Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1975 · 51st Convention › Page 215
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 215

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

CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 215

has made suggest that there is a logical progression of thought
in the Constitution. One may say that the articles of the Con-
stitution address themselves to three basic sequential questions:

1. What are we? (Preamble, Articles I, II, IV, V, VI. VII,
XIII

2. What do we hope to accomplish together? (Article IIT)

3. How do we intend to go about doing this? ‘Articles VIII,
IX, X, XI, XII, XIV)

The committee has not finished the study of the entire Con-
stitution. Consequently it does not have any specific recommen-
dations to make at this time. It gave intensive study to the
articles under the first question above.

The following represents a tentative rewording of some of the
articles which have been researched, discussed, reviewed, and
rephrased and are presented to the convention for comment
and reaction. The committee will be grateful to the convention
for giving it further instructions on those articles where it has
attempted to seek greater clarity of expression, as well as in the
other articles where the studies are incomplete.

The tentative rewording, where it has been formulated,
follows.

PREAMBLE
(Retain as is.)

Article I Name

(Retain as is.)

Article II Confession

(This vital and crucial article received thorough
consideration: however, because of its crucial bearing
on the life in the church today, the committee respect-
fully asks the convention to express its position with
respect to the article, including also a definitive re-
sponse to the question of contemporary confessional
proclamation. The committee itself decided that it was
inexpedient to amend or to revise Article II at this
time without a specific direction from the convention.)

Article III Objects

(The studies are incomplete.)

Article IV Powers

(Retain as is.)

Article V Membership
A. Membership in the Synod

Voting membership in the Synod may be acquired
and held only by congregations that profess the Lu-
theran faith (Art. ID) and accept this Constitution and
its Bylaws.

B. Membership in the Ministerium of the Synod

Membership in the ministerium of the Synod may
be secured under terms of the Bylaws by qualified
individuals who profess the Lutheran faith (Art. IT) and
accept this Constitution and its Bylaws. Separate
rosters for various categories of recognized church
vocations shall be maintained by the Secretary.

Article VI. Conditions of Membership

(The studies are incomplete.)

Article VII Relationship Between the Synod
and Its Members

In matters pertaining to the self-government of the
individual congregations that are not in conflict with
the obligations assumed in Articles II, II], and VI, the
Synod is advisory: however, through subscription to
the synodical Constitution, the members of the Synod
stand in a serving relationship to one another in loving
unity under the confessions as stated in Article II, the
objects listed in Article III, and the conditions of
membership laid down in Article VI.

Article VII] Synodical Conyentions
(Retain A and B as is.)
C. Resolutions at Synodical Conventions

All matters shall be decided by a majority vote. In
case of a tie vote, the President may cast the deciding
vote. Matters of doctrine shall be decided on the basis
of the testimony of God's Word. The authority of a
synodical resolution on doctrine is resident in the
authority of the Holy Scriptures, which the Synod
applies by a majority vote to the issues facing the
church.

Article IX Representation

The conventions of the Synod shall be composed of
regularly elected delegates and representatives and
of certain specified individuals, to wit:

1. A circuit of congregations as prescribed by the
Synod shall be represented by two voting delegates,
one a layman and the other a pastor, both of them
chosen by congregational representatives at a circuit
meeting:

2. Boards, commissions, and educational institu-
tions that are in a reporting relationship to the conven-
tion shall be represented on an advisory, nonvoting
basis:

3. Also in attendance shall be persons who by
virtue of their office or who by special provision in the
Bylaws are required or permitted to attend as ad-
visory, nonvoting members of the convention.

Article X Officers

(The studies are incomplete.)

Article XI Rights and Duties of Officers

(The studies are incomplete.)

Article XII Districts of the Synod and
Their Regulation

\Retain paragraphs 1 —6 as is.)

7. As representatives of the synodical President
and accountable and responsible to him, the District
Presidents shall:

a. Moreover, especially exercise supervision over
the doctrine, life, and administration of the office of the
pastors and teachers, and of other professional church
workers who are not members of the Synod. To this
end they shall visit and, according as they deem it
necessary. hold investigations in the congregations.
Their assistants in this work are the Circuit Counselors
who, therefore. shall regularly make their reports to
the District President:

b. Suspend from membership pastors, professors,
teachers, and other professional church workers for
persistently adhering to false doctrine or for having
given offense by an ungodly life, in accordance to
such procedure as shall be set forth in the Bylaws of
the Synod.

(Retain paragraphs 9 and 10 as is.)

Article XIII Expulsion from the Synod

(The studies are incomplete.)

Article XIV. Changes in and Amendments to the
Constitution

(The studies are incomplete.)

Conclusion

In spite of the 11 meetings conducted by the committee
during the past biennium, between February 1974 and March
1975. it was unable to complete the tasks assigned to it, includ-
ing especially the systematic and comprehensive study of the
synodical Constitution and Bylaws. The New Orleans conven-