LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — March 21–22, 2025, Page 6

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The commission finds the proposal—apart from the material evidencing the “ratio problem” as indicated
above in connection with Bylaw Article II, Section 1—to be in harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws, and
resolutions of the Synod.. The proposal is, other than on this point (which is addressed above), thus
approved for presentation to the membership and to become effective upon adoption, subject, of course, to
the approval of the Board of Directors of the Synod under the procedure of Bylaw 3.6.1.7. The entity is
thanked for submitting these documents for review and requested to transmit, for the commission’s files, a
clean copy of its governing documents as ultimately adopted by the membership.
97. Southern District Bylaw Amendment, Proposed (25-3056)
By an email of Feb. 25, the Southern (SO) District President forwarded for the commission’s review an
overture proposing to amend the district’s bylaws, Art. IV A, to allow for “an unlimited term of office.” In
its review, the commission noted, with regard to the proposed amendment:
The proposal to eliminate term limits for circuit visitors is in harmony with the Constitution and Bylaws of
the Synod as limitation of tenure is a matter that is left to each individual district’s discretion (Synod Bylaw
4.7.5). The wording of “unlimited term of office,” however, is not the best. Terms for circuit visitors are
defined as three years (Synod Bylaw 4.7.4 [1]). No precise wording having been proposed, the commission
understands and approves the change to SO Bylaw Article IV A 1 as follows:
The term of office of the President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, and Circuit Visitors shall
be three (3) years, commencing the first day of July following the district convention. These officers
shall be elected in the year preceding the regular election of officers of the Synod. A person elected
to any of these offices shall be limited to three (3) consecutive 3-year terms, except that election
to the office of Circuit Visitor shall be without limit as to terms.
With regard to this language, the commission questions whether it is service in any one of the offices, or
service in any combination of these offices, that is limited to three consecutive terms. If the former is
intended, it would be best to insert after “consecutive 3-year terms” the words “in the same office.” This
change, too, is approved, should the district choose to adopt it. The district is thanked and reminded to
submit, for the commission’s records, a clean copy of its bylaws as adopted.
In a general review of the district’s bylaws, the commission noted:
•

SO Art. of Inc. Article V must be corrected to read, consistent with Synod Bylaw 2.5.5, that “A
[m]ulti-congregation parishes parish, which is the total number of congregations regularly cared
for (served) by a pastor or pastors, in which two or more congregations are served by one ordained
minister shall be represented by one (1) ordained minister and one (1) lay vote.” The second
sentence of Const. Art. XII 10 b, regarding the advisory representation of congregations of multicongregation parishes not supplying the voting lay delegate, should also be included.

•

Article VI: The minimum number of personnel required by other provisions in this article seems to
be 12, rather than 9, as suggested later in the article.

•

SO Bylaw II B: While the president and other officers may sign documents, it should be made
explicit that authorization to sign in business, property, and legal matters belongs to the board of
directors (Synod Bylaw 4.5.1). The construction of the list of officers, with its two instances of or,
is also confusing.

•

Bylaws III A 2 and V A 1: The apostrophe should be removed from “minister’s.”

•

Bylaw III B 3: In the second sentence, it seems that “circuit” is used where “region” is intended.

•

Bylaw III D 1: This should read “committees or task forces”

•

Bylaw IV A 1: The “first day of July” provision, practically speaking, requires the convention to
be held earlier, which may be an issue in the case of an unanticipated delay.
CCM Minutes – March 21–22, 2025 – Page 73