LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 332

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332

It is therefore wise to include an article that will obviate this difficulty.
The following is one possible model.

Example:

The voters assembly shall be the governing body of this congre-
gation and shall be empowered to administer and manage all its af-
fairs.

7.1 establishment and conduct of all organizations and societies
within the congregation or related directly to the congrega-
tion shall be subject to the overall authority and general over-
sight of the voters assembly.

7.2 All matters before the voters assembly shall be decided by a
majority vote unless otherwise specified by this constitution
or bylaws. Matters of doctrine and conscience shall be de-
cided only on the basis of the Word of God.

8.0 MEETINGS

Constitutions of congregations should establish how the meetings
of the voters assembly or governing entities will be called and how a
quorum will be determined. Not requiring a specific number of voting
members in attendance permits a meeting to be valid so long as it has
been properly called.

Example:

Meetings of the voters assembly shall be held as determined in
the bylaws.

8.1 Announcements of regular meetings shall be made in the
services of the two previous Sundays.

8.2 Announcements of special meetings shall be made in the
services of the two previous Sundays or in the services of
the previous Sunday when accompanied by notification by
mail. Such special meetings may be called at the request of
the pastor, chairman, church council, or ten (10) voting
members.

8.3 All voting members present at a properly called meeting
shall constitute a quorum.

9.0 OFFICERS AND BOARDS

Congregations are at liberty to determine their own organizational
and operational structures consistent with local and state requirements
for not-for-profit corporations. Constitutions should establish only those
offices, boards, and other committees that form the essential framework
of the congregation. (The Synod encourages every congregation to in-
clude in its organizational structure a board or committee for steward-
ship (Bylaw 2.2.1 [a] [1])*. Description of duties in the constitution
should be limited to basic responsibilities, with detail to be provided in
the bylaws or in job descriptions. This will allow congregations or other
authorized entities within congregations to create (and to dissolve) addi-
tional offices and committees and determine their responsibilities as
necessary. As previously noted, many organizational structures are pos-
sible. Two examples, one involving a coordinating church council and
the second that of a board of directors, are provided.

Example:

This congregation shall have the following officers and boards
in addition to any which the congregation shall establish from time
to time. The officers and the chairpersons of the boards, and the pas-
tor as an advisory member, shall constitute the membership of the
church council. Those officers identified by state law shall serve as
legal representatives of the congregation. ‘

9.1 The officers of this congregation shall be:

9.1.1 A chairman, who shall conduct the meetings of the voters
assembly, . . .

9.1.2 A vice-chairman, who shall serve in the chairman's ab-
sence or inability to act, ...

9.1.3 A secretary, who shall keep the minutes of the voters’
meetings, ...

9.1.4 A treasurer, who shall be responsible for the financial
records of the congregation, . . .

9.1.5 A financial secretary, who shall be responsible for the re-
ceipt of all contributions and shall deposit the same in an
account established in the name of the congregation.

9.2 The boards of this congregation shall be:

9.2.1 A board of elders, consisting of . .., which shall assist the
pastor in the spiritual life of the congregation.

9.2.2 A board of trustees, consisting of . . ., which shall be re-
sponsible for the physical properties of the congregation.

2007 Convention Workbook

OPINIONS OF COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

9.2.3 A board for Christian education, consisting of ..., which
shall be responsible for the nurture and Christian growth
of the members of the congregation.

9.2.4 A board for evangelism, consisting of . . ., which shall lead
the members of the congregation in outreach into the com-
munity.

9.2.5 A board for stewardship, consisting of . . ., which shall be
charged with the teaching and promoting proper steward-
ship of time, talents, and treasures.

9.2.6...

9.3 Any officer or board member who fails to carry out his or
her duties of office or who fails to perform the responsibili-
ties of confirmed membership (see paragraph 5.3 above)
may be removed from office by the voters assembly by a
two-thirds majority ballot vote, in Christian and lawful
order. Matthew 18 should be followed under such circum-
stances.

Example:

This congregation shall have the following officers, board, and
committees in addition to any which the congregation shall establish
from time to time.

9.1 The voters assembly shail elect a president, a vice-
president, a secretary, and a treasurer, who shall be
the officers of the congregation. The voters assem-
bly shall also elect three other voting members, who
with the four officers and the senior pastor shall
comprise the board of directors of the congregation.
[The pastor may be a non-voting, ex officio, mem-
ber of the board.] The nomination and election of of-
ficers and board members shall be as specified in this
constitution and accompanying bylaws.

9.2 The board of directors shall have the authority to de-
velop and implement policies, procedures, and min-
istries as necessary to execute the vision and plans
approved by the voters assembly.

9.3 The officers of the congregation shall serve as the
executive committee of the board of directors.

9.4 This congregation shall have such committees as are
necessary to assist the called workers, elected lead-
ers, and members of the congregation in carrying out
its mission and ministry. Committees of the congre-
gation may include the following.

9.4.1 A shepherding committee to assist and support the
work of the pastor, consisting of...

9.4.2 An education committee to assist and support the
work of the teaching staff of the congregation, con-
sisting of...

9.4.3 A stewardship committee to carry on an on-going
stewardship program for the congregation, consist-
ing of...

9.4.4 An evangelism and outreach committee to assist
the congregation in carrying out the mission of the
congregation, consisting of...

9.4.5 An annually convened nominating committee con-
sisting of...

9.4.6 A long range planning committee consisting of at
least...

9.4.7 A call committee, convened as necessary, consist-
ing of...

9.4.8 Such other committees as are necessary to assist
the called workers, elected leaders, and members
of the congregation in carrying out its mission and
ministry.

9.5 Any officer or board or committee member who fails
to perform the duties of office or the responsibilities
of confirmed membership may be removed from of-
fice by the voters assembly by a two-thirds majority
ballot vote, in Christian and lawful order. Matthew
18 should be followed under such circumstances.

10.0 LIMITATIONS ON HOLDING OFFICE

A paragraph may be included to make clear the extent to which
women are permitted to vote and/or hold office in the congregation.