LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 180

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180

RESOLUTIONS
d e. Conferences, whether official or unofficial, provide a means for ordained and commissioned ministers
to relate together on a regular basis.
5.13 Relation to Member Congregations
a. The Circuit Counselor shall hold his position by
virtue of his election. He shall serve under the direction
of and be accountable to the District President and
shall serve as his spokesman when so authorized and
directed and shall assist him in doctrinal and spiritual
supervision.
b. He shall, when requested to do so by the District
President, serve as his representative in the triennial
visitation of the congregations of the Circuit.
b c. He shall serve in a servant role and seek to remind and encourage members of the Circuit of their responsibilities as God’s people and the privilege they
have in being about His mission. In doing so, he should
keep in mind the glory and responsibility of the universal priesthood of all believers as it applies to the congregations. He shall remind them that they are “a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar
people to show forth the praises of Him who has called
them out of darkness into His marvelous light.” He shall
meet with the entire congregation, if possible, rather
than with the voting members only.
c d. Through his visitation to the congregations, he
He shall endeavor to strengthen the spirit of unity
among Circuit congregations to effect mission and ministry and shall seek to strengthen and support the spirit
of fellowship.
d. In his visits he shall discuss attendance at services, at Communion, and at voters’ meetings; the
salaries of pastors and teachers; the participation of
congregations in the work of the church-at-large and in
missions; the need and opportunities for continuing education; the Christian training of the children; the adequate indoctrination of adult catechumens; and the
maintenance of family devotion.
e. He shall work through the Circuit Forum endeavor to provide resources, opportunities and assistance so God’s people can grow in their faith in their
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. and
f. He shall ordinarily serve as chairman of the Circuit Forum, Circuit Convocation, and other Circuit
gatherings. The Forum may elect another member to
serve in that capacity. He shall serve as chairman of
the Circuit gathering and convocations.
g f. He may, when requested to do so by the District
President, serve as a mediator to effect reconciliation of
disputes within the Circuit not under synodical adjudication as outlined in chapter VIII of the Bylaws.
h g. He shall seek to strengthen the spirit of cooperation among pastors, teachers commissioned ministers,
and congregations.
i h. He shall be conversant with and supportive of
synodwide and District resolutions and programs and
shall be responsible for communicating them to the congregations of the Circuit.
j i. He may appoint from member congregations of
the Circuit, by and with the approval of the District
President, pastors, commissioned ministers, or laypersons to assist him in fulfilling his responsibilities.
k j. When the Circuit Counselor is requested to
make an official visits to a congregation by the District
President he shall be arranged for such visits in advance by the Circuit Counselor with the respective pastor and congregation, except under extraordinary circumstances. If he deems it necessary, the Circuit
Counselor may on his own initiative through the proper

200l Convention Proceedings

channels arrange for a special meeting of the congregation.
5.15 Official Visits
a. The Circuit Counselor shall visit each congregation once in three years and otherwise as he deems it
necessary.
b. The Circuit Counselor shall seek to bring about to
the greatest possible degree the achievement of the
Synod’s objectives as expressed in Article III of the Constitution.
c. The congregation of a Circuit Counselor shall be
visited by the District President or by one of the District Vice-Presidents or by another Circuit Counselor
designated by the District President.
5.1715 Relation to District President
a. Each Circuit Counselor, by virtue of his office,
shall assist the District President within the Circuit.
Therefore
b. The District President shall meet with the Circuit
Counselors of the District at least once a per year for
the purpose of discussing to discuss their work, to encourage them, and to conduct ongoing training for congregational and pastoral visits. the work of the Circuit
Counselor.
b c. The Circuit Counselor shall regularly report on
his activities to the District President.
5.19 Relation to Nonmember Congregations
The jurisdiction of Circuit Counselors shall include
nonmember congregations whose pastors are members
of the Synod, but for the purpose of official visits in such
a congregation the consent of the congregation shall first
be secured.
5.2117 Relation to Pastors
a. The Circuit Counselor shall conduct his official
visits in an evangelical manner and not resort to legalistic measures serve the pastors of the Circuit
b. He shall come to the pastor as a collegial and
brotherly adviser, reminding him them of the glory joy
of the ministry and of its great responsibilities.
c b. He shall ascertain whether encourage the fellow
pastors of the Circuit in their preaching and teaching;
in the is faithful in preaching the Law and the Gospel
in their purity, properly dividing and applying them,
whether he privately ministers to the needs of the individuals, exercises of church discipline in an evangelical manner; and properly in the supervises supervision
of all Christian education and training in his the
parish.
d c. He shall encourage, in a brotherly manner, discuss the pastors of the Circuit in their spiritual and
family life, home life, and studies of the pastor with
him, also his library and professional studies and professional growth.
d. He shall encourage the pastors of the Circuit to
continue both formal and informal continuing professional education.
5.19 Relation to Other Called Workers
The Circuit Counselor shall assist the District President, as assigned, in the ecclesiastical supervision of
the other members of the Synod in the Circuit. He may,
with the approval of the District president, appoint appropriate persons to assist him in fulfilling his responsibilities.