LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — September 30, 1998, Page 6

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for those who are in dispute." The President of the Synod, the Praesidium of the Synod or a District
President play no part in such a dispute. It is a Chapter VIII matter and is to be resolved under the process
established in Chapter VIII. Bylaw 8.07 sets forth the procedure to initiate the dispute resolution process
and the President of the Synod, the Praesidium or a District President must advise the complainant in such
cases that the matter has been presented to the wrong party and that the procedure to be followed is
provided in Chapter VIII.
The District President finally also asked several questions relating to Bylaw 2.41, d:
You also posed several questions to the Commission relating to Bylaw 2.41, d, and the District
membership and ecclesiastical supervision of the President of the Synod.
"Must the President of the Synod be a member of a District of the Synod under the provisions
of Bylaw 2.41 d.? Under the provisions of the same Bylaw, does the President of the Missouri
District have the right (and in certain circumstances, the duty) to apply the provisions of
Bylaws, Chapter 11, D. and E. (Bylaws 2.21 through 2.33) to the President of the Synod?"
In answering these questions, the Commission first observes that the President of the Synod is under the
ecclesiastical supervision of the President of the Missouri District under Bylaw 2.41, d, since the
synodical President serves the Synod at its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. Nothing in the Bylaw
indicates any intent that the synodical President (or anyone else) be excepted from this provision. Bylaw
4.73 requires that the President of the Missouri District supervise the doctrine, life and the official
administration of those who are subject to his ecclesiastical supervision. As part of that supervision, the
President of the Missouri District is held to apply the provisions of Bylaws 2.21 through 2.33 when
necessary.
The Commission further notes that these provisions do not apply to all grievances which might be
brought against the synodical President, but only those listed in Bylaws 2.23, a. 1-3, and 2.27, a.
Furthermore, given the importance of the responsibilities of the synodical President and the disruption of
the administration of Synod affairs which would result from the application of these procedures to the
indocile President, it is to be expected that the President of the Missouri District would exercise the
utmost caution, discretion and good judgment in exercising his responsibilities under these sections.
4. The Scope of Authority and Jurisdiction of Doctrinal Reviewers (98-2126)
A series of questions were submitted by the Executive Editor of The Lutheran Witness regarding the scope
of the authority and jurisdiction of doctrinal reviewers, calling attention to Bylaws 11.03, a-c. He explained
that answers to these questions are necessary for the staff of The Lutheran Witness to carry out its editorial
responsibilities.
After discussion the Commission offered the following responses to each of the questions:
1. "In Bylaw 11.07c, do the words 'inadequate,' 'misleading' and 'ambiguous' refer only to doctrinal
content, or does it refer to any content in an article?"
The matter of doctrinal review is treated in the Bylaws under the provisions of Chapter XI. Bylaw 11.01
provides that "doctrinal review is the exercise of the Synod's responsibility for every doctrinal statement
made in its material as defined in Bylaw 11.03." Bylaw 11.03, a, provides that "All official periodicals
and journals of the Synod ... shall be subject to doctrinal review." Bylaw 11.01, b, clarifies that "The
prime concern of doctrinal review is that the doctrine set forth be in accord with the Scriptures and the
Lutheran Confessions."