LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — September 3-4, 2011, Page 28

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2. It is the President’s duty to see to it that all the aforementioned act in accordance with the Synod’s
Constitution, to admonish all who in any way depart from it, and, if such admonition is not heeded, to report
such cases to the Synod.
3. The President has and always shall have the power to advise, admonish, and reprove. He shall
conscientiously use all means at his command to promote and maintain unity of doctrine and practice in all
the districts of the Synod. (Art. XI B)
7. The district presidents shall, moreover, especially exercise supervision over the doctrine, life, and
administration of office of the ordained and commissioned ministers of their district and acquaint themselves
with the religious conditions of the congregations of their district. To this end they shall visit and, according
as they deem it necessary, hold investigations in the congregations. Their assistants in this work are the
circuit counselors, who therefore shall regularly make their reports to the district president.
8. District presidents are empowered to suspend from membership ordained and commissioned ministers for
persistently adhering to false doctrine or for having given offense by an ungodly life, in accordance with such
procedure as shall be set forth in the Bylaws of the Synod. (Art. XII)
The ecclesiastical and administrative powers and duties of the President of the Synod provide remedy for the matter as set
forth in Bylaws 3.3.1.1, 3.3.1.2, and 3.3.1.3, as do the duties of the district president as set forth especially in Bylaws 4.4.4–
4.4.6.

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iii

Such principles include (but are not limited to):
The priesthood of believers
The proper understanding of and distinction between the Holy Christian Church, “church,” and Synod
The unity and fellowship with Christ and with one another
Congregational self-governance (“supremacy,” “sovereignty,” “autonomy”)
The proper understanding and distinction between church and ministry
The theology of the divine call and the dignity of the holy ministry
The joint extension of the kingdom of God (extending the Gospel witness in the world)
Unity and purity of doctrine
Doctrinal and ecclesiastical supervision
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iv

After stating the reasons for forming a Synod, listing the conditions for membership, and outlining its external organization, the
1847 Constitution of the Synod in Article IV set forth the “Business of Synod.” This included “To stand guard over
(Ueberwachung–“watch over’) the purity and unity of doctrine within the synodical circle” (Article IV 1), “Supervision
(Aufsicht) over the performance of the official duties on the part of the pastors and teachers of Synod” (Article IV 2), and “To
give theological opinions, also settle disputes between single persons or between parties in the congregations. But the latter is to
take place only in cases where all persons involved have applied for arbitration” (Article IV 9).
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v

Under Article V of the 1847 Constitution, “Execution of Synodical Business,” the Synod required the President to report on the
visitations he had made by the instruction of the Synod in the foregoing year, and to supervise (beaufsichtigen–“oversee, direct,
superintend”) the pastors and teachers in respect to their doctrine, life, and performance of their duties. In this same article
“supervision language is used such as “visit,” “investigate,” “supervise,” and “examine.” Under the same article it was
recognized that the Synod as a whole was to supervise how each individual pastor cares for the souls under his care and that the
Synod has the right of inquiry and judgment (Article V 15). Among the various duties of the President in Article VI a, it was
expected of him in his supervisory capacity to follow strictly the written instructions that he had received from the Synod (Article
VI A 13).

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vi

“…For this reason, the Synod establishes procedures for such action, including the identification of those who are responsible
for ecclesiastical supervision of its members. Such supervision includes not only suspension or termination of membership but
also advice, counsel, encouragement, and, when necessary, admonition regarding teaching and/or practice….” (Bylaw 2.14.1);

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