LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 273

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SYNOD STRUCTURE AND GOVERANCE 273

Resolved, That at the conclusion of each LCMS convention, the
following shall be declared null and void: (a) any CCM opinion
that is challenged in an overture or resolution but not upheld by a
convention and (b) any CCM opinion that is issued less than
twenty-two weeks prior to the convention but not upheld by the
convention; and be it finally

Resolved, That, in accordance with Bylaw 7.1.2, the Board of
Directors of the Synod be directed to make necessary alterations to
the Bylaws to implement this resolution.

Mon-Clair Circuit 6
Southern Illinois District

8-34

To Give Priority Consideration
to CCM-Related Overtures

WHEREAS, “The Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM)
exists to interpret the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the
Synod and ensure that the governing instruments of the Synod and
its agencies are in accord with the Constitution and Bylaws of the
Synod” (Bylaw 3.9.2); and

WHEREAS, “An opinion rendered by the commission shall be
binding on the question decided unless and until it is overruled by a
convention of the Synod” (Bylaw 3.9.2.2); and

WHEREAS, The CCM is comprised of members who serve after
the appointment of the Synod President (Bylaw 3.9.2.1.1); and

Wuereas, The Synod President as convention chairman controls
the business of the convention and, thus, has the ability to keep previ-
ously declared CCM opinions from ever being considered by the
Synod at large through its duly-elected voting delegates; and

WueREAS, There is currently no requirement that overtures or
resolutions submitted regarding CCM opinions be given time for
consideration by a convention of Synod, thus allowing an opinion
to remain binding without any consideration whatsoever by the
Synod in convention; therefore be it

Resolved, That should any of the following: a circuit forum; a
district convention; an official district conference of ordained
and/or commissioned ministers, the Board of Directors of the
Synod, or a district board of directors submit any overture to a con-
vention of Synod regarding opinions rendered by the CCM, such
overture must be given time for consideration by the convention of
Synod, and these overtures may not be removed from the docket
when such overtures are submitted; and be it further

Resolved, That to ensure that these overtures are considered by
the convention, they will be presented to the convention before any
reports or greetings are given by auxiliary organizations or other
church bodies; and be it finally

Resolved, That if any overture regarding a CCM opinion, meet-
ing the listed criteria, receives no time for consideration and action
by the convention of Synod, then the CCM opinion that is the sub-
ject of that overture shal! be declared null and void upon the ad-
journment of that convention of Synod.

Circuit 27
Northern Illinois District

8-35

To Give CCM-Related Resolutions
Priority on Convention Agendas

WHEREAS, The 2004 convention of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod was arranged to bring floor committees to the floor of
the convention, with each having its own particular resolutions to
present; and

WHEREAS, Each floor committee has resolutions of varying im-
portance for the delegates to consider; and

WHEREAS, The 2004 convention passed and did not address
more important matters such as the rulings of the CCM (see sub-
mitted resolutions in 2004 Workbook, p. 283); and

WHEREAS, The rulings of the CCM stand as final unless Synod
in convention elects to overturn the Commission’s rulings; and

WHEREAS, The resolutions pertaining to the rulings of the CCM
were not brought to floor by Committee 7 of the 2004 Synod con-
vention; therefore be it

Resolved, That the resolutions pertaining to the CCM be pre-
sented first in the order of business from the 2007 Convention
Workbook because the rulings of the CCM are still binding, and the
Synod in convention was not given the opportunity to address these
rulings in order to overturn or support them; and be it further

Resolved, That future Synod conventions use this same arrange-
ment.

Mount Olive
Billings, MT

8-36

To Require Convention Review and Approval
of CCM Opinions

WHEREAS, The current Bylaws of Synod provide that opinions
rendered by the CCM are binding unless overturned by the Synod
in convention (Bylaw 3.9.2.2 [b]); and

WHEREAS, The CCM has made many rulings that are not given
the proper attention by the Synod in convention; therefore be it

Resolved, That the South Wisconsin District convention memo-
rialize the Synod to change Bylaw 3.9.2.2 (b) so that opinions of
the CCM are binding until the next convention of the Synod unless
the Synod in convention votes to grant the opinion permanent bind-
ing status; and be it further

Resolved, That the CCM may not renew any opinion that the
convention did not grant permanent binding status; and be it finally

Resolved, That these opinions be dealt with individually.
South Wisconsin District

8-37

To Require Ratification of CCM Opinions

WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.9.2.2 (b) provides that ‘‘an opinion rendered
by the commission [on Constitutional Matters] shall be binding on
the question decided unless and until it is overruled by a convention
of the Synod”; and

WHEREAS, The CCM is not directed to present all of its opin-
ions to all members of Synod and has not always done so, except in
the appendix of the Workbook, which is published in May after the
deadline for convention resolutions in March, effectively making
it impossible for all opinions to be reviewed by the membership of
Synod prior to a Synod convention; and

WHEREAS, This makes it possible for opinions of the CCM to be-
come binding without proper notice to members of the Synod; and

WHEREAS, It has often proved nearly impossible for resolutions
regarding CCM opinions to work through the floor committee
process and be presented at the triennial Synod convention; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the CCM be required to publish in an official
periodical the location on the LCMS Web site of all of its opinions
of the last triennium prior to the deadline for convention resolu-
tions, continue to make them available on the LCMS Web site, and
include them in each Workbook, all under CCM headings and with
proper reference numbers; and be it further

Resolved, That, while opinions of the CCM may be instructive
to action taken by Synod members and entities, and while future
opinions may be based on prior decisions by the CCM, opinions of
the CCM not be considered “binding” on members of Synod be-
yond the next Synod convention unless and until they have been
ratified by a convention.

Trinity
Roselle, IL