LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 193

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is no longer available to serve, thus resulting in no
circuit counselor selection being included on the
convention slate of circuit counselors for a circuit,
the district president shall make the selection, which
selection shall then be included on the convention
slate of circuit counselors.
(fg) The convention shall have the right to alter the
slate by amendment.
(gh) The convention shall then ratify the slate of circuit counselors, which ratification shall constitute
election.

(B) Circuit Counselor Selection Process When No Candidate
Is Available
(Bylaw 5.2.2)
Rationale
A difficulty develops in the Bylaw 5.2.2 circuit counselor selection process when, prior to convention election action, no candidate
has been selected by a circuit forum or a properly selected candidate no longer is available to serve. Current bylaws provide no
direction for making a selection under these circumstances. The
commission proposes the following bylaw amendment to provide
such direction.

(C) District Regional Elections
(Bylaw 4.3.1)

PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
5.2.2

The circuit counselor shall hold his position by virtue
of his selection by the circuit forum and ratification
by the district convention.
(a) Circuit forums shall meet at the call of their circuit
counselors to select their circuit counselors no later
than the time established by the district.
(b) Nominations for candidates for the office of
circuit counselor may be submitted by a voting congregation of the circuit and suggested by the district
president, in consultation with the praesidium of the
district.
(c) Selection of the circuit counselor shall be by election by written ballot. The privilege of voting shall
be exercised by the representatives from each member congregation of the circuit, who shall have been
selected in the manner prescribed by the congregation (Bylaw 5.3.2).
(d) All nominated pastors serving congregations and
emeriti pastors shall be eligible for election in accordance with section 4.3 of these Bylaws.
(1) Following presentations of pertinent information regarding each pastor as listed in Bylaw
3.12.3.6 (c) and circuit counselor responsibilities
as provided hereafter in this bylaw, each voter shall
write in the names of two pastors on the initial
ballot.
(2) The three pastors (or more in case of a tie vote)
who receive the highest number of votes in this
preliminary ballot shall be placed on the next ballot. Each voter shall vote for only one candidate.
(3) Balloting shall continue with the lowest candidate being removed from each succeeding
ballot until one pastor shall have received a simple majority of all votes cast, who shall be declared
the nominee.
(e) Immediately following the circuit forum, the circuit counselor shall report in writing the results of
the selection process to the secretary of the district in
preparation for ratification by the district convention.
(f) In the event that a circuit counselor has not been
selected by a circuit forum or has been selected but

R e s olu t i on s

Rationale
For its regional elections, the national Synod has provided that
nominees for such positions must reside within the region (Bylaw
3.12.2.5 [a]). No such provision exists for regional elections on the
district level. Nominees for district offices must only be “from the
clergy roster of the Synod” (Bylaw 4.3.1) so long as, if elected, they
are members of member congregations of the district “upon assuming office and during the course of their tenure” (Bylaw 4.3.3). Such
provisions may be reasonable in the election of district presidents
(where service is often full time and change of residence is often
necessary), but the Commission on Handbook with the following
bylaw changes advocates an approach for district regional positions
such as is used by the Synod.
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
4.3 District Officers
4.3.1

The following officers A president shall be elected
from the clergy roster of the Synod by each district.: a president, two Two or more vice-presidents,
a secretary, and a circuit counselor for each circuit
established by the district shall be elected from the
clergy roster of the district. In the case of regional
selections, nominees shall be from the clergy roster
of the district with residence in the designated region.
(This shall also be the case for all other regional selections.)

4.3.2	Each district shall have a treasurer who shall be a layperson and shall be elected or appointed as the bylaws
of the district may provide.
4.3.3

All officers and members of boards shall be members
of member congregations of the district and, when
appropriate, residents of designated regions upon
assuming office and during the course of their tenure.
(D) Process for Regional District Elections
(Bylaws 4.7.1–4.7.3)

Rationale
An increase on the district level in regional representation
by district vice-presidents and board of directors members has
prompted the question whether such elections, if conducted within
2 0 1 3 C o n v e n t io n P r o c e e d i n g s

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