LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 198

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9. STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
while the makeup of Concordia college and
university faculties has changed substantially
over time. This commission therefore
recommends that the Commission on
Handbook consider this matter and provide
language that clarifies—if the above inference is
to be made normative—that the representative
is to be selected by those individuals being
represented, which would be consistent,
regarding those eligible to make the selection,
with Bylaw section 3.1.3.
The commission therefore offers the following proposal to the
convention to make Bylaw 3.1.4.1 more precise, specifying who
does the electing of, and who is to be elected as, the advisory
representatives of Synod educational institutions.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.1.4.2 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Other Advisory Representatives
…
3.1.4.2
Each educational institution of the Synod shall be
represented at conventions of the Synod.
(a) Educational institutions of the Synod shall be
represented by one board member in addition to the
district president, by their presidents, and by one faculty
member for every 30 full-time faculty members who are
members of the Synod, elected from among and by the
same.
(b) Fractional groupings shall be disregarded except
that each institution having any full-time faculty
members on the roster of the Synod shall be entitled to
at least one faculty representative.
B. ELECTION OF SYNOD CONVENTION
ADVISORY DELEGATES
Rationale
The CCM in its Opinion 22-2999 (Minutes, Nov. 4–5, 2022), in
response to a request for opinion from a district secretary,
interpreted Bylaws 3.1.3–3.1.3.1, regarding the election of
Synod convention advisory delegates. While its interpretation
did not challenge current practice, it did note unclarities that
should be remedied, some of which resulted from or were
exacerbated by features of 2019 Resolution 9-05. The proposal
removes the first sentence of Bylaw 3.1.3, which relates to
district conventions instead of the Synod conventions treated
here. It is also redundant with Bylaw 4.2.3 and Constitutional
Article XII 10 b. It also treats uniformly the two reasons an
individual might be excluded from the advisory delegate pool:
either potential for election as circuit delegate or for selection
as an advisory representative. Finally, the bylaw is updated to
take into account those who may be serving in only an
assisting capacity (cf. Bylaw 2.5.6), a feature not previously
made explicit.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaws 3.1.3–3.1.3.1 be amended as follows:
198 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION

PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Nonvoting Advisory Delegates
3.1.3
The advisory delegates of a district convention
shall consist, unless they present a valid excuse, of all
individual members of the Synod within the district, except
those pastors representing member congregations as
voting delegates. In a convention of the Synod, all
commissioned ministers and those ordained ministers not
eligible for election as a voting delegate under Bylaw 3.1.2.1
(d) and who are not eligible to represent other entities or
offices in the Synod as advisory representatives in any
category under Bylaw 3.1.4 shall be represented as follows:
3.1.3.1
EachWithin each district shall select one advisory
delegate shall be selected for every 60 such advisory
ordained ministers and specific ministry pastors, and one
advisory delegate shall be selected for every 60 such
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, or via electronic means according to Board of
Directors policy (Bylaw 1.5.3). The district secretary may
assist the groups by facilitating the elections.
(b) Such selections must be completed at least nine
months prior to the opening day of the convention.
(c) IndividualsOrdained ministers who are eligible for
election as a voting delegate under Bylaw 3.1.2.1 (d) (that
is, all parish pastors except specific ministry pastors and
those serving only in an assisting capacity) and all
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.
3.1.3.2
All district voting and nonvoting advisory
delegates and representatives and their alternates shall be
certified before attending a convention of the Synod.
(a) The names and addresses of all voting and
nonvoting advisory delegates and representatives and
their alternates shall be forwarded by the district
secretary before the announced registration deadline to
the Secretary of the Synod on registration forms
provided by the latter.
(b) This procedure shall constitute certification.
C. COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY
AND CHURCH RELATIONS, STAFF REPRESENTATION
AT SYNOD CONVENTIONS
Rationale
The Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR)
requested attention to Bylaw 3.1.4.1, which fixes the default
Resolutions