LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — May 25, 2021, Page 5

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approval to the proposal for presentation to the convention as in harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws,
and resolutions of the Synod. The district and its secretary and president are thanked for their diligent work
in this regard, and asked to forward for the commission’s files, following the convention, a clean copy of
the district’s bylaws as adopted and the district’s articles as adopted and filed with the state.
94. Northwest District Proposed Bylaws, Resubmission (20-2954A)
By an email of April 26, 2021, the Northwest District Secretary forwarded a resubmission of his district’s
proposed bylaw changes, pursuant to the commission’s previous review in Op. 20-2954.
The commission reiterates its previous observation that the wording of Bylaws 2.4.2–3 may contribute to
misunderstanding of the relative roles of district convention, district president, and district board of
directors, and suggests the district give further careful consideration to how these provisions are worded
and how they are practiced. Likewise, the commission reiterates its concern regarding Bylaw 4.2.2–3, where
the proposed changes do not address the commission’s concern, and regarding Bylaws 3.6; 5.3.1; 5.5.2;
5.7.1–3; and 5.7.5, none of which have received apparent attention in this draft.
The specific changes that are proposed the commission finds to be in harmony with the Constitution,
Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod in convention and to bring the district bylaws into greater alignment
with the present Bylaws of the Synod in a number of respects. These are therefore approved for submission
to the convention. The commission does request, however, that the district take further steps to address the
above-noted concerns, as stated in detail in the previous review (Op. 20-2954), so that these aspects of the
district’s bylaws, too, may be rendered consonant with those of the Synod. In these noted areas the bylaws
as they stand are not in harmony with the Bylaws of Synod.
The district and its secretary are thanked for providing these documents for review and asked, given the
time that remains before the convention of the district in June 2022, to continue the work on this revision,
with submission of a new draft for review by the commission.
95. Nebraska District Proposed Articles and Bylaws, Revision and Resubmission (20-2962A)
By an email of March 2, 2021, the Nebraska District President forwarded a revised draft, pursuant to the
commission’s previous review in Op. 20-2962, of his district’s proposed bylaw changes. The commission
notes that the redlining in the present draft is relative to the last proposal, not to the bylaws as presently
stand adopted, and understands that the district will be presenting the cumulative redline to the convention
for consideration.
The commission notes at NEB Bylaw III C 2 b 1 that “District” should remain; district vice-presidents may
be nominated from the clergy roster of the district only, not, like district presidents, from the roster of the
whole Synod.
The commission notes also at NEB Bylaw III C 3 e 2 i that a procedure specific to nomination and election
of regents has here been carried over to all offices. Unless other offices have particularly detailed
qualifications that are specified by bylaw as required for the office, this seems to introduce an uncertain
procedure and should likely be removed. The commission can understand the need to verify region
membership or check for possible issues with Bylaws 1.5.1.1–2, if something like this is intended.
With the minor change made (actually reversed) in NEB Bylaw III C 2 b 1 and the other matter addressed
in NEB Bylaw III C 3 e, this draft the commission finds to have addressed all of its previous concerns, and
to be in harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod. The bylaws proposal is
therefore approved for presentation to the district convention. The district and its president are thanked for
their work in this regard and asked to forward for the commission’s files a clean copy of the bylaws as
adopted and of the articles as adopted and filed with the state.

CCM Minutes – May 25, 2021 – Page 70