Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2026 · 69th Convention, Phoenix › Page 519
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 519

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

ECCLESIASTICAL SUPERVISION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
ordination, and, in general, all official papers and documents of their
district” (Const. Art. XII 9 d); and
WHEREAS, The Synod Bylaws define Concordia Plan Services
(CPS) in the following manner: “Concordia Plan Services is a
controlled entity of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod created
to manage the Concordia Plans” (Bylaw 1.2.1 [d]); and
WHEREAS, The Bylaws define the term “ecclesiastical
supervision” as follows: “the responsibility, primarily of the
President of the Synod and district presidents, to supervise on behalf
of the Synod the doctrine, life, and administration of its members,
officers, and agencies” (Bylaw 1.2.1 [j]); and
WHEREAS, The Bylaws define the relationships of the
congregations, national body, districts, and circuits in the following
manner: “… the Synod, including its component parts, also serves
as the structure through which congregations carry out certain
functions that can be performed more effectively and efficiently
together with other member congregations” (Bylaws 1.3.3); and
WHEREAS, In some cases, the aforementioned call papers
presented to professional church workers who were called to serve
calling entities within a district of the Synod have resulted in the
professional church workers not receiving the pay and/or benefits
noted in the official call papers presented to them by the calling
entities; and
WHEREAS, In at least one case of each of the following examples,
the pay and/or benefits noted above have included benefits such as
a housing agreement, CPS health insurance benefits, CPS pension
benefits, as well as CPS disability and survivor insurance, all of
which were specified in the original call papers, only to result in the
calling entities refusing to provide these benefits that were specified
in the original call papers that the calling entities officially
presented to professional church workers; therefore be it
Resolved, That district presidents or their designees certify in
writing that all the benefits provided in official call papers that are
presented by all calling entities within any given district to rostered
professional church workers are accurate and trustworthy; and be it
further
Resolved, That district presidents or their designees sign a
“certificate of authenticity” to provide assurance to the rostered
professional church workers that the pay and benefits specified in
the official call papers provided by a calling entity within the district
are, in fact, accurate and may be trusted to be executed as stated by
the calling entity; and be it further
Resolved, That district presidents, or their designees, present the
rostered professional church workers with said “certificate of
authenticity” before proceeding to install any rostered professional
church worker into his/her new place of service; and be it further
Resolved, That district presidents or their designees retain an
official copy of the “certificate of authenticity” together with all the
official call papers provided by any calling entity to any rostered
professional church workers for any called positions within the
Synod; and be it further
Resolved, That district presidents or their designees, after
establishing the above noted “certificate of authenticity,” along with
all the processes that may be needed to provide such a “certificate
of authenticity,” then advocate with the President of the Synod, the
Praesidium, the Council of Presidents, and the Synod Board of
Directors to have such a “certificate of authenticity” become a

519

regular practice for all Synod agencies and recognized service
organizations; and be it finally
Resolved, That CPS, as a controlled agency of the Synod, be
encouraged to assist the districts and the Synod in preparing such a
“certificate of authenticity” for any pay and/or benefits that CPS is
involved in providing to any rostered professional church workers
through the calling entities of Synod.
Circuit 43 (St. Joseph)
Michigan District
Ov. 10-32

To Allow Pastors to Opt Out
of Pre-Call Interviews and/or Contact
WHEREAS, The call to a pastor is a Divine Call extended by a
congregation through the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and
WHEREAS, Pre-call interviews and contact can sometimes be
perceived as shifting the focus from a Divine Call to a secular hiring
process; and
WHEREAS, Providing the ability to opt out respects the pastor’s
current ministry and personal discernment process; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod establish a policy allowing pastors to
opt out of pre-call interviews and/or pre-call contact initiated by
calling congregations.
Wyoming District
Ov. 10-33

To Amend Bylaw 2.10.3 to Allow District
Presidents to Share Issues prior to Installation
WHEREAS, A congregation may issue a call to an individual the
district president considers, for cause, to be inappropriate; and
WHEREAS, A district president has no clear authority to refuse to
authorize installation; therefore be it
Resolved, That the district president may share documentation of
serious issues with the congregation and request reconsideration;
and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 2.10.3 be amended by the additional
stipulation as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Rites of Ordination or Commissioning
2.10.3
The president of the district that will have ecclesiastical
supervision of the worker (see Bylaw section 2.12) shall be
responsible for the rites of ordination and commissioning of
candidates for the ministry called to that congregation, agency, or
other calling body.
…
(f) The district president may share documentation of serious
issues with a congregation, and request reconsideration, before
authorizing installation.

Circuit 3 (Baltimore East)
Southeastern District

2026 Convention Workbook