certified lay
minister”; and be it further ©

Resolved, That Art. V and VI of the Constitution be
amended to readin their éntirety as follows:

PRESENT/ PROPOSED WORDING
- Article V Membership:

Membership i in the Synod is held and may be ac-
quired ‘by congregations, ministers of religion—or-
dained and ministers of religion—commissioned, such

as teachers, directors of Christian education, directors
of Christian outreach, end deaconesses and certified lay
ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church who con-
fess and accept the confessional basis of Article II.

B. Advisory Members

Advisory members only are the following:

9. Certified Lay Ministers; ;

10. Candidates for the office of the ministry, or for
that of a teacher of the Evangelical Lutheran Church,
for director of Christian education, for director of Chris-
tian outreach, for deaconess, or for certified lay minis-
ter.

Article VI Conditions of Membership

Conditions for acquiring and holding membership in
the Synod are the following:

8. Regular call of pastors, teachers, directors of
Christian education, directors of Christian outreach,
end deaconesses, and certified lay ministers, and regu-
lar election of lay delegates by the congregations, as
also the blamelessness of the life of such.

6. Pastors, teachers, directors of Christian educa-
tion, directors of Christian outreach, deaconesses, certi-
fied lay ministers, or candidates for the office of the
ministry-erthat-efeteacher ordained or commissioned

minister not coming from recognized orthodox church
bodies must submit to a colloquium before being re-
ceived.

and be it finally

Resolved, That the foregoing amendments concerning
certified lay ministers be submitted to the congregations of
the Synod for ratification in conformity with Art. XTV of the
Constitution.

Action: Adopted as amended (10).

(The resolution was adopted by sections with those sections
involving constitutional amendments being adopted by a two-
thirds majority vote. An amendment to substitute the words and
also, with the help of God, living a Christian life for the blame-
lessness of the life of such in Art. VI 3 was declined. The words
ordained or commissioned minister were substituted by common
consent for the ministry or that of a teacher in Art. VI 6. Although
the resolution states that Art. V and VI are amended in their en-
tirety, it was intended that only those portions referred to in the '
resolution are to read in their entirety as revised. Other portions
of these articles are to be retained.)

To Express Appreciation for Ministry
of Vice-Presidents Mennicke, Sauer,
and Maier
RESOLUTION 7-22
WueErEAs, Reverend Dr. August Mennicke, Reverend Dr.

Walter A. Maier, and Reverend Dr. Robert Sauer have
faithfully and honorably served our Lord’s kingdom and our

_ Synod as Vice-Presidents for many years; and

Wuenreas, Our Lord has blessed our Synod through their
service and ministry; therefore be it

Resolved, That our convention on behalf of the entire
LCMS join in echoing our Lord Jesus’ own words spoken to
them, “Well done, good and faithful servant”; and be it fur-
ther
"Resolved, That we at convention give praise and thanks
to our Lord for the blessings He has given to our Synod
through them as we sing the Common Doxology.

Action: Adopted (11).