LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — April 27, 1979, Page 1

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in harmony with those of the Synod. He had called attention to the fact that the Commission had earlier
ruled that bylaws were indeed a part of the constitution in this respect.
175. The next meeting was set for April 27, 2:00 p.m., in connection with the floor committee meeting on
.the proposals of the Task Force.
Herbert Mueller, Secretary

Minutes of the Commission on Constitutional Matters
April 27, 1979 - 3:00 p.m.
176. The following were present: Donald Prevallet, who acted as chairman, John Klotz, and Herbert
Mueller. Unable to attend: Herbert Freise, Carl Eberhard, Guido Merkens.
177. River Forest Faculty Problem (Ag. 1332): This proposed opinion was discussed for a short period of
time, but no decision was reached since the Commission felt that all members should be present for that.
178. Northwest District Bylaw Re Review of Congregational Constitutions (Ag.-.1349): The Northwest
District, which had had some difficulty with the handling of an applicant congregation's constitution on
the part of the District president, had passed a resolution at the District convention spelling out in much
greater detail the process to be followed when member or applicant congregations submit constitutions.
This proposed District bylaw change was adopted provisionally, with implementation contingent upon the
review and approval of the resolution by the synodical Commission on Constitutional Matters. The
Commission studied this resolution in detail. It decided that the secretary should point out to the District
that there really is no need for such a detailed elaboration of synodical Bylaws 1.11 a and b, that this
usually presents no difficulty, but that since the Northwest District had encountered difficulties and
wanted to remove the same, the Commission was evaluating the proposals. The Commission then came to
the conclusion that the following changes needed to be made in certain proposed paragraphs under
Northwest District Bylaw 2.14 B, 2:
a)

In order to conform with synodical Bylaw 1.11 a, congregations should be required to submit
their constitution not three months but only two months before the District or synodical
convention.

b)

Because the District president merely serves as a channel of transmittal, this paragraph should
state that the District president shall immediately send the constitution to the District committee
and not just within one month of its reception.

f)

The requirement that the adjusted constitution should be resubmitted at least two weeks before
the District convention would go beyond the synodical bylaw; therefore that time provision
should be changed to read simply "in advance of the District convention."

g)

To permit the chairman of the committee to give a final review and approval would mean to
place too much authority into his hands. Therefore the paragraph should be expanded with the
words "to determine whether the changes are in agreement with the proposals of the District
committee."

h)

To require that two dated copies of the final updated constitution need to be submitted in
advance is too stringent a requirement. Perhaps the matter at issue concerned only the change of