Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1975 · 51st Convention › Page 236
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 236

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

236 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

WHEREAS. District Presidents are responsible for carrying
out the directives of synodical conventions within their Dis-
tricts: therefore be it

Resolved. That District Presidents and First Vice-Presidents
be elected by the synodical conventions: and be it further

Resolved. That one half of the District Presidents and Vice-
Presidents be elected at each synodical convention for 4-year
terms.

Christ Lutheran Church
Coos Bay, Oreg.

Wayne Buckles, President
Curt Aman, Secretary

3-68A

To Provide Procedures for Removal
of Synodical President and Vice-
Presidents from Office for Cause

WHEREAS. The Constitution is careful to protect its pastors,
teachers, and congregations in the performance of their duties
and the maintenance of their rights (Art. III, 8): and

WHEREAS. The President and the Vice-Presidents as the
highest officers of the Synod are responsible to provide that
protection: and

WHEREAS, There is inherent in that protection the right of
protection against those who use power unscrupulously: and

WHEREAS. There has been demonstrated recently in Amer-
ican politics the wisdom of the power to remove from office
one who misuses power: therefore be it

Resolved. That the 1975 convention of the Synod instruct
the Council of Presidents to appoint a committee to propose
to the 1977 convention specific Bylaw changes to provide pro-
cedures for the removal of the President and Vice-Presidents
from office for cause.

Pilgrim Lutheran Church
Indianapolis, Ind.

Glenn Hackman, President
Theodore Mesh, Secretary

Identical or similar:

5-68B

St. Mark's, Milwaukee, Wis. David Rockrohr

5-69

To Change Method of Filling
Vice-Presidential Offices

WHEREAS, Elected officers of the Synod are to be representa-
tives of the Synod, are to reflect the views of the Synod, and
are to carry out freely and willingly the resolutions of the Synod:
and

WHEREAS, Handbook Section 2.38, on filling vacancies in the
office of Vice-President, limits the filling of such vacancies to
only those who were on the ballot at the preceding convention
in which elections were held, and further limits the filling of
such vacancies to the person receiving the next-highest number
of votes cast: and

WHEREAS. This could easily bring about a situation in which
someone who is representative of a very small group, who
represents a small minority point of view, and who originally
received the support of only a few scattered congregations and
a few votes, nevertheless would have to be appointed to the
office of Vice-President: therefore be it

Resolved. That Section 2.38 of the Synod’s Handbook be
changed to read:

A vacancy in a Vice-Presidency shall be filled by
advancing the lower ranking Vice-Presidents. The
remaining vacancy shall then be filled by a joint
meeting of the Board of Directors of the Synod and
the remaining Vice-Presidents. Each member of the
Board of Directors and each remaining Vice-President

shall have one vote for this election. This joint group
may call for nominations by the congregations of the
Synod as is done for other positions in the Synod, and
it may consider those who were nominated at the pre-
vious election.
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church
Richfield, Minn.
Leonard Arndt, President
Jerome Rollay, Secretary

To Elect a Sixth and a Seventh
Vice-President

WHEREAS, It is desirable that all officers be elected by ma-
jority vote: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention assembled elect
a Sixth and a Seventh Vice-President. These shall have no
duties but shall succeed to the higher ranking Vice-Presidencies
if these become vacant.
St. James Lutheran Church
University City, Mo.
John Essen, President
Carl Meinecke, Secretary
Tom Baker, Pastor

To Require Reporting of Tally
in Elections

WHEREAS, The 1973 convention resolved (Res. 5-02) that the
tally of the votes cast for each candidate should be announced
after each ballot in all elections: therefore be it

Resolved. That this provision be incorporated in the Bylaws
by adding the following paragraph to Bylaw 2.125:

c. The tally of the votes cast for each candidate
shall be announced after each ballot in all elections.

Commission on Constitutional Matters
Herbert Mueller, Secretary

To Declare Many New Orleans
Resolutions Null and Void

WHEREAS, The New Orleans convention of The Lutheran
Church ~ Missouri Synod in July 1973 forced closing of debate
on Resolution 3-01 by a special closing vote that did not gather
the necessary two-thirds vote required also for such a special
motion icf. “Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised’. pp. 3, 4,
222 — 27, 517 ff., 115 ff.) but rather closing was obtained on a vote
of 548 for and 479 against (cf. Proceedings 1973, p. 34): and

WHEREAS, This ruling applied to all subsequent business
conducted by the convention in 1973 since the rule of closing
via simple majority was thereafter applied: and

WHEREAS, The ruling of the chairman of that session indi-
cating that closing based on such a vote was legal was chal-
lenged not only at the time of the ruling but also later with no
apparent answer given to such challenge: therefore be it

Resolved. That all business conducted by the 50th convention
of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod in New Orleans in
1973 after the ruling on closing by simple majority be con-
sidered null and void and of no effect.

Peace Lutheran Church
New Berlin, Wis.

Donald Schwerin, President
Jan Blanchard, Secretary
Martin W. Bangert, Pastor