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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 222

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

222 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

the English District, the Board of Directors set the pattern
for them; and be it further

Resolved, That the number of advisory delegates be re-
duced by 45 to 65 percent, according to a policy to be de-
termined by the Board of Directors; and be it finally

Resolved, That this system take effect in the first con-
vention following the 1973 convention.

Peace LUTHERAN CHURCH
Glidden, Iowa
Phillip Bushman, Secretary

5-31

To Revise Procedure Order for Electing
Delegates

Wuereas, The pastoral delegate and the lay delegate
usually represent their electing circuits: and

Whereas, The alternate pastoral delegate and the alter-
nate lay delegate usually do not represent. their electing
circuits; and

Wuereas, The present order of electing delegates is
1. Pastoral delegate: 2. Alternate pastoral delegate; 3. Lay
delegate; 4. Alternate lay delegate; therefore be it

Resolved, That the order of electing delegates (Bylaw
1.53) be changed to 1. Pastoral delegate: 2. Lay delegate;
3. Pastoral alternate: 4, Lay alternate: and be it further

Resolved, That the sentence reading, “The same pro-
cedure shall then be followed in determining who shall be
the pastoral alternate and, in turn, which congregation shall
supply the lay delegate and which congregation shall supply
the lay alternate” be changed to read, "The same procedure
shall be followed in determining which congregation shall
supply the lay delegate and. in turn, who shall be the pas-
toral alternate and which congregation shall supply the lay
alternate”; and he it finally

Resolved, That the sentence reading, “Those congrega-
tions supplying the pastoral delegate and alternate shall be
eliminated from consideration in determining which congre-
gations shall supply the lay delegate and alternate” be
changed to read, “The congregation supplying the pastoral
delegate shall be eliminated from consideration in determin-
ing which congregation shall supply the lay delegate, the
pastoral alternate, and the lay alternate. The congregation
supplying the lay delegate shall be eliminated from con-
sideration in determining which congregation shall supply
the pastoral alternate and the lay alternate. The congrega-
tion supplying the pastoral alternate shall be eliminated from
consideration in determining which congregation shal]
supply the lay alternate.”

St. Paut’s Lutyeran Cuurcn
Enid, Okla.

Kenneth E. Wade, Pastor
Walter Lemke, Chairman
Gilbert Williams, Secretary

i
eo
ho

To Provide for Substitute at Circuit
Election Meetings

Wuereas, The pastor of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church was
incapacitated by serious illness and was unable to attend
the regularly scheduled circuit meeting of the Ann Arbor
Circuit — Michigan District on October 1972 at which meet-
ing pastoral and lay delegates were elected to attend the
1973 convention of the LCMS in New Orleans; and

Wuersas, St. Luke’s Congregation of Ann Arbor, Mich.,
was advised that the rules of the Synod do not permit
a congregation in such circumstances to designate a substi-
tute or alternate clergyman on the synodical roster to repre-
sent it and to cast a vote on behalf of its pastor; and

Wuergas, St. Luke's Congregation of Ann Arbor, acting
through the Voters Assembly, expressed its desire and will-
ingness to designate such alternate or substitute clergyman,
and directed the Church Council of said congregation to
memorialize Synod to amend the synodical rules to permit

designation of an alternate or substitute clergyman in simi-
lar circumstances; therefore be it

Resolved That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod,
acting in convention assembled in New Orleans July, 1973,
so alter its rules and Bylaws governing the selection of
pastoral and lay delegates to synodical conventions in cir-
cuit meetings that hereafter any member congregation whose
pastor, by reason of illness, is unable to attend and vote at
circuit meetings, where such delegates are selected, may
designate an alternate clergyman on the synodical roster,
with the consent of such alternate clergyman, to attend and
vote in place of its pastor, under appropriate procedures set
forth in such amended synodical rules.

Sr. Luke’s LutHeran Cuurcy
Ann Arbor, Mich.

Charles Hoopes, Secretary
William Steude, President

5-33

To Permit District Board of Directors
to Make Exceptions

Wuereas, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod has
always been interested in hearing the opinions of all seg-
ments of its church; and

Whereas, Synod and _ its President cannot always be
aware of the factors involved in the election of delegates
for conventions when it is required by Synod and its Presi-
dent that two visitation circuits must join together to be an
cligible electoral circuit under the provisions of Bylaw 1.51
of Synod’s Constitution which reads in part as follows:

- each pair of delegates shall represent from
7 to 20 member congregations, involving an aggre-
gate communicant membership ranging from 1,500
to 10,000

therefore be it

Resolved, That the following wording be accepted as
a constitutional revision of Handbook Section 151:

PRESENT WORDING

Exceptions to these requirements and limitations
can be made only by the President of the Synod
upon request of a District Board of Directors.

PROPOSED WORDING

Exceptions to these requirements and limitations
can be made only by the District Board of Directors
of the District directly involyed upon request by
the circuit or circuits involved.

IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH

Oakley, Kans.

Don Moore, President

Alan Nathan, Pastor

Raymond Strub, Secretary

5-34

To Revise the Delegate Procedure

Wuereas, The present system of electing a pastoral and
lay delegate from each circuit has certain inequalities and
imbalances in the proportionment of the delegates in rela-
tionship to the membership of the Synod; and,

Wuereas, The large number of delegates assembled under
the present procedure incurs a substantial expense; be it
therefore

Resolved, That one voting delegate be elected in each
Circuit from among all eligible voting members; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Committee on Constitutional Matters
be directed to provide for a distribution of voting delegates
to the Synod in approximate proportion to their numerical
membership in the Synod.

Grace LuTHeRaAn CHURCH
Jacksonville, Fla.
Herbert Schert, Chairman