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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 146

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

146

tation and structure for the Synod and that such was well beyond
the Synod’s charge to the task force.
Even a more modest version of this option retaining the necessity for geographic lines in the electoral circuit and expecting circuit
forums could still meet in person was not without its own set of
problems. On one hand, the electoral circuits could be more easily
adjusted to the changing needs or dynamic situations of the Synod
while preserving its congregations from disruption in the normal
work of the visitation circuit. Though visitation circuits would be
formed with the sole focus on visitation and the mission of God
without being concerned about meeting specific numerical membership requirements, the separation of the electoral circuit from
the visitation circuit was not believed to be helpful overall. The
Synod has for the entirety of its existence seen a connection between the two and this might lead to weakened ties between the
individual congregations or parishes of the circuit and the overall
work in common through the Synod. Because of the confusion this
might occasion, the task force did not give more serious consideration to this change.

Recommendations
Having considered all the foregoing, the task force makes the
following proposal to the 2026 Synod convention:
1.

Change the Bylaw 3.1.2 standard from congregations
to parishes;

Remove from the bylaw entirely the possibility of exceptions (except that no district shall be left without
any circuit); and

Remove from the bylaw the upper limits for the number of congregations, confirmed members, and how
many visitation circuits may combine into an electoral
circuit.

The task force believes that this realignment would more closely connect the number of delegates to the actual size of the Synod
and the number of its parishes. Therefore, the task force recommends the following bylaw changes to the Synod in convention:

Proposed Action
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.1.2 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Voting Delegates
3.1.2
Electoral circuits shall meet as required by the Bylaws
of the Synod to elect circuit voting delegates to the Synod’s national conventions.
(a) An electoral circuit shall consist either of one or two of one
or more adjacent visitation circuits, as shall be determined by
the district board of directors on the basis of the following
requirements: each pair of delegates shall represent from 7 to
20 member congregations at least six (6) parishes (as defined
in Bylaw 2.5.5; each congregation of a parish divided across
circuit lines counts, for this purpose, as an equal fraction of
the parish, i.e., ½ for each congregation in a parish of two
congregations; ⅓ for each in a parish of three; etc.), involving an aggregate confirmed membership ranging from of at
least 1,500 to 10,000.
(b) Exceptions to these requirements may be made only by the
President of the Synod upon request of a district board of
directors. No exceptions shall be granted, except that each
2026 Convention Workbook

district shall have at least one electoral circuit.
(c) Voting delegates shall consist of one pastor and one layperson from each electoral circuit. These pastoral and lay delegates and their alternates shall be elected according to the
regulations of the Synod (Bylaw 3.1.2.1).
(d) The lay delegate shall serve throughout the triennium following the convention as an advisory member of the forum or
fora of the visitation circuit(s) comprising the electoral circuit
forum.

Addendum
While 2023 Res. 9-06A did not assign to the task force the topic
of nonvoting advisory delegates, the task force did review the work
of the task force to the 2023 convention of the Synod and its work
with respect to advisory delegates and giving the voting franchise
to advisory delegates. Given the projection of retirements and the
increasing numbers of pastors emeriti in particular, the task force
did discuss how this would impact the overall potential size of the
convention. Given the track record of most districts electing fewer than the current Bylaws allow for advisory commissioned and
ordained delegates to the Synod convention, the task force did not
believe that this merited an addition to the charge given to the task
force by the 2023 convention and decided to leave this topic to another group for study and recommendation, should the convention
so choose. The task force does point out the potential, should districts exercise it and advisory members desire, to have the number
of advisory delegates increase in proportion to the number of voting
delegates.
Larry A. Peters, Chairman