LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — May 2, 2022, Page 8

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sentence (rendered the second sentence) should therefore begin “The Further Bylaws of this
Corporation…”
FG Article XI: The reference to “this article (Article X)” should read: “this article (Article XI)”

Regarding the FG District Bylaws:
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FG Bylaws in general: The commission notes no mention of a constitution committee, which the
commission presumes, on the basis of Bylaws 2.2.1–2 and 2.4.1, the district has.
FG Bylaw D1.02: Due in part to amendments adopted by the 2019 convention of the Synod, the
entirety of this bylaw, including (a)–(d) should be replaced with the following (Const. Art XII 10
b): “Advisory delegates are all commissioned ministers, and those ordained ministers not presently
serving as voting representatives of congregations, who are members of the Synod within the
district. In addition, a congregation that is part of a multi-congregation parish, other than the
congregation supplying the voting lay delegate, may elect and depute an advisory lay delegate.”
This would also correct a significant misstatement in D1.02, which would seem to (incorrectly) bar
Specific Ministry Pastors from serving at the district convention as voting pastoral delegates of
congregations (it is true they are not allowed to serve as voting delegates at the Synod convention).
FG Bylaw D2.03: The district needs to designate a committee, board, or individual responsible for
stewardship (Bylaw 4.6.1).
FG Bylaw D2.05: The lengthening of the period of transition in this bylaw, as proposed, may extend
to three months the “interim” period in which the authority of the outgoing officers is diminished
by Synod Bylaws (Bylaw 3.2.4 [g–h]) but the incoming officers are not yet in office. The
commission questions how, within the stated period, a date definite of transition of office is
determined. This seems a practical necessity.
FG Bylaw D2.09 b 14: The district president is designated the “chief executive” of the district by
Synod Bylaw 4.4.1 and is of course an officer of the district (Const. Art. XII 3) but is not identified
by the Synod as “chief executive officer” of the district, which carries corporate trappings that do
not entirely transfer. The term “chief executive officer” should read “chief executive” instead.
FG Bylaw D2.13 e, f: rather than “Handbook of the Synod … or its progeny,” the commission
recommends the citation be followed by the language “as may hereafter be amended.”
FG Bylaw D2.15 c: the word “District” following “deposited” seems to be out of place.
FG Bylaw D2.16 b: Compare Bylaw 4.3.1. “Those members of the Board of Directors who are
elected representatives for regions of the District shall cease to be members of the board if they are
no longer residing in members of member congregations of the region which they represent.”
Likewise, FG Bylaw D2.31 a: “…must be residents members of member congregations within the
regions…” Likewise, in FG Bylaw D2.34.
FG Bylaw D2.22 b: The commission understands the language should read: “The President may,
or at the direction of at least one-third of the members of the Board of Directors shall, may call
other meetings, special or regular, as may be deemed necessary.”
FG Bylaw D2.24 a: The board should take care that the evaluation of the district president is limited
to those aspects of “administrative performance” related to business, property, and legal matters
delegated to him by the board itself.
FG Bylaw D2.29 seems, except for the first sentence, to be redundant and partially conflicting with
FG Bylaw D2.28 b, which provides the proper procedure in each case.
FG Bylaw D2.32: The district may do well, as it has done in other instances (e.g., FG Bylaw 2.28
b), to specify explicitly the procedure that takes place if no majority is received on a given ballot.
FG Bylaw D5.01 b: The reference should be to Synod Bylaw 3.9.2.2.3 (a–b).

The commission understands that revision of the district’s articles may not be possible at the upcoming
convention, given notice requirements, but gives its approval to the bylaw proposal—subject to the above
caution—and to amendments addressing the above concerns. The commission notes that the district is
CCM Minutes – May 2, 2022 – Page 112