LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — October 1-2, 1970, Page 4

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237. Choosing of Lay Delegates: President Frincke of the Eastern District asked whether a congregation
selected to supply the lay delegate to a synodical convention may choose a member of another
congregation as the delegate. The commission ruled that this cannot be done, that if the congregation
selected cannot supply a man the privilege of supplying the delegate falls upon the congregation selected
to provide the alternate (Agenda 205).
238. Kansas Delegate Election: Counselor Lloyd E. Sprick of Holyrood, Kansas reported that in electing a
delegate to the convention the circuit had not followed the prescribed procedure. At the end of the first
write-in ballot instead of listing only the two leading candidates the meeting had merely eliminated the
man with the lowest number of votes. On that second ballot one pastorgained majority support. However,
two more ballots were taken eliminating in each instance the lowest name until finally with only two
remaining candidates a second pastor received 11 votes while the pastor who had received majority
support on the second ballot received only 10. The second pastor was declared elected. However, on the
basis of the principle of majority support, the commission ruled that the pastor who had secured majority
support already on the second ballot should now be declared elected. (Agenda 201).
239. Budget: A sheet was distributed listing costs of the Handbook and current budget status of the CCM
(Agenda 203).
240. Information: The following items, requiring no action, were listed for information purposes:
a.

Marcus Lang request for copy of opinion re South Wisconsin nominating procedures
(Agenda 169).

b.

Additional requests for guidelines on woman suffrage (Agenda 127A).

241. District Essay: Kuenne distributed a copy of "The Implications of Synodical Membership" by
Herman Harms delivered at the Eastern District convention in 1939 (Agenda 209).
242. Adjournment followed with a prayer by the Secretary.
Herbert Mueller, Secretary

MINUTES OF MEETING OF COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS
St. Louis, Missouri, December 10-11, 1970
243. Streufert was asked to open the meeting with prayer. All members were present for the greater part
of the meeting. The minutes of the previous meeting were adopted as submitted.
244. SELC Convention Representation: Since the SELC would be received as a non-geographical District
of the Synod first on January 1 it was impossible for the District to observe the deadlines for the whole
process of registering delegates to the Milwaukee convention. The Secretary had indicated in a letter to
the President of the SELC that he was confident that the Commission on Constitutional Matters would
approve the decision of the SELC's Board of Directors to appoint delegates. The Commission formally
ratified the Secretary's letter. It also resolved to draft a special resolution to the convention recommending
seating those delegates of the SELC who had been appointed to serve, as one of the first orders of
business, since it had been impossible to meet the by-law requirements (Ag. 222).
245. Teacher Delegates: Education Executive Paul Steffens of the Nebraska District indicated that three
different methods had been followed in electing teacher delegates at the District convention in order to