LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 242

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242 PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION

Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention make the following
changes to Bylaw 3.1.2 and all other bylaws that should reflect this
change:

PRESENF/PROPOSED WORDING
Voting delegates shall consist of at least one pastor and one lay-
man from each electoral circuit.

(a) An electoral circuit shall consist either of one or two adja-
cent visitation circuits, as shall be determined by each district on
the basis of the following requirements: each pair of delegates shall
represent from + 4 to 20 member congregations, involving an ag-
gregate communicant membership ranging from 1,500 to 40,660

I ] n stor t
represent their circuit for each 1.500 communicant members. Del-
egates will be elected at_a circuit forum, where two votes, a pastor

i will represent each congregation. While it is the in-
ntion of this bylaw that all congregations have the opportunity to
vention, there are iction:

mi represent ] ci

(b) Exceptions to these requirements mey and limitations can
be made only by the President of the Synod upon request of a dis-
trict board of directors.

2008 Statistics of the LOMS

Count of Circuits | 0-1499
1500-2999 295 | 46%
3000-4499 162 | 25%
4500-5999 58 | 9%
6000-7499 17 | 3%
7500-8999 10 |_ 2%
9000-10499 5 1%

Sum of

Communicant

Members 0-1499 106,563 | 6% 116 919
1500-2999 655,813 | 35% 590 1,112
3000-4499 574,232 |_ 31% 324 1,772
4500-5999 297,276 | 16% 116 2,563
6000-7499 113,606 | 6% #4 3,341
7500-8999 82,209 | 4% 20 4,110

Trinity
Roselle, IL

7-13

To Address Circuit Exceptions

WHEREAS, | Cor.14:40 states that everything should be done in
a fitting and orderly way; and

WHEREAS, Questions have been raised within the Synod with
regard to electoral circuit exceptions to the national convention of
the Synod; and

WHEREAS, The Minnesota South District has undertaken a thor-
ough study of its circuits and anticipated future demographic
changes within the district; and

WHEREAS, Recommendations for circuit realignment have been
developed and acted upon by the Minnesota South District in its
2006 convention to bring the district’s circuits into compliance with
the Synod’s Bylaws; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Minnesota South District memorialize the
Synod in its 2007 convention to request all districts of the Synod, if
they have not already done so, to undertake a thorough study and
bring circuits into compliance with Synod Bylaw 3.1.2 (a) no later
than their 2009 district conventions; and be it further

Resolved, That the Minnesota South District memorialize the
Synod in its 2007 convention to direct the Commission on Struc-
ture to study the current practice of granting electoral circuit ex-

ceptions and to recommend modifications to Bylaw 3.1.2 (b) as it
deems appropriate to the Synod in its 2010 convention.

Minnesota South District.

7-14

To Address Voting Delegate Representation Exceptions

WHEREAS, The 2001 Bylaw 3.03 required that “each pair of del-
egates shall represent from seven to 20 member congregations, in-
volving an aggregate communicant membership ranging from
1,500 to 10,000...as shall be determined by each district”; and

WHEREAS, “Exceptions to these requirements and limitations
can be made only by the President of the Synod upon request of a
district board of directors” (Bylaw 3.03); and

WHEREAS, Exceptions granted and not granted for the past three
Synod conventions are as follows (from a report by the secretary of
Synod titled “Voting Delegate Representation—1998, 2001, and
2004 Conventions”):

1998 2001 2004
Number of exceptions granted 21 56 88
Number of exceptions not granted 3 13 0
and

WHEREAS, The 88 exceptions granted in 2004 amounted to a
significant 14.1 percent of the total voting delegates registered
(176+1,246=14.1 percent), indicating that liberal use was made of
exceptions to increase voting delegate representation; and

WHEREAS, The 88 exceptions were concentrated in certain dis-
tricts, with 12 districts accounting for 66 exceptions, 16 districts
accounting for 22 exceptions, and seven districts not applying for
any exceptions; therefore be it

Resolved, That Bylaw 3.1.2 (b) (2001 Bylaw 3.03) be amended
to require that requested exceptions for voting delegates for small
circuits by a district board of directors be approved by the Presi-
dent of the Synod and by the LCMS Board of Directors.

Immanuel, Cedar Lake, WI; Immanuel, Frederic, WI; St.
Paul, Bonduel, WI; Circuit 13 Forum, North Wisconsin
District; Immanuel, Brandon, FL

7-15

To Encourage Districts to Regularly Examine-
Circuit Realignment

WHEREAS, Bylaw 5.1 defines a visitation circuit, and Bylaw
3.1.2 defines an electoral circuit; and

WHEREAS, Synod districts that have visitation circuits that do
not meet the criteria for electoral circuits must ask for special ex-
ceptions for such visitation circuits to have voting privileges at
Synod conventions; and

WHEREAS, Controversy has arisen in the last years over the
number of exceptions at Synod conventions and there have been
questions regarding the legitimacy of elections held with such cir-
cuits casting a vote; and

WHEREAS, There is no system to certify through on-file statisti-
cal reports that visitation circuits do meet electoral circuit guide-
lines, and there is no Synod bylaw that requires districts to correct
or realign their circuit boundaries on a periodic basis or to delin-
eate electoral circuits when visitation circuits do not meet the re-
quired minimums; therefore be it

Resolved, That any district requesting an exception for a circuit
of its district must have adopted a circuit realignment plan in their
district convention within the last two triennia; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of Synod shall only certify those
circuit delegates from circuits that meet the minimum membership
requirements of Bylaw 3.1.2 based on current congregational sta-
tistical reports on file with the Secretary of Synod from the year
before delegates are elected; and be it further