LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — December 8, 1978, Page 2

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148. Consolidated School and AELC Problem (Ag. 1335): Rev. Walter Wegner, secretary of the Concord
Lutheran School Association, St. Louis, had taken exception to the guidelines of the BPE since one of the
teachers had been assigned by the Association to a congregation which is a member of the AELC.
President Spitz had asked for a reaction. The secretary had replied that the CCM had concluded that there
was nothing contrary to the Constitution in the guidelines promulgated by the BPE (including Point 5
which states that a called teacher in order to be on the roster must be a member of an LCMS member
congregation) and that it should be a relatively simple matter for the woman teacher involved to transfer
her membership to an LCMS congregation. The Commission ratified this reply. It was noted that the
letter of Dr. Spitz was not addressed to the Commission but to the Secretary of the Synod.
149. Guidance for District Constitutional Committees (Ag. 1337): Rev. Edward Meyer of the Southern
Illinois District had asked whether such guidance could not be given in greater detail. The Commission
resolved to continue to share the "Guidelines" with such District committees and to indicate its readiness
to give specific answers at any time in an effort to be helpful to such District committees. Also, the Commission held that congregations could hardly be compelled to state that their pastors would need to be
certified by the Synod as long as such constitutions state that the called pastors and teachers must be in
accord with the confessional standard of the congregation and be prepared for their work and are well
qualified for it. However, congregations would need to be reminded that in joining the Synod they readily
assume the obligation of Bylaw 4.01, to call and to be served only by pastors and teachers endorsed by
the Synod.
150. Circuit Conference Communion (Ag. 1323): Rev. Alfred F. Lueders of Great Bend, Kansas, had
raised the question of whether a Circuit pastoral conference may demand that a congregation celebrate
Holy Communion for the conference and may prescribe to the congregation who could or could not be
admitted to that celebration. The question revolved around the fact that several members of the
conference were pastors who had withdrawn from the Synod and were members of the AELC. The
secretary had written to the effect that no conference can make such demands of a congregation. The
Commission ratified this reply.
151. Pastor Serving Voting Congregations in Two Circuits (Ag. 1324): A pastor serving a congregation in
one Circuit had been called to serve a congregation in another Circuit. Counselor Elvin Marquardt of the
Northern Illinois District asked whether this pastor could vote in both Circuit meetings for the election of
convention delegates. The secretary had answered to the effect that the pastor could vote only once and
that it seemed that his vote should really be cast in that Circuit to which that congregation belongs which
had first called him. The Commission ratified also this reply.
152. Congregational Membership of Pastors (Ag. 1336): President Karl Barth, a member of the clergy
roster committee of the Council of Presidents, had asked the following three questions in behalf of that
committee:
1.

What about pastors who have maintained affiliation with a congregation that has left the Synod
and joined the AELC?

2.

What about our overseas missionaries who maintain professional membership in one of the
stateside Districts?

3.

What about the missionary in one of our Districts who has been commissioned to start a new
congregation?

The Commission came to the following conclusions: