Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2026 · 69th Convention, Phoenix › Page 476
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 476

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

476

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION

WHEREAS, The Synod “establishes districts in order more
effectively to achieve its objectives and carry on its activities”
(Bylaw 4.1.1) by “performing the functions of the Synod” (Bylaw
4.1.1.1); and
WHEREAS, The Synod has 35 districts which vary widely in the
number of congregations, from 47 to 345, and communicant
membership, from 6,287 to 116,967, with 13 districts having fewer
than 125 congregations (The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,
“District Locator,” locator.lcms.org/district); and
WHEREAS, The presidents of each district of the Synod sit on the
Council of Presidents (COP) (Bylaw 3.10.1), which receives and
gives counsel to the President of the Synod (Bylaw 3.10.1.2),
provides opportunity for district presidents and the Praesidium of
the Synod to counsel with one another on matters regarding the
doctrine and administration of the Synod (Id.), serves as the Board
of Assignments (Bylaw 3.10.1.3), and carries out such duties as the
Synod in convention may give to the COP (Bylaw 3.10.1.4); and
WHEREAS, The variance in the number of congregations and
communicant membership of the districts of the Synod results in
each congregation and each communicant member not being
equally represented at the COP, nor among the regional vicepresidents, on matters regarding the doctrine and administration of
the Synod; and
WHEREAS, Modern technology has enabled various functions to
be carried out effectively and efficiently without regard to district
organization; and
WHEREAS, Each district of the Synod must have a district
president, at least two vice-presidents, a secretary, a treasurer,
circuit visitors (Bylaw section 4.3), board of directors (Bylaw
section 4.5), hold a district convention (Bylaw section 4.2), and
conduct official conferences (Bylaw section 4.8), all of which
offices, positions, conventions, and conferences have and incur
expenses; and
WHEREAS, The Synod, and its districts, has an ongoing
obligation to efficiently and effectively steward those gifts of time,
talent, and treasure which God leads faithful men and women to
provide through offering, gifts, and service; and
WHEREAS, The variance in the number of congregations and
communicant membership of the districts of the Synod raises for
reflection whether the districts of the Synod are effectively and
efficiently carrying out their functions on behalf of the member
congregations of each district; and
WHEREAS, Bylaw 4.1.1.3 (a) provides for realignment of districts
to “be initiated by a national convention of the Synod”; therefore be
it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention hereby direct that a
proposal be developed to realign the districts of the Synod such that
each realigned district shall have not fewer than 125 member
congregations; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention hereby establishes a task
force to develop said proposal in accordance with Bylaw 4.1.1.3,
which task force shall comprise the district presidents from the six
districts having the most member congregations and the five
districts having the fewest member congregations as of July 1,
2026; and be it further
Resolved, That said proposal shall, in addition to those factors
required to be addressed by Bylaw 4.1.1.3, address the issues of
equal representation on the COP, stewardship, and efficiency in the
2026 Convention Workbook

organization and operation of the districts on behalf of the member
congregations of the Synod and such other issues or factors as the
task force shall identify; and be it finally
Resolved, That said proposal shall be submitted to the 2029
Synod convention.
St. John
Seward, NE
Ov. 9-18

To Reclaim Beneficial Understanding
of Our Synodical Union
WHEREAS, A Synodical union is an agreed association of
congregations of the same confessions for the good of one another;
and
WHEREAS, Satan tempts us to be our own “gods” and to do what
is good in our own eyes as individuals and as congregations; and
WHEREAS, Such division confuses and obscures the
proclamation of the Gospel; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the Office of the
President to seek a reclamation of our Synodical union as per the
Preamble of the Constitution by producing a study of what it means
to be part of a Synodical union.
Montana District
Ov. 9-19

To Amend Constitution and Bylaws
to Alter Selection of Voting Delegates
to National Convention
WHEREAS, The national convention of the Synod is the “principal
legislative assembly” of the Synod and, inter alia, establishes
general positions and policies of the Synod; elects officers,
directors, and board and commission members; and provides
overall program direction and priorities (Bylaw 3.1.l); and
WHEREAS, Member congregations of the Synod are grouped
together to be represented by two voting delegates at a national
convention of the Synod, one a pastor and one a lay delegate (Const.
Art. IX l), which grouping constitutes an “electoral circuit” of
between “7 and 20 member congregations” of the Synod with
aggregate confirmed membership of between 1,500 and 10,000
individuals (Bylaw 3.1.2 [a]); and
WHEREAS, In 2024, the Synod had 5,799 member congregations,
of which 82 reported average weekly attendance in excess of 500
individuals while not less than 4,286 reported average weekly
attendance of 100 or less (LCMS Office of National Mission
handout, Smaller Congregation Summit, St. Louis, Mo., June 25–
26, 2024); and
WHEREAS, There are member congregations of the Synod that
have more than 1,500 confirmed members and could alone satisfy
the aggregate confirmed membership requirements of Bylaw 3.1.2
(a) but are required to be included in an electoral circuit,
diminishing representation of their members at a national
convention of the Synod while, conversely, 20 congregations with
50 confirmed members each in an electoral circuit would have
outsized representation at a Synod convention; and
WHEREAS, The Synod makes known the love of Christ by word
and deed through its member congregations of all sizes in the