LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — May 2, 2022, Page 10

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CI Bylaws 2.18 and 2.20: Given the potential existence of congregations without women’s suffrage
or with other requirements of voting membership, the commission suggests “lay voting member”
should read “lay member.” Bylaw 4.3.2 does not require that the treasurer be a voting member of a
member congregation, only a (presumably communicant) member thereof (cf. also CI Bylaw 2.22
d, as re-lettered). See also instances in CI Bylaws 2.22 a, 2.33 a, 2.34 a, 2.35 a, 2.36 a, 2.37 a, and
2.46 a.
CI Bylaw 2.31 d: The commission notes that the text suggests that procedures for terminating an
assistant appointed to a fixed term (CI Bylaw 2.31 c) are to be found in the Bylaws of the Synod,
but that the bylaw cited (“cf. Bylaw 3.11.1”) indicates only that “all employees shall serve at the
pleasure of the appointing authorities” “unless otherwise specified by the board of directors of the
respective agency.” This presents a question of whether the term is really fixed, with removal
requiring cause, or whether service during the term is “at the pleasure” of the board.
CI Bylaw 2.34 a: “commissioned church worker” should probably read, for consistency,
“commissioned minister.”
CI Bylaw 2.38: The language should be modernized: “In the year preceding the election of the
officers of SynodAt the regular conventions of the district, the elections shall proceed as follows”
CI Bylaw 2.39: Bylaw 3.12.4.1 requires that candidates’ names be listed on ballots “without any
distinctive mark,” except where regional representation is a preference or requirement.
Congregational affiliation and post office address of the congregation should be removed from the
ballot (though these certainly may be present in other biographical material provided on the
candidates).
CI Bylaw 2.45 a should read: “to make possible official visits to each congregation once in three
years, should the assistance of the circuit visitor be requested by the district president, in accordance
with Synodical Bylaw 4.4.4.”
CI Bylaw 2.45 b: In the third paragraph, should read “…The privilege of voting shall be exercised
by the representatives from each member congregation or parish of the circuit, who shall have been
selected in the manner prescribed by the congregation (Synodical Bylaw 5.3.2).”
CI Bylaw 2.47: No explicit allowance or prohibition is made with regard to floor nominations,
although the possibility of amendment is likely contemplated in Bylaw 2.48 a, where the
nominations must be approved by the convention. This may bear clarification.
CI Bylaw 3.02 a: It should be clarified (cf. Bylaw 5.3.2.1) that the reference of the pronoun in
“should he deem it necessary” is the District President.
CI Bylaw 3.04 a: Language needs to be replaced with the following (cf. Bylaw 5.3.2):
“Representation: The circuit forum consists of one pastor and one layperson from each member
congregation or multi-congregation parish designated by the congregation or parish. Congregations
of a multi-congregation parish not contributing a lay voter may send an advisory lay representative,
with voice but no vote.”
CI Bylaw 3.04 d should be clarified thus: “The circuit forum of an electoral circuit (which may
consist of one or two adjacent visitation circuits) shall…”
CI Bylaw 3.04: it should be added to the list of forum functions that it “selects the circuit visitor to
be ratified by the convention.” (Bylaw 5.2.2)
CI Bylaw 3.07 a: “his circuit” should, to allow for the possibility of two visitation circuits being
combined into one electoral circuit, read “the circuit(s) represented.”
CI Bylaw 8.01 i (iv), (v): These requirements cannot be imposed on subsidized congregations. The
district could limit itself to subsidizing only congregations that were willing to consent, or
determine not to subsidize unless the congregation does so consent, but cannot force congregations
to act in matters of self-government (Const. Art. VII) simply because the district has elected to
provide a subsidy.

CCM Minutes – May 2, 2022 – Page 114