LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 266

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266 STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION

WHEREAS, A most severe imbalance exists within our church
body between Circuits in the suburbs and those in the most thinly
populated parts of our nation—in many cases, we have congrega-
tions who, by numbers, could be Circuits by themselves; therefore
be it

Resolved, That the English District memorialize the 2004
LCMS convention to request the President of Synod to appoint a
task force to review Bylaw 3.03 on the requirements for an elec-
toral Circuit by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and bring
any recommendation to the 2007 convention.

English District

7-41

To Study and Devise Model for Fair Representation
at Synod and District Conventions

WHEREAS, There have been ongoing concerns over fair repre-
sentation at District and Synod conventions between larger and
smaller parishes, Circuits, laymen and clergy, other rostered work-
ers, etc.; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Pacific Southwest District in convention
memorialize the 2004 Synod convention with the task of studying
the issues of fair representation and their related implications, and
devise a more suitable model for suitable representation; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Synod present its findings and recommen-
dations for consideration at our next regularly scheduled District
convention.

Pacific Southwest District

7-42

To Change Synod’s Electoral Circuit
Requirements and Delegate Representation

WHEREAS, The current Synod bylaw presents the opportunity
for widely disparate sizes of electoral Circuits such that one Cir-
cuit could be 566 percent larger than another; and

WHEREAS, The convention polity and method of determining
voting delegates to Synod conventions was established at a time
when most congregations were of similar size; and

WHEREAS, By the latest figures available from the national of-
fice, half of the communicant members of the LCMS (approxi-
mately 960,000 of 1,919,940 communicant members) belong to a
declining 17 percent (1,045 of 6,150) of our congregations; and

WHEREAS, Today the largest 5 percent of the congregations (305
of 6,150) have 24 percent (453,191) of the communicant members
of the LCMS, and the smallest 25 percent of congregations (1,538)
have 4 percent (82,573) of the communicant members of the
LCMS; and

WHEREAS, A more fair representation is desired, seeking to
avoid both the control of smaller Circuits and congregations by
larger Circuits and congregations as well as larger Circuits and con-
gregations by smaller ones; and

WHEREAS, Congregations in visitation Circuits have developed
working relationships in regional ministry that should not be dis-
turbed by constant reorganization to achieve a more fair represen-
tation; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 54th convention of Northern Illinois District
memorialize the 2004 convention of the LCMS to make the fol-
lowing changes to Bylaw 3.03 and to change all related Bylaws ac-
cordingly:

PRESENF/PROPOSED WORDING
“Voting delegates shall consist of at least one pastor and one
layman from each electoral circuit. An electoral circuit shall
consist either of one or two adjacent visitation Circuits, as shall

be determined by each District, on the basis of the following re-
quirements: each pair of delegates shall represent from 7 4 to 20
member congregations, involving an aggregate communicant
membership ranging from 1,500 to +0;600 9,000. Electoral cir-

uits may el ne pastor and one |: to represent their cir-
cuit for every 1,500 communicant members. Delegates will be

lected at_a Circuit Forum, where two votes, a pastor and a lay-
man, will represent each congregation, While it is the intention
of this bylaw that all congregations have the opportunity to send
delegates to the Synodical Convention, there are no restrictions

n_the number of delegates from an i

egation it-
cuit Forum may choose to represent an electoral Circuit, Excep-
tions to these requirements and limitations can be made only by
the President of the Synod upon request of a District Board of
Directors.”

Northern Illinois District; Trinity, Roselle, IL; Circuit 6,
Northern Illinois District

7-43

To Study Synod’s Electoral Circuit Structure
and Delegate Representation

WHEREAS, The convention polity and method of determining
voting delegates to Synod conventions was established at a time
when most congregations were of similar size, and were staffed by
a pastor and perhaps a called teacher to assist the pastor in the one-
room school; and

WHEREAS, Art. V of the LCMS Constitution includes as mem-
bers of the Synod “congregations, ministers of religion—ordained,
and ministers of religion—commissioned, such as teachers, direc-
tors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach direc-
tors of parish music, deaconesses, parish assistants, and certified
lay ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church who confess and
accept the confessional basis of Article IT’; and

WteREAS, Presently only sole, senior, or associate pastors and
congregational lay representatives may vote in conventions of the
Synod held at the District or national level; and

WHEREAS, Groups of “members of Synod,” namely called
teachers, lay ministers, and other categories of called church work-
ers whose existence could not have even been imagined by our
forefathers in the faith, have only token and advisory representa-
tion at best; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod in convention, if it is to speak the heart
and mind of the people of the LCMS, should include a fair repre-
sentation of the members and congregations of the Synod; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the 54th convention of the Northern Illinois Dis-
trict memorialize the 2004 LCMS convention to establish a com-
mittee elected by the Districts to study our District and Synod
polity and to make recommendations for a constitutional amend-
ment to the Synod when it next gathers in convention to establish a
process of election of delegates to the convention which will as-
sure a more fair convention representation of all the members and
congregations of the Synod at convention; and be it further

Resolved, That this “more fair convention representation” will
not preclude as voting representatives any “member of Synod” in-
cluding all ordained pastors and ministers of religion—commis-
sioned (such as teachers, directors of Christian education, directors
of Christian outreach, directors of parish music, deaconesses, parish
assistants, and certified lay ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church who confess and accept the confessional basis of Art. II).

Northern [linois District; Trinity, Roselle, IL; Circuit 6,
Northern Itlinois District