LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — February 1–2, 2013, Page 3

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the commission’s recommendations were incorporated in the amendments adopted by the convention.
The commission also noted, however, that several recommendations were yet to be acted upon.
Recognizing that these additional changes will need to wait until the district’s 2015 convention, the
commission offers the following comments for reference at that time.
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The commission has begun to recommend to districts that their Bylaws be introduced with a
“preamble” section defining their purpose and objectives and their relationship to the Synod and
its Constitution and Bylaws.
Bylaw 4.2.2: This bylaw fails to take into account the addition of a third vice-president and his
role in the succession to the office of the president. If the district wishes the third vice-president
to be included in the line of succession, a change in the bylaw will be required.
Bylaw 8.2 [now 9.2]: Reference should also be made to Synod Bylaw section 4.5 which details
the primary responsibilities (“powers and duties”) of a district board of directors.
Bylaw 11.7: Reference should also be made in this section to appropriate Synod Board of
Directors policies governing reception of gifts.

188. Montana District Standard Operating Procedures Manual Review (12-2632)
With a February 8, 2012 email, the president of the Montana District provided his district’s operating
procedures manual for review, as requested by the commission. After review, the commission expressed
its appreciation for the submission of this document and offered two suggestions for minor changes, as
follows.
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The policy title “MT District Pastor/Teacher, Pastor Circuit Conference, and Pastor Wives
Retreat” should be changed to include all ordained and commissioned ministers, as required by
Synod bylaws for some conferences.
Under the same policy, statement 1 should be changed to include all ordained ministers (rather
than “each pastor holding a called position within the district”) since all ordained ministers are
required to attend official district conferences (Bylaw 4.8.2 [d]).

189. Texas District Policy Manuals (12-2648)
With a May 31, 2012 emailed note, the president of the Texas District submitted his district’s church
extension fund policy manual and employee handbook for review by the commission. The commission
expressed its appreciation for this cooperation and, upon review of the documents, offered the following
recommendations.
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Policy 1.1.3.3: The district is advised to take Synod Bylaw 1.5.2 into consideration, as district
policy must agree with that of the Synod.
Policy 1.1.8.1: This would be a good place in the district’s policies governing its church
extension fund to include a reference to Synod Bylaw 3.10.6 and the statement that all district
policies are “subject to the general policies for district church extension funds provided by the
Synod’s Board for Church Extension.”
Handbook IV D, “Disclosure of Conflict of Interest”: Reference in the first paragraph should be
to the 2010 Synod Handbook, Bylaw 1.5.2.
Handbook IV D, throughout: Multiple mentions of “the Texas District and its entities and
agencies” should also include in each case the words “and The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod and its agencies.”
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