LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — July 6-13, 1989, Page 1

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Theology and Church Relations - Hopmann, Groh; Structure and Organization - Groh, Schnelz; Program
and Finance - Hopmann; Higher Education - Schlecht; Human Care - Hopmann; Planning and
Administration Groh, Schnelz.
Judge Schnelz will contact the committee chairmen after they have been designated indicating who will
be present at the floor committee meetings to meet with the committee.
The Commission is also asking that in orientation of the floor committees, the President announced that
any language of resolutions containing bylaws needs to be approved by the Commission on Constitutional
Matters. Furthermore, any proposed language to be placed into the language of bylaws must have the
approval of the Commission on Constitutional Matters.
The Commission further requests that a table be reserved for the Commission on Constitutional Matters at
the front of the convention assembly in Wichita meeting July 7-14. The Commission on Constitutional
Matters is asked to be present by noon or mid-afternoon on July 6 for any necessary meetings with floor
committees.
In additional action, the Commission reviewed proposed special standing rules for the convention and
offered some suggestions for their improvement.
146. Adjournment :The meeting was adjourned with prayer led by Judge Groh.
Walter L. Rosin, Secretary

Minutes of the Commission on Constitutional Matters - July 6-13, 1989
147. Minutes : As the Commission met for its first session during the 1989 convention of the Synod, the
minutes for March 17-18, 1989 were approved as distributed.
148. Reception of Lodge Members (Ag. 1854) : The Commission had received a letter from the Rev.
Donald Jordan, asking the question of whether Bylaw 10.03 d, I and 2 allow for excepting those persons
from the provision in c that "pastors of the Synod do not administer Holy Communion nor admit to
communicant membership members of such organizations . . . " The basic question was whether a pastor
is allowed to accept lodge members into communicant membership in an exceptional case or whether no
exceptions are allowed. The pastor contended that Bylaw 10.03 d, 1 and 2 applied to people who are
already members of the congregation and are being led to leave the lodge but did not apply to persons
who desired communicant membership and were not yet members of the congregation.
The Commission had become aware of the fact that the question was occasioned by the fact that the
pastor who was inquiring had been serving as a vacancy pastor of a congregation and, during the course
of adult instruction, had learned that one of those who desired communicant membership belonged to a
fraternal organization. It was reported by him that his belief that such a person should not be admitted to
communicant membership had been overruled by the congregation with the support of the circuit
counselor. The district president, according to him, had indicated that this was to be treated as an
exceptional case.
In response to the inquiry, the Commission concluded that the vacancy pastor was correct in his view and
that persons who were found to be members of lodges prior to admission to communicant membership
should not be received into membership while retaining membership in a lodge or other fraternal
organization. Nevertheless, the Commission has concluded that the person now received into