Official Handbook Source Text
Handbook page 103
Source: LCMS Handbook 2023, page 103.
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.
(c) Delegates are expected to be faithful in attendance at all sessions of the convention. All duly elected voting delegates shall attend all sessions regularly until the close of the convention. Delegates who arrive late or leave early or who do not attend at all shall present a written excuse.
(d) Delegates shall report the actions of the Synod to their circuits after each convention, preferably appearing before each of the congregations they represent.
Nonvoting Advisory Delegates
3.1.3 In a convention of the Synod, all commissioned ministers and those
ordained ministers not eligible for election as a voting delegate under Bylaw 3.1.2.1 (d) and who are not eligible to represent other entities or offices in the Synod as advisory representatives in any category under Bylaw 3.1.4 shall be represented as follows:
3.1.3.1 Within each district one advisory delegate shall be selected for every 60
such ordained ministers, and one advisory delegate shall be selected for every 60 such commissioned ministers. Fractional groupings shall be disregarded except that each district shall be entitled to at least one advisory delegate in each category.
(a) Selection of district advisory delegates to conventions of the Synod shall be made by the respective groups meeting at the call of the district secretary, during the district convention, at official district conferences of ordained and/or commissioned ministers , or via electronic means according to Board of Directors policy (Bylaw 1.5.3). The district secretary may assist the groups by facilitating the elections. (b) Such selections must be completed at least nine months prior to the opening day of the convention.
(c) Ordained ministers who are eligible for election as a voting delegate under Bylaw 3.1.2.1 (d) (that is, all parish pastors except specific ministry pastors and those serving only in an assisting capacity) and all individuals who are eligible for selection in any category under Bylaw 3.1.4 shall not be counted in determining the number of advisory delegates from each district, shall not be eligible to be selected as delegates from the groups defined in this bylaw, and shall not participate in the election process.
3.1.3.2 All district voting and nonvoting advisory delegates and representatives
and their alternates shall be certified before attending a convention of the Synod.
(a) The names and addresses of all voting and nonvoting advisory delegates and representatives and their alternates shall be forwarded by the district secretary before the announced registration deadline to the Secretary of the Synod on registration forms provided by the latter.
(b) This procedure shall constitute certification.
Other Advisory Representatives
3.1.4 O fficers of the Synod, district presidents, and representatives of the
Synod’s boards, commissions, educational institutions, mission areas, chaplains and district boards of directors shall also serve as advisory representatives to the convention of the Synod.
