LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — February 23, 2013, Page 38

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7.1.2

In exceptional circumstances and upon the express direction of a convention of the Synod,
amendments may be made by a two-thirds majority of the Board of Directors.
(a) Such amendments to the Bylaws shall be necessary to implement resolutions adopted by a
convention of the Synod.
(b) Such amendments shall be drafted by the Secretary of the Synod and shall be reviewed by
the Commission on Constitutional Matters and the Commission on Handbook.
Commission on Handbook

85. Overture to the 2013 LCMS Convention (District Membership/Ecclesiastical Supervision)
Overture to the 2013 Convention
To Address District Membership/Ecclesiastical Supervision Issues
(Bylaw Section 2.12 et al.)
Introduction
Extensive discussions involving the Commission on Handbook, the Council of Presidents, and Synod
officers and staff in an effort to address ongoing and newly surfacing district membership and
ecclesiastical supervision issues, especially as pertaining to Bylaw section 2.12 “District Membership and
Ecclesiastical Supervision,” has culminated in the submission of this overture to the 2013 LCMS
convention.
The primary goals of these discussions were two-fold: (1) the provision of proper ecclesiastical
supervision of church workers (missionaries, commissioned ministers, etc.) living outside the United
States; and (2) the provision of a means whereby interested international congregations could be received
into membership in the Synod.
It was agreed that the solution to (1) above would depend upon the involved district presidents (with
the assistance of the Office of International Mission) providing more intentional ecclesiastical supervision
through regular contact with the foreign workers. It was agreed that the best approach to (2) above, at
least for the present, would be to request the Missouri District to create an additional international circuit
to admit these congregations into membership in the Synod and to provide ecclesiastical supervision
(with the assistance of the Office of International Mission).
To accomplish these objectives, the Commission on Handbook offers the following proposed bylaw
amendments and provisions to the 2013 convention for adoption.
Resolved, That in order to accomplish the objectives described above regarding district membership
and ecclesiastical supervision of individual members of the Synod, the 2013 LCMS convention adopt the
following bylaw changes:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
2.12 District Membership and Ecclesiastical Supervision and District Membership
2.12.1 Except as otherwise provided in this section, a member shall be under the ecclesiastical
supervision of the president of the district through which membership in the Synod is held Each
Page 108 – 02.23.13 – COH Minutes