LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 202

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in the manner prescribed by the congregation
(Bylaw 5.3.2).
(d) All nominated pastors serving congregations
and emeriti pastors whose names were nominated
prior to the day of the circuit forum shall be eligible for election in accordance with section 4.3
of these Bylaws.
____________
C. To Clarify Bylaws re Circuit Forums and
Electoral Circuit Forums
Rationale
Current Bylaw section 5.3, which defines and details the responsibilities of visitation circuit forums, includes information regarding
electoral circuit meetings (as anticipated by Bylaw 3.1.2). Removing
those references from Bylaw section 5.3 and inserting them into
Bylaw 3.1.2 will provide clarity for distinguishing between visitation circuits and electoral circuits. The Commission on Handbook
therefore proposes the following bylaw changes. Therefore be it

ennially to elect circuit delegates to the national
convention. It shall elect the pastoral and lay delegates and their alternates to the national convention
of the Synod according to the regulations of the
Synod. The lay delegate shall, upon election, serve
through the triennium following the next convention
as an advisory member of the circuit forum a circuit
visitor (Bylaw 5.2.2).
Action: Adopted (8)
(Brief summaries were provided for this and seven other resolutions which the committee wished to bundle into a single action
as “housekeeping matters.” Following explanations provided, the
chair asked the assembly whether it was ready to vote. Hearing no
objection, he called for the vote and the bundled resolution action
that included Res. 11-04B, Res. 11-08A, Res. 11-11, Res. 11-12, Res.
11-13, Res. 11-15A, Res. 11-17, and Res. 11-20 was adopted as presented [Yes: 923; No: 32].)

Resolved, That new wording be introduced into Bylaw 3.1.2 that
retains and relocates the content of current Bylaw 5.3.3 regarding
electoral circuit meetings, as follows:

To Allow Voting Privilege for Assistant Pastors

PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING

Overture 11-37, 11-48 (CW, pp. 400, 404)

RESOLUTION 11-09

Electoral Circuits and Voting Delegates
3.1.2
Voting delegates shall consist of one pastor and one
layman from each electoral circuit. Electoral circuits
shall meet as required by the Bylaws of the Synod to
elect circuit voting delegates to the Synod’s national
conventions.

Whereas, All ordained ministers equally hold the Office of the
Public Ministry (John 20:21; Treatise on the Primacy and Power of
the Pope 9); and

(a) An electoral circuit shall consist either of one
or two adjacent visitation circuits, as shall be
determined by the district board of directors on
the basis of the following requirements: each pair
of delegates shall represent from 7 to 20 member
congregations, involving an aggregate communicant membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000.
(b) Exceptions to these requirements may be
made only by the President of the Synod upon
request of a district board of directors.
(c) Voting delegates shall consist of one pastor
and one layperson from each electoral circuit.
These pastoral and lay delegates and their alternates shall be elected according to the regulations
of the Synod (Bylaw 3.1.2.1).
(d) The lay delegate shall serve throughout the triennium following the convention as an advisory
member of the circuit forum.

Whereas, Assistant pastors who have been called and ordained
into the Office of the Holy Ministry are, according to The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Constitution Article V B, ineligible to vote at district meetings but are designated as “advisory
members”; therefore be it

And be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 5.3.3 be amended to read as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
5.3.3
202

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The circuit forum will shall meet at least once triU P O N T H I S R O C K • Resolutions

Whereas, Nomenclature regarding the Office of the Public
Ministry (titles, responsibilities, etc.) is at the discretion of the local
congregation; and

Resolved, That the 2016 Synod convention strike “assistant pastors” from the list of Advisory Members of the Synod in Article V
B of the Synod’s Constitution; and be it finally
Resolved, That Articles V B 2 and XII B b of the Constitution be
changed as shown below:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Article V Membership
…
B.

Advisory Members
Advisory members only are the following:
1. Pastors whose congregations do not hold membership in the Synod
2. Assistant pastors
32. Ministers not in charge of congregations
43. Professors at the Synod’s educational institutions
“11. Structure and Administration”