LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 309

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NATIONAL/DISTRICT SYNOD RELATIONS 309

egates was changed to 5 to 7 congregations. Still, congregational
size was not a factor. The 1917 constitutional revision changed the
electoral Circuit size to a minimum of 10 congregations; and

WHEREAS, It was not unti] about 1923 that congregational size
was considered. Electoral Circuits were to be groupings of 10 to
15 congregations, with large congregations forming small Circuits
and small congregations forming large Circuits. The formula was
again changed in 1967. The criteria then became 7 to 20 congre-
gations with an aggregate communicant membership ranging from
1,500 to 10,000. The task force is now recommending that the
number of congregations be changed to 5 to 21 with an aggregate
communicant membership ranging from 2,500 to 7,500; and

Whereas, The change might seem rather smal]; let's look at
some relationships.

Large to small

YEAR RANGE RATIO (at the extremes)
1923 10 to 15 1: 1.5
1967 7 to 20 1: 2.9
2001 5 to 20 1:4
and

WHEREAS, In 1923 it took 14 small congregations to equal (have
the voting strength of) | large congregation. In 1967, it took 2%
small congregations to equal | large congregation. With the pro-
posed change, it will take more than 4 smaller congregations to
equal the voting strength of | large congregation. And all the time
I thought that it was congregations that were members of the
Synod, not the communicant membership; and

Whereas, If it is right and proper that at District conventions
each congregation has two voting delegates, one pastoral and one
lay, and, as the report states, “While the same kind of individual
congregation representation may be desirable ....” why do the
largest congregations all of a sudden deserve four times the voting
representation of the smaller ones?; and

WHEREAS, One reason that congregations are grouped into elec-
toral Circuits is to reduce the number of delegates at synodical con-
ventions. Look at how easy it could become to adjust the ultimate
number of delegates if electoral Circuits were the samc size based
on the number of congregations. For illustration purposes, let’s say
there are 6,000 congregations.

Number of congregations

in Circuit: 10 iat 12 13 14 %IS 16 20
Number of

voting delegates: 1200 1090 1000 923 857 800 750 600
and

Wuereas, If the requirement for the congregations to be “adja-
cent” was removed, small, medium, large, and mega-size churches
could all feel represented at the synodical conventions by group-
ing similar-size churches together to elect delegates. A pair of del-
egates would represent the same number of congregations; and

WHEREAS, Small congregations are slowly being disenfran-
chised from the synodical conventions by diluting their voting
strength. Why should a smaller rural or inner-city congregation not
have the voting strength of a large congregation? Why should a
smaller “ethnic” congregation not be equal to all the other congre-
gations? What is the reasoning behind shifting voting strength from
the many smaller congregations in the Synod to a few of the large
and mega-churches? If “size” becomes more and more important
to a congregation for political (voting) purposes, what will happen
to the proper adininistration of church discipline? The necessity to
remove people from the rolls for several reasons, i.e., self-exclu-
sion or a public, immoral lifestyle, could easily be overlooked to
“keep the numbers up”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2001 convention of the LCMS return the
Synod to the long-standing formula of grouping a number of con-
gregations, regardless of size, for the purpose of sending one pas-
toral and one Jay delegate to synodical conventions.

Immanuel
Clovis, NM

8-85

To Study More Equitable
Representation at Conventions

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has grown
under the blessing of God to include many laymembers, pastors.
and commissioned workers such as teachers and college, univer-
sity, and seminary professors; and

WHEREAS, There exists a great inequality in the size of congre-
gations, Districts, and Circuits; and

WHEREAS, Professors and commissioned workers have no vote
in the government of The Lutheran Church——Missouri Synod: and

WHEREAS, Synodical boards and commissions continue to grow
in number and size: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Commission on Structure of The Lutheran
Church—-Missouri Synod study these matters and bring recom-
mendations for solving the following matters and other issues to
the entire Synod no later than ten months prior to the 2004 synod-
ical convention:
¢ Granting commissioned ministers fair representation, perhaps on a

Circuit basis, to District and national conventions
* A more equitable representation based on size and number of con-
gregations, Circuits, and Districts
¢ Reducing the size and number of synodical boards and commissions
wherever possible and determining the best method for selecting
members
* Asking the Council of Presidents to participate more directly in the
nomination and appointment of board and commission members
* Considering ways by which two or more Districts may share the ser-
vices of individual staff members
*Exploring options for choosing synodical Vice-Presidents two
through five on a regional basis.
Concordia
Kirkwood, MO

8-86

To Establish Rotational System for Choosing Delegates

Wuereas, The present system of choosing Circuit delegates to
synodical conventions is for the Circuit Forums to vote for pastoral
delegate, alternate pastoral delegate, lay delegate, and alternate lay
delegate; and

WHEREAS, It is possible for congregations within Circuits to
never have the privilege of a delegate being chosen from their con-
gregations, even though said congregations might be supportive of
the Synod both by objective and financially: and

WHEREAS, It is possible for pastors within the Synod to spend
their entire pastoral ministry without the privilege of service as a
pastoral delegate to a synodical convention; thercfore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in its 2001 convention set in motion a
process to establish the choosing of Circuit delegates to synodical
conventions by an alphabetical rotational-by-congregation process
within each Circuit; and be it further

Resolved, That Circuit pastoral delegates and alternate pastoral
delegates be selected on the basis of years in service from among
those pastors who have not previously attended a synodical con-
vention; and be it finally

Resolved, That such changes becorne eifective at the earliest
date allowed by the synodical Constitution and Bylaws.

St. Paul
Clay Center, KS

8-87

To Amend Bylaw re Size of Electoral Circuits

WHEREAS, There is a disparity in the number of Circuits and the
numbers of communicants that determine the number of electoral

2001 Convention Workbook