LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — September 14–15, 2007, Page 3

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

•

Under “4. Principal Responsibilities” of the Director of Broadcast, the reference to “limits
prescribed by the Board of Directors” (p. 29) should be clarified to refer specifically to the
board’s human resource and general agency policies. See also paragraph “J” on p. 31.

The commission also offers the following general observations and encouragements:
•

The Synod will be better served if policy manuals reflect the same grammatical and editorial
principles that are established by the Handbook of the Synod (e.g., limited capitalization,
avoidance of the use of “synodical,” etc.).

•

Consistent provision of references to pertinent bylaws for easy cross-referencing with the
Handbook of the Synod will be helpful to the users of the manual.

6. Article II of Model Constitution and Bylaws (07-2492)
A pastor of the Synod in an April 9, 2007 letter raised an issue regarding paragraph 5.4.2 of the
commission’s Guidelines for Constitutions and Bylaws of Lutheran Congregations pertaining to standards
for excommunication, i.e., whether a unanimous vote of a congregation is required for an
excommunication. The commission agreed to request input from the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations before responding. The letter to the CTCR included citations from initial studies
suggesting that a unanimous vote is not required.
7. 2007 Resolution 8-05A and CCM Opinion 06-2484 (07-2506)
In a July 23, 2007 letter to the commission, a pastor of the Synod asked a series of questions regarding the
consequences for CCM Opinion 06-2484 (and its quotation from the Standard Operating Procedures
Manual) as a result of the adoption of 2007 convention Resolution 8-05A. The resolution addressed
Matthew 18 and its application in cases of public sin.
After discussion, the chair agreed to assign this question to a member of the commission for the
preparation of a draft response based upon changes incorporated by the commission into the 2007
Handbook. Final action on the response will await the November meeting of the commission.
8. Review of Convention Arrangements and Participation
The commission discussed its responsibilities and participation in the 2007 convention of the Synod and
noted areas of particular interest or concern:
•

Bylaw 7.1.1 requirements for presentation of proposed bylaw amendments in writing for
consideration by floor committees and examination by the commission prior to presentation to the
convention resulted in confusion on several occasions during the 2007 convention. A motion was
introduced and carried “to direct the Secretary to write a letter to the President suggesting that a
rule be added to the Standing Rules for future conventions requiring that proposed bylaw
amendments be printed in Today’s Business prior to presentation to the convention.” It was also
suggested that a procedure be developed to inform the commission of all such proposals at each
day’s deadline for submission of business to Today’s Business.

•

The confusion resulting from comments regarding Missouri law provided by the Synod’s legal
counsel was not helpful to the convention.

•

The seating reserved for the commission at the convention was not conducive to the
commission’s required role and participation. A suggestion will be made to the President of the

3