LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — April 10–11, 2015, Page 8

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Bylaw 3.1.2.5: The proposed new wording’s content does not fit the title of this section nor
its intended content. The commission advises that the original wording be retained.
Bylaw 4.2.11: The Synod’s Constitution governing meetings of districts (Constitution Art.
XII 15) requires that this bylaw read as follows: a) Regular meetings of this corporation shall
be held as set forth in the Constitution and Bylaws of the SynodArticles of Incorporation. b)
Special meetings of this corporation may be called by the district president, the Presidium, or
the Board of Directors he having previously obtained consent of at least a majority of the
voting members of the district after having informed them and the President of the Synod of
the purpose of the intended special session.
Bylaw 4.2.14: Constitution Art. XII 14 establishes the quorum requirement for district
conventions: “…the presence of at least one-third of the voting members [i.e., congregations]
by at least one of their respective representatives (pastor or lay delegate)….” This bylaw
paragraph will need to be changed to comply.
Bylaw 4.2.15.2: Given the district’s need for regional elections, paragraph a of this bylaw
should provide for such by the addition of “or region” after the word “district” in its final
sentence, so as to read: “If elected, nominees shall be members of member congregations of
the District or region upon assuming office and during the entire course of their tenure.”
Bylaw 4.2.15.3: Vice-president elections are not selections and must be by majority vote,
including the election to rank them (Synod Bylaw 4.7.3; compare 3.12.2.7 [g]). This
paragraph requires change to read: “After the vice-presidents have been selected elected from
each region, a ballots shall be cast by the convention to rank the vice-presidents, which
actions by majority vote shall also constitute the election thereof.
Bylaw 4.2.15.4: While the secretary of the nominations committee may be asked to receive
and pass along results of nominations ballots, neither he nor the committee can be involved in
making decisions regarding which names are to be place on a slate for election. The sentence
in question should therefore read: “Such tabulation and the nominating forms shall be
delivered by the secretary to the Committee on Nominations elections committee which may
must place the names(s) of one or more at least two candidates for each position on the
ballot.” (Synod Bylaws 3.12.4; 3.12.4.2 [d])
Bylaw 4.2.15.6: In paragraph e, the LCMS nominations committee should be properly
referenced as its “Committee for Convention Nominations” (Synod Bylaw 3.12.3). This
paragraph must also include mention and/or reference to the specific vetting process added by
the 2013 LCMS convention for elections of board of regents members, to be carried out also
on the district level (Synod Bylaws 3.10.5.2, paragraph 7; 3.12.3.7 [c]).
Bylaw 4.2.15.6: Given the existence of regional offices other than vice-president, paragraph f
of this bylaw should read: “This committee shall nominate candidates for all elective offices
except for the office of president, and the office of vice-president, and any regional offices.”
Bylaw 4.5.8: The board of directors of the district receives its primary direction and powers
from the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod. This paragraph should therefore have added
at its end: “…and the Constitution and Bylaws of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.”
The same addition should be made to the parenthetical statement at the beginning of Bylaw
4.5.11 and to the statement regarding the duties of the district secretary in paragraph a of
Bylaw 4.11.1.
Bylaw 6.3: The first sentence of this paragraph does not comport with the use of the term
“auxiliary” by the Synod (Synod Bylaw 6.1.1). The commission recommends the use of other
terminology.

K. Eastern District Camp Pioneer Bylaws (15-2760)

CCM Minutes – April 10–11, 2015 – Page 70