Official Handbook Source Text
Handbook page 100
Source: LCMS Handbook 2023, page 100.
This page reproduces text from the 2023 LCMS Handbook for study and navigation. Readers should verify procedural, legal, parliamentary, or governance questions against the official LCMS Handbook and appropriate LCMS authorities.
3. NATIONAL ORGANIZATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
3.1 National Conventions
3.1.1 The national convention of the Synod shall afford an opportunity for
worship, nurture, inspiration, fellowship, and the communication of vital information. It is the principal legislative assembly, which amends the Constitution and Bylaws, considers and takes action on reports and overtures, and handles appropriate appeals. It establishes general positions and policies of the Synod, provides overall program direction and priorities, and evaluates all such positions, programs, policies, directions, and priorities in order to provide responsible service for and on behalf of its members. Only a national convention of the Synod shall authorize affiliation or association and the discontinuance of such affiliation or association of the Synod with other church bodies, synods, or federations.
Voting Delegates
3.1.2 Electoral circuits shall meet as required by the Bylaws of the Synod to elect
circuit voting delegates to the Synod’s national conventions.
(a) An electoral circuit shall consist either of one or two adjacent visitation circuits, as shall be determined by the district board of directors on the basis of the following requirements: each pair of delegates shall represent from 7 to 20 member congregations, involving an aggregate confirmed membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000.
(b) Exceptions to these requirements may be made only by the President of the Synod upon request of a district board of directors.
(c) Voting delegates shall consist of one pastor and one layperson from each electoral circuit. These pastoral and lay delegates and their alternates shall be elected according to the regulations of the Synod (Bylaw 3.1.2.1).
(d) The lay delegate shall serve throughout the triennium following the convention as an advisory member of the circuit forum.
3.1.2.1 Elections of voting delegates shall take place in accordance with
established policy and procedure.
(a) Each electoral circuit shall meet at the call of the circuit visitor(s) to elect its delegates not later than nine months prior to the opening day of the convention. When in-person meetings are burdensome (e.g., geographically large circuits), a circuit may select another manner of meeting (e.g., e -meeting technologies) that is suitable and made available to all participants, taking into consideration the need to provide for an open and fair exchange of ideas and secure, private, and confidential voting.
(b) Each electoral circuit may adopt procedures and methods that will ensure efficiency and accuracy, including the use of mechanical, electronic, or other methods of casting, recording, or tabulating votes.
(c) The privilege of voting shall be exercised by one pastor and one layperson from each member congregation or multi-congregation parish of the circuit , both of whom shall have been elected in the
