LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 273

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STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION 273

WHEREAS, The CCM is also authorized, upon request, to render
binding opinions, in cases of dispute resolution that deal with ques-
tions of Constitution and Bylaw interpretation (Bylaw 8.21 1); and

WHEREAS, An obvious conflict of interest, comparable to a liti-
gant choosing the jury, would therefore be present in cases in
which either complainants or respondents are District Presidents;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Commission on Constitutional Matters
henceforth be elected by the Synod in convention, from a slate pre-
pared by the regular Nominations Committee; and be it further

Resolved, After the passage of this resolution, the Nominations
Committee present a slate of nominations to be elected before the
adjournment of this 1998 synodical convention.

Mount Calvary
Miltona, MN

7-110

To Revise Election Procedure
for Commission on Constitutional Matters

WHEREAS, The membership of the present Commission on Con-
stitutional Matters (CCM) is appointed by the Council of (District)
Presidents (Bylaw 3.903 a 2); and

WHEREAS, This appointment means that the CCM is predis-
posed to favor the District Presidents; and

WHEREAS, In their capacity as the constitutional review com-
mittee of the Synod (Bylaw 3.905 a), this means that the CCM is
predisposed to overlook amendments which enhance the powers of
District Presidents contrary to the Synod’s Constitution and the
Lutheran Confessions; and

WuereEAS, In their capacity as the supreme court of appeals (By-
laws 3.905 d and 8.21), this means that the CCM is predisposed to
tule in favor of complainants in the dispute resolution process who
are District Presidents or their associates; and

WHEREAS, This adjudicatory predisposition means that most
cases that reach the synodical appeal level will be decided in a prej-
udicial manner; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Commission on Constitutional Matters will
henceforth be elected by the Synod at convention, from a slate pre-
pared by the regular nominations committee; and be it further

Resolved, That if time remains in the 1998 synodical conven-
tion for the nominations committee to prepare such a slate after the
passage of this resolution, then the CCM shall be elected at this
convention and its new members will be inducted into office at the
normal time (Bylaw 3.65 a).

Christ, Oak Park, IL; Trinity, San Jose, CA; Our
Redeemer, Forsyth, IL; Our Redeemer, Peekskill, NY

7-111

To Limit Synodical President
and First Vice-President to Four Terms

WHEREAS, The Lord of the church is capable of raising up faith-
ful and strong leaders for His people; and

WHEREAS, The Lord of the church has given spiritual gifts to
His people as He has seen fit; and

WHEREAS, Different people with their different gifts will see dif-
ferent challenges and priorities for our Synod at different times;
and

WHEREAS, Most of the Synod’s congregations and Districts
have similar limits on serving consecutive terms in the same of-
fice; and

WHEREAS, There are presently no limits on the number of terms
of office which the President and the First Vice-President of Synod
may serve; therefore be it

Resolved, That the President and the First Vice-President of the
Synod be limited to four elected terms and that after either has
served four terms he be ineligible to serve in this capacity for a sub-
sequent term.

Beatrice Circuit Forum
Nebraska District

7-112

To Resolve Issue of Terms of Synodical Officers

WHEREAS, Numerous overtures (over 15) were made to the
1992 convention, as well as to previous conventions, to limit the
terms of synodical officers; and

WHEREAS, The 1992 convention, following the recommenda-
tion of Floor Committee 5 (“Structure and Organization”), adopted
Res. 5-06: to refer the subject of term limitation for the synodical
President and Vice-Presidents to the Board of Directors of the
Synod (Council on Mission and Ministry) “‘for study and report to
the next synodical convention”; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS Board of Directors, after reviewing over-
tures to the 1992 convention and in response to this resolution, pro-
posed to the 1995 convention overture 7-13: “To Establish Terms
of Synodical Officers”; and

WHEREAS, This overture, in its substance, was not brought be-
fore the 1995 convention by Floor Committee 7 (“Structure, Plan-
ning, and Administration”) for further consideration, but recom-
mended for decline together with many other overtures toward the
end of the convention, without opportunity for discussion; and

WHEREAS, The brief reason given for declining the overture by
the Floor Committee was that “Current procedures provide limita-
tions in voting process”— a reason that does not take into consid-
eration the concerns addressed by numerous overtures and resolu-
tions which have been brought before previous conventions; and

WHEREAS, Overture 7-13 to the 1995 convention was in re-
sponse to a request from the Synod in convention to our highest
elected body, the Synod’s Board of Directors, to assist in resolv-
ing the persistent question of reasonable terms for synodical offi-
cers; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention resolve this issue for
the present time by seriously discussing, considering, and voting
upon overture 7-13 from the 1995 convention: “To Establish Terms
of Synodical Officers” with adaptations made necessary as a result
of the intervening years.

Detroit East Circuit Forum
Michigan District

7-113

To Limit Synodical President
and First Vice-President to Three Terms
WHEREAS, The Lord of the church is capable of raising up faith-
ful and strong leaders for His people; and
WHEREAS, The Lord of the church has given spiritual gifts to
His people as He has seen fit; and
Wrereas, Different people with their different gifts will see dif-
ferent challenges and priorities for our Synod at different times;
and
WHEREAS, Most of the Synod’s congregations have similar lim-
its on serving consecutive terms in the same office; and
WHEREAS, There are presently no limits on the number of terms
of office which the President and the First Vice-President of the
Synod may serve; therefore be it
Resolved, That the President and the First Vice-President of the
Synod be limited to three elected terms and that after they have
served three terms they be ineligible to serve in this capacity.
Bethlehem
Crete, NE