LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — July 18–19, 2019, Page 3

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is no allowance in these words face-to-face for a present-day electronic meeting, which is not all that
different from the electronic means prohibited in existing bylaws (e.g., Bylaw 1.10.4 [f], etc.). Bylaws as
adopted, and as they presently stand and must be interpreted, require—except in narrowly specified
exceptional cases—an actual going to reconcile with the allegedly errant brother, an effort demonstrative
of complainant’s pursuit not only of the respondent’s rebuke but of repentance and reconciliation.
If, however, the Synod would like to alter the Bylaws in order to allow for electronic meetings at all times
or only in extreme cases (with, hopefully, the facts and circumstances well defined and the parameters clear
as to what is an extreme case to be sure that the exception does not become the rule) the Synod is certainly
free so to do.
219. District Chief Financial Officer (19-2915)
The Secretary of the English District, noting that the district is considering changes to its governing
documents concerning the office of District Treasurer and that CCM Opinion 15-2778 had indicated that
the Treasurer is not a staff position, but instead is an officer of the District, posed the following questions:
Questions: Can a district have a Chief Financial Officer who serves as Treasurer of the District, analogous
to the present-day arrangement for the Synod? In other words, could Synod Bylaw 3.4.1f. be
revised to meet the requirements and setting of a District? Or is there a different definition of
the office of District Treasurer required by the Synod Bylaws?
Opinion: The Constitution of the Synod, which is also the Constitution of each district, today (since
ratification of changes made by 2010 Res. 8-10) treats of the Synod’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) under
Article X A 5 and Bylaws 3.4.1–3.4.1.4. The Synod CFO also serves as the Synod’s Treasurer (Bylaw
3.4.1.3). The Constitution continues to treat of district treasurers under Article XII 3 e, which (since
ratification of 1959 Res. 6-05B) allows the districts to have either an elected or appointed treasurer, as the
bylaws of the district prescribe. Each district must have a treasurer who is an officer of the district. Such
an officer has the “same rights and duties” as the corresponding Synod officer, “but only insofar as these
apply to the district and only within the boundaries of the districts” (Const. Art. XII 6). These would be the
rights and duties as described in Bylaws 3.4.1–3.4.1.4, as such apply within a district. Such an
understanding of the application of these bylaws to the district may be a reasonable outline for district
bylaws specifying the treasurer’s duties. In a significant difference from the present Synod arrangement,
the district treasurer is by default (unless the bylaws of the district provide otherwise—which they
presumably but not necessarily would, were the treasurer to be appointed) a member of the district board
of directors (Const. Art. XII 11).
The treasurer of the district could be styled, in addition, the Chief Financial Officer of the district but is
natively and constitutionally the treasurer and is by whatever title an officer of the district (elected or
appointed) in his own right, with duties corresponding—as applicable to the particular district—to those of
the office on the Synod level.
220. 2019 Today’s Business First Edition Resolutions
The commission reviewed the material before the convention and prepared to support floor committees and
the convention during floor committee hearings and convention sessions.
221. Future Meetings and Adjournment
After a joint working lunch with the Commission on Handbook, this commission provided its support to
the several floor committees. The commission has no remaining meeting scheduled, as it awaits the triennial
reappointment process to be conducted by the Council of Presidents and President of the Synod in
September; until then, it will meet only if an urgent opinion would be required.
John W. Sias, Secretary

CCM Minutes – July 18–24, 2019 – Page 161