LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 157

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PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION

publications shall serve as their own doctrinal reviewers.

To Amend Bylaws 1.9 and 3.9.3 Pertaining
to Doctrinal Review Process

(e) Auxiliary organizations recognized by the Synod
shall be held directly accountable for their material. However, in accord with his office as defined in
Article XI B 1 of the Synod’s Constitution, the President of the Synod shall require doctrinal review.

RESOLUTION 7-10A
Overture 7-05 (CW, pp. 238–239)
WHEREAS, The Commission on Doctrinal Review has collaborated with Concordia Publishing House, with the assistance of the office of the President of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, to propose changes to Bylaws 1.9
and 3.9.3, in order to clarify the doctrinal review process
and to establish certain time frames to streamline the
process; and
WHEREAS, The Commission on Doctrinal Review believes
that certain study documents prepared by boards, commissions, or other subordinate groups of the Synod should not
be subject to the doctrinal review process if clearly marked
as such; therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 1.9.1.1 be amended to read as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
1.9 Doctrinal Review
Definition
1.9.1

Doctrinal review is the exercise of the Synod’s responsibility to determine that every doctrinal statement made
in its or any of its agencies’ or auxiliaries’ materials is in
accord with the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.

Material Subject to Doctrinal Review
1.9.1.1 The following materials are subject to doctrinal review:
(a) All official periodicals and journals of the Synod, as
well as any material with doctrinal content issued
publicly by boards, commissions, or other subordinate groups of the Synod, except as stipulated in
these Bylaws, shall be subject to doctrinal review.
(b) The right to produce study documents and exploratory material plainly designated as such and
published by boards, commissions, or other subordinate groups of the Synod is recognized., and such
material is not required to be submitted to the doctrinal review process. Publication of such study material that is not submitted for doctrinal review
shall always include this notice on or immediately
following the title page: “This material is being released for study and discussion purposes, and the
author(s) is (are) solely responsible for the contents.
It has not been submitted to the process of doctrinal
review stipulated in the Bylaws of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod and does not necessarily
reflect the theology of the Lutheran Confessions or
the doctrinal position of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod.” When such material is to be issued publicly, it shall be subject to doctrinal review.
(c) Each district is accountable to the Synod through
its respective president and board of directors for
the content of all of its published materials.
(d) Each of the Synod’s schools is accountable to the
Synod through its respective president and board
of regents for the content of its professional journals and all of its published materials that are not
the official publications of the Synod (paragraph [a]
of Bylaw 3.8.5.2.3). The editorial boards of such

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(f) In the case of broadcasts over the Synod’s radio station by other than staff members, individuals must
be held responsible for their own material since it
is not feasible to apply the process of doctrinal review to such broadcasts.
(g) Official reports of the boards, commissions, task
forces, and committees of the Synod prepared in response to directives from the Synod shall not be
subject to doctrinal review;

and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaws 1.9.2 and 3.9.3 be amended to
read as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Procedure
1.9.2

Before materials stipulated in 1.9.1 are published, they
shall be submitted to (a) doctrinal reviewer(s). Doctrinal rReviewers shall make a careful evaluation of the
doctrinal content of all items submitted. Materials are
to be reviewed in a prompt manner and completed in
no longer than four weeks. Exceptions shall be
arranged by mutual agreement between the reviewer(s) and the originating entity.
(a) The primary responsibility for doctrinal supervision
and review lies with the President of the Synod
(Constitution, Art. XI B 1).
(1) Each board, commission, and other subordinate
group of the Synod shall advise the President of
the Synod of the number and desired competency of doctrinal reviewers needed by it and
may suggest a list of qualified persons. The
President shall appoint reviewers for each group
according to its needs. They shall be broadly
representative of the ministry of the Synod.
(2) Reviewers shall be appointed for renewable
three-year terms. An appointment may be terminated prior to the completion of the appointed
term if the reviewer is unable or unwilling to
carry out the reviewing tasks assigned. In the
event of such termination, the President of the
Synod shall appoint another reviewer to complete the unexpired term.
(b) Each agency of the Synod, synodwide corporate entity, or auxiliary shall establish procedures that
will insure that its material as specified in Bylaw
1.9.1 will be submitted for doctrinal review to one of
the reviewers referred to in Bylaw 1.9.2 (a).
(c) Since time requirements vary according to the type
of material being reviewed, the procedure in each
case shall be worked out to the mutual satisfaction
of the producing sponsoring group and the publisher doctrinal reviewer(s).
(d) The identity of author(s) and reviewer(s) shall not
be disclosed without the approval of the President.
Consultation may at times be advisable, however,
where clarification is necessary.

2007 Convention Proceedings