Official Handbook Source Text
Handbook page 162
Source: LCMS Handbook 2023, page 162.
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.
3.10.5.6.2 As soon as an impending vacancy in the office of president is known, the
board of regents, with prior consent of the President of the Synod, shall issue in an official periodical of the Synod a call for the nomination of candidates for the presidency of the seminary. The call for nominations shall describe the office and qualifications desired to fill it.
(a) Candidates may be nominated by congregations of the Synod, the board of regents, and the faculty of the seminary.
(b) All nominations must be filed with the designee of the board of regents within 60 days of the date of its published request unless the request sets a later date.
(1) Persons nominated may decline to be candidates, and their names will be removed from the list of nominees.
(2) Nominees who allow themselves to be listed as candidates will be asked to pledge, if called, to render a decision within 15 days of receipt of the call, unless granted an extension by the board of regents.
(3) The designee of the board of regents shall publish in an official periodical of the Synod the names of the nominees who have permitted themselves to be candidates and the date on which the election is to be held, which shall not be less than 30 days after the date of the publication of the names of the candidates.
(c) All recommendations, statements of qualifications of any nominees, or objections to any nominee with reasons therefor, must be filed with the board of regents before the time fixed for the election. If a charge of false doctrine or offensive life is regist ered, the board of regents shall investigate and reach a decision on such charge before proceeding with the election.
(d) A search committee, in its first phase of activity, shall be composed of three full -time faculty members (elected by the faculty with one alternate), and three board of regents members (elected by the board with one alternate). The alternate members shall participate in all meetings but shall not vote while serving as alternates.
(1) The search committee shall make a written report of the needs of the seminary, the requirements of the Synod, and the required and desired qualifications of the nominees.
(2) This written report shall be shared with the electors.
(e) The search committee, in its second phase of activity, shall be composed of the original search committee, with the addition of three full-time faculty members (elected by the faculty).
(1) The search committee shall prepare reports on the credentials of the nominees. The board of regents shall make available to the search committee all information it receives regarding the candidates.
(2) The search committee shall submit to the electors a report of evaluations and recommendations regarding the candidates.
(f) Open forums shall be conducted with administrative staff, students, and other constituents as deemed essential by the search committee to gather extensive input to the process.
