LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — undated, Page 1

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(3) The publication intends to address what it calls dated structure that gets in the way of ministry. It
differentiates between “churched culture churches” and “mission outpost churches,” the former
preoccupied with internal issues, the latter focusing on the Great Commission. The Commission would
share the same concern whenever congregations fail to remember their purpose. A congregation should
periodically evaluate its structure to make certain that it enables rather than hampers its mission. The
Commission would suggest, however, that, in cases where a congregation has lost its sense of mission,
more will likely be deficient than merely the structure of its operations.
(4) The publication intends to address a congregation’s lack of time and energy to undergo a long and
tedious process of developing and adopting constitutions and bylaws. The Commission responds that
this process need not be long and tedious. A small committee of interested persons can be given the
responsibility to produce draft documents, after which the entire congregation reviews and discusses
them before their adoption. While the process, therefore, need not take two years, whatever length of
time that may be necessary to do this important task carefully and properly is worth the effort.
201. Adjournment
After brief discussion of the status of the “Guidelines for Constitutions” document and travel and lodging
arrangements for coming convention meetings, Chairman Tesch called on Gerhard Bode to provide a
closing prayer.
Raymond L. Hartwig, Secretary

MINUTES
COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS
July, 2001
(Actions taken by the Commission
at the time of the 2001 convention of the Synod)
202. Questions Repeatedly Raised re Nominations Process (01-2225)
Due to questions repeatedly raised regarding the consequences for the election of President upon the death
of Dr. A. L. Barry, the Secretary of the Synod suggested that the Commission provide a response to a series
of questions for publication in Reporter. The Commission provided the following responses.
Question 1:

If an ordained minister dies after he has been nominated for the office of President of
the Synod by a voting congregation, can such congregation nominate another
candidate in place of the deceased candidate?

Opinion: The answer is “no.” The Bylaws of the Synod make no provision for such nominations.
Question 2:

What happens if a candidate for the President of the Synod dies and is one of the five
ordained ministers receiving the highest number of votes from the nominating ballots
of the congregations?

Opinion: Bylaw 3.961, c, provides that in the event of the death of a candidate, the nominee having the
next highest number of votes shall become a candidate.
Question 3:

Are the candidates for President of the Synod limited to the ordained ministers chosen
in accord with the nominating procedure set forth in Bylaws 3.961, a-d?

201