LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 196

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9. STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
“Congregation
Representation
at
District
Conventions”) (But cf. Bylaws 2.12.1–2 and following).
In CCM Op. 11-2618, the commission opined: “When a parish
crosses district lines, it is nonetheless entitled to
representation at district conventions by one pastor and one
lay member. The pastor is a voting delegate to the convention
of the district of which he is a member. The lay vote is shared
by the congregations as in any other parish, presumably in a
manner that is fair and equitable. The district membership of
the congregation of the lay delegate determines the district
convention that he/she will attend as a voting delegate.”
(Previously, in Ag. 1959 [Oct. 16, 1993], the commission had
ruled: “Because two districts would be involved in the
circumstances described, because the congregation cannot be
deprived of its vote, and because the matters under
consideration vary from district to district [including also
elections], each congregation would have a lay vote in the
respective district in which the congregation holds
membership.” Before that, Apr. 23–24, 1970, the commission
in an unnumbered opinion indicated that the lay delegate of
such a parish would vote in the same district as the pastor,
even if the congregation to which he belongs is of the other
district.)
The Commission on Handbook has proposed the following
bylaw amendments (Item 19-019), consistent with the above
guidance from currently standing CCM opinions, which will
make clear how cross-circuit and cross-district multicongregation parishes are to be represented at circuit forums
and district conventions. These will provide clarity, with
regard to important representational processes, to the not
insignificant and increasing number of member
congregations, circuits, and districts involved in such
situations, without reference to CCM opinions external to the
Handbook.
A. WITH REGARD TO DISTRICT CONVENTIONS
Rationale
At the district level, the sense of existing CCM Op. 11-2618 may
simply be implemented in the bylaw treating accreditation of
delegates, which already mentions a “multi-congregation
parish.”
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 4.2.2 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
4.2 District Conventions
…
4.2.2
The delegates of a voting congregation or multicongregation parish to a district convention shall be
accredited.
(a) To be entitled to vote, delegates shall return the
proper credentials provided by the district secretary and
signed by two of the congregation’s officers, either by
mailing them to the district office at a date determined
by the district or by presenting them to the district
secretary at the opening of the convention.
196 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION

(b) All duly elected voting delegates shall attend all
sessions of the convention regularly until the close of the
convention.
(c) Should a multi-congregation parish involve
congregations having membership in different districts,
the pastoral delegate shall be accredited in the
convention of the district in which he holds membership
and lay delegates, voting and advisory, shall be
accredited in the convention of the district in which each
delegate’s respective congregation holds membership.
No multi-congregation parish is entitled to more than
one pastoral and one lay voting delegate because of its
inclusion of congregations from different districts.
B. WITH REGARD TO VISITATION CIRCUITS
Rationale
While any number of arbitrary rules could be applied, the
following seemed to the commission the simplest, most
readily applicable, and most aligned with the role of the circuit
visitor as assistant and representative of a particular district
president (Bylaws 5.2.3–5.2.3.1): At the visitation circuit level,
lay representatives attend the circuit of which their respective
congregations are members; the pastor attends that circuit (of
those to which belong the congregations he serves, and within
his own district only) to which he is assigned by his district
president.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 5.3.2 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
5.3 Circuit Forums
…
5.3.2
The circuit forum consists of one pastor and one
layperson from each member congregation or multicongregation parish designated by the congregation or
parish. Congregations of a multi-congregation parish not
contributing a lay voter may send an advisory lay
representative, with voice but no vote.
(a) Depending on each circuit’s adopted objectives, the
circuit may provide for additional representation from
each congregation. Such additional representatives have
no vote in matters assigned to the circuit forum by the
Bylaws of the Synod.
(b) The circuit visitor and any other officers shall have
the primary responsibility of preparing the agenda for
the circuit forum.
(c) The circuit visitor shall ordinarily serve as chairman
of the circuit forum.
(d) Should a multi-congregation parish involve
congregations having membership in different visitation
circuits, each lay representative, voting and advisory,
shall attend the forum of the circuit of which the
representative’s congregation is a member. The pastoral
representative shall attend the forum of that circuit,
within which he serves a congregation and within the
district in which he holds membership, to which he is
assigned by his district president. No multiResolutions