LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — April 6–7, 2018, Page 1

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MINUTES
COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS
Hilton Airport Hotel, St. Louis
April 6–7, 2018
135. Call to Order
Commission Chairman Dr. George Gude called the commission’s meeting to order, with all members
present, and called upon Mr. Neely Owen to offer opening devotions, which he did on the basis of the
exhortation for Easter from Starck’s Prayer Book.
136. Southern District Bylaw Amendment Proposal (18-2877)
By a February 8 e-mail, the President of the Southern District forwarded a convention resolution proposing
a simple bylaw change related to district office term limits. With the district convention falling before the
commission’s next scheduled meeting, the commission chairman and the Secretary evaluated the minor
change, found it to be consistent with alternatives already considered by the commission in Op. 18-2851,
and therefore indicated that it could be considered approved for presentation to the convention. The
commission ratified the response of its chairman and the Secretary.
137. Oklahoma District Proposed Articles and Bylaws, 3rd Resubmission (17-2832C)
By a February 14 e-mail, the Secretary of the Oklahoma District forwarded a revised proposal for
amendment of the district’s certificate of incorporation to comply with LCMS Bylaw 1.5.3.6 and 2016 Res.
9-02A. The commission chairman and the Secretary reviewed the proposal, finding it to satisfy the concerns
of the commission’s prior review, and responded that it was approved for inclusion in the district Workbook
and for presentation to the district convention. The commission ratified the response of its chairman and
the Secretary. The district is thanked for its cooperation with the review process and reminded to submit a
clean copy of articles and bylaws, as adopted by the convention, for the commission’s files.
138. Kansas District Bylaw Proposal, 3rd Resubmission (17-2844C)
In response to the commission’s prior review, by a February 20 e-mail, the Secretary of the Kansas District
forwarded a new revision of the district’s bylaw proposal. As the new revision adopted the suggestion
previously made by the commission, the Secretary of the Synod indicated that the proposal could now be
considered approved by the commission for presentation to the district convention. The commission ratified
the response of the Secretary. The district is thanked for its cooperation with the review process and asked
to submit, for the commission’s files, a clean copy of its bylaws as adopted by the convention.
139. Missouri District Bylaw Proposal, 5th Edition (17-2823E)
By an e-mail of April 4, the chairman of the Missouri District bylaw revision committee forwarded the final
draft of the district’s bylaw proposal, incorporating additional changes to bylaws dealing chiefly with terms
of office and a council of the district. The commission approves this final edition of the bylaw proposal for
presentation to the convention, thanks the district for its cooperation with the review process, and reminds
the district to submit a clean copy of its bylaws as adopted for the commission’s files.
140. Concordia University Nebraska Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws (16-2800)
Pursuant to a request related to the review of corporate documents initiated by 2016 Res. 9-02A, the
President of Concordia University Nebraska, by an email of Nov. 3, 2016, sent his institution’s articles and
bylaws for review. The university’s general counsel later forwarded updated versions, amended in 2017.
With regard to the articles, the commission notes the following:
•

Article III contains the asset disposition language required by LCMS Bylaw 1.5.3.6 (b) and 2016
Res. 9-02A, although the phrase “to be used for educational purposes as provided by The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod” needs to be removed.