LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — undated, Page 13

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prejudice. The chairman stated that he would place the communication on the calendar for future
consideration. The secretary is to notify Dr. Caemmerer of this fact.
334. Manual of Operations: With Dr. Wolbrecht present a detailed discussion was carried on concerning
the preparation of the Manual of Operations. It was agreed that the Council of Administrators would need
to take the first step in recommending what is to be culled from the Handbook. Dr. Wolbrecht agreed to
take this matter up with the Council of Administrators at a very early date, since both the new Manual of
Operations and the rewritten Handbook are to be submitted to the New York convention for ratification.
335. Texas District - Conflict of Interest: The Texas District inquired whether the resolution of its Board
of Directors concerning payment of fees is in violation of the conflict of interest paragraphs 2.11 a and
3.34. It was the opinion of the Commission that the resolution is indeed in conflict with the bylaws as
presently written. The chairman will inform President Heckmann accordingly. However, the whole
problem of the conflict of interest will be considered further by the Commission at an early date.
336. Ontario Bylaws: The Ontario District has supplied its new bylaws and has requested a critique. It
was decided that the chairman and secretary should send their comments to the District, informing the
District that if it wished to have the comments also of the entire Commission then it would be necessary
to forward additional copies of the bylaws and to provide several months additional time.
337. Policy for Evaluating District Bylaws: This prompted a discussion of the procedure that is to be
followed in such instances. The Commission resolved that hereafter copies of all sets of District bylaws
submitted are to be forwarded to all Commission members, but that the chairman should delegate one
man to make an intensive study, with the remaining Commission members forwarding their reactions to
that man within thirty days.
338. Relationship Between Synod and District: The chairman read the opinion which he had drafted
following the last meeting in which the Commission's views concerning the relationship between Synod
and District are set forth. The Commission formally approved this opinion. Legal Counsel Kuhlmann has
now prepared a brief for submission to the Board of Directors with respect to the problem raised by the
Southern Nebraska District in its new articles of incorporation.
339. Sylvester: Some time was given to a discussion of the correspondence between the chairman and
Pastor Sylvester of the Northwest District regarding the proposed amendments to Synod's constitution
with reference to suspension and expulsion.
340. California-Nevada laws: The Commission ratified the action of the chairman and of the secretary in
informing the California-Nevada District that they had found nothing unconstitutional in their bylaws but
offering some additional suggestions of an optional nature.
341. Woman Suffrage: Requests have been received from the constitution committees of both the Kansas
and the Northwest Districts asking for interpretations of the Detroit resolution concerning woman
suffrage. Dr. R. P. Jungkuntz of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations joined the
Commission for a few moments of discussion. The minutes of the CTCR show that a request in this area
had been received from our Commission in the meeting of October 21-23, 1963, and that the CTCR had
decided to defer placing the question of the ordination of women on the immediate agenda and had
declined at that time to undertake a further restudy of the question of woman suffrage. But the situation
has now changed. The Commission on Constitutional Matters came to the conclusion that some statement
should be offered to the membership of the Synod to the effect that there is a considerable lack of clarity
at this time and since the CTCR has been requested to study the theological implications of the Detroit
resolution, we urge Synod's congregations not to change their practices in this matter at this particular