LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — December 13–14, 2013, Page 4

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3.12.2.7 (a) speaks of a member congregation nominating individuals “with residence in its designated
region.”
These convention resolutions and bylaw statements indicate that “residence” and “congregational
membership” requirements serve representational and other purposes, expectations that cannot be met by
regionally elected individuals who relocate outside the region from which they were elected. Therefore,
when a regionally elected board member or officer relocates to a different region of the Synod, this
member must resign from the officer or board member position.
Question 2: In the case of the mission boards, a number of current board members were elected when
region designations were different from what they are at present, so that these board
members no longer hold congregational membership in the region from which they were
elected. Must mid-term board members who find themselves in different regions than when
elected resign their board positions or may they finish out their terms of office?
Opinion: Mid-term board members who have not relocated but who find themselves residing in a
designated region other than that of their election because regional designations were changed by the
Synod (Bylaw 3.12.1) may finish out their terms of office.
The 2010 elections of mission board members took place under the special circumstances created by Res.
8-15, which resolved that (solely for the 2010 mission board elections) the usual advance designation of
regions would be waived. Instead, the Board of Directors and Council of Presidents presented to the
convention a regional make-up for the 2010 convention based upon existing regional designations of the
Council of Presidents. The elections of mission board members were conducted accordingly.
When due process was followed in preparation for the 2013 convention and regions were determined by
taking into consideration “geographical and number of congregations information in the interest of fair
representation” (Bylaw 3.12.1), a number of the board members elected by the 2010 convention no longer
reside in the regions now designated as the regions they are to represent. Given the unique circumstances
of their elections and the clear expectation of the Synod that their terms of office are for six years, the
commission opines that they should be allowed to complete their current terms of office. While eligible
for a second term, such election by the 2016 convention will require their election as regional board
members of the regions of their residence at the time of the election.
Question 3: When a vacancy exists in a regional board position, to be filled by the Board of Directors of
the Synod (Bylaw 3.2.5), shall the bylaw requirement that names of nominees be gathered
from “the district boards of directors” (Bylaw 3.2.5 [a]) be understood to refer to the boards
of directors of only those districts within the region of the vacancy?
Opinion: The nominations process provided by Bylaw 3.12.2.7 allows only member congregations
within a given region to participate in the pre-convention nominations process. Similarly Bylaw 3.12.1 (b)
limits nominations to individuals of geographical regions where congregational membership is held.
These residence and congregational membership requirements necessarily remain the same when
vacancies are to be filled. Therefore in the case of vacancies in regional or officer positions, participation
by district boards of directors is necessarily limited to districts within the region where the vacancy
occurs.
8. Lutheran Church Extension Fund Bylaw Revisions Review (13-2690)

CCM Minutes – December 13–4, 2013 – Page 4