LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 270

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270

Structure and Ecclesiastical Matters

the circuit. These names must be submitted to the circuit counselor
prior to the day of the circuit meeting and shall constitute the slate
of candidates. All congregational nominees, except those who have
been eliminated through the election of the pastoral delegate, shall
be eligible for election.
(1) Each voter may write in the name of two of the remaining
lay nominees on the initial ballot. The three laypersons
(or more, in case of a tie vote) who received the highest
number of votes in this preliminary ballot shall be placed
on the next ballot.
(2) Each voter shall now vote for only one candidate. Balloting
shall continue with the lowest candidate being removed
from each succeeding ballot until one layperson shall have
received a simple majority of all votes cast, whereupon he
or she shall be declared the lay delegate.
(3) The congregation from which the lay delegate has been
elected shall then be removed from consideration for
supplying any alternates to that particular convention.
(f) All other pastors who received votes in the initial write-in ballot,
except those who were eliminated through the election of the lay
delegate, shall be eligible for election as the alternate.
(1) Each voter shall now vote for only one candidate.
(2) 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,
whereupon he shall be declared the alternate pastoral
delegate.
(3) The congregation or congregations served by him shall be
removed from consideration for supplying the remaining
lay alternate.
(g) All lay nominees except those who have been disqualified through
the procedures listed above shall be eligible for election as the alternate lay delegate. The election of the alternate shall follow the same
procedure as in paragraph (f) above.
(hf)All four personsDelegates elected shall come from four different
member congregations.
(ig) The circuit counselor(s) selected to chair the caucus shall report the
results of the election to the secretary of the district in writing immediately after said election.
(jh) If neither the delegate nor the alternate (pastoral minister of religion—ordained or lay) canis able to serve, the vacancy shall be filled
by an appointment made by the district president in consultation
with the respective circuit counselor(s).
3.1.2.2 Voting delegatesDelegates shall serve from the time of election until the next district a three-year term beginning with the convention, shall functioning as advisory members of the circuit forum, shall
serve as resource persons in the circuitto the congregations they represent and to the district and national Synod, and shall assisting in the dissemination and implementation of reports and resolutions of the Synod
in the circuitnational convention.
(a) Delegates are responsible to the circuitscongregations they represent
and shall attempt to discover the sentiment of the members thereof,
but the congregations (b) Congregations shall not require their delegates them to vote in accordance with specific instructions, but every delegate shall be permitted to vote according to his or her own
conviction.
(cb) Delegates are expected to be faithful in attendance at shall attend all sessions of the convention. All duly elected voting delegates
shall attend all sessions regularly until the close of the convention.
Delegates who arrive late or leave early or who do not attend at all
shall and present a written excuses to their district presidents for all
absences, late arrivals, and early departures.
(d) Delegates shall report the actions of the Synod to their circuits after
each convention, preferably appearing before each of the congregations they represent.

2013 Convention Workbook

Nonvoting Advisory Delegates
3.1.3 Advisory members of the Synod shall attend district conventions, but they shall not be elected by any congregation or by any group
of congregations as lay delegates to a national convention of the Synod.
3.1.3.1 Each district shall select one advisory delegate for every
60120 advisory ordained ministers and specific ministry pastors, and
one advisory delegate for every 60120 commissioned ministers on the
roster of the Synod. Fractional groupings shall be disregarded except
that each district shall be entitled to at least one advisory delegate in
each category.
(a) Selection of district advisory delegates to conventions of the Synod
shall be made by the respective groups meeting at the call of the
district secretary either during the district convention or at official
district conferences of ordained and/or commissioned ministers.
(b) Such selections must be completed at least nine months prior to the
opening day of the convention.
(c) Individuals who are eligible for selection in any category under Bylaw 3.1.4 shall not be counted in determining the number of advisory delegates from each district, shall not be eligible to be selected
as delegates from the groups defined in this bylaw, and shall not
participate in the election process.

Commission on Handbook
7-25

To Resolve Bylaw Issues Remaining from 2010
Convention Restructuring Decisions
Background
Following the 2010 LCMS convention, it was recognized that
restructuring decisions had resulted in lack of clarity and even contradictions in the Handbook of the Synod that would require additional
attention by the 2013 convention. These concerns were discussed
during a daylong Nov. 2, 2012, joint meeting of the Commission
on Constitutional Matters, Commission on Handbook, the Chief
Mission Officer, the Chief Administrative Officer, and a member of
the president’s office staff. The commission offers the following proposed amendments to satisfy a number of these concerns in the 2010
Handbook of the Synod.

(A) Board for National Mission
Rationale
The intention and meaning of current wording of Bylaws 3.8.2 and
3.8.2.1 (“directed toward”) is vague and unclear. Removing that wording does not affect the overall intention and meaning of these bylaws.
In addition, in order for Bylaw 3.8.2.1 to mirror its counterpart for the
Board for International Mission (Bylaw 3.8.3.1), the reference to the
“supervision” of the President of the Synod is changed to “ecclesiastical supervision,” consistent with the President’s responsibility under
Constitution Art. XI B 1–4 (also Art. XI B 7; Bylaws 3.3.1.1–3.3.1.3).
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Board for National Mission
3.8.2 The Board for National Mission is charged with developing and determining policies for the coordination of and in support of
district ministries which support that are directed toward the ministry
functions of the national office and district ministries that are directed
toward the ministries of congregations and schools (Bylaw 1.2.1 [l]).
These policies shall embrace and apply the mission and ministry emphases adopted by the national convention. Under the leadership of the
President of the Synod, pursuant to Bylaw 3.3.1.1.1, the board shall as-