Official Handbook Source Text
Handbook page 187
Source: LCMS Handbook 2023, page 187.
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.
become a candidate. In the event of a tie for the final candidate position, all names involved in the tie shall be included as candidates.
3.12.2.2 The Secretary of the Synod shall publish in the Convention Workbook and
post on the Synod Website brief biographies of the five candidates for President and the 20 candidates for First Vice -President. This report shall contain such pertinent information as age, residence, number of years in the Synod, present position, offices previously held in a district or the Synod, year of or dination, former pastorates, involvement in community, government, or interchurch affairs, and any other specific experience and qualification for the office. Opportunity to provide a personal statement shall be offered to each candidate for publication in an official periodical, this statement also to be posted on the Synod’s Website.
3.12.2.3 The Secretary of the Synod shall compile and maintain the voters list for
the election of the President of the Synod. This list and any of its parts shall not be disseminated.
(a) This voters list shall include:
(1) the pastor of each member congregation or multi-congregation parish (assisting pastors are not eligible)
(2) a lay person from the congregation or parish
(b) The congregation or parish shall present to the Secretary of Synod 90 days prior to the election , via a secure and verifiable method provided by the Secretary, the voter(s) selected by the congregation or parish, as well as an attestation by two of the congregation’s officers that the voter(s) are properly authorized by the congregation to vote on its behalf. If a congregation or parish has more than one pastor eligible to vote, the congregation shall designate which pastor will cast a vote on behalf of the congregation.
(c) If one or both voters are unavailable, congregations shall be provided opportunity to select substitute voters up to a deadline designated by the Secretary.
(d) The registration status of congregations shall be made available to respective district presidents for the sole purpose of their encouraging registration for greater congregational participation. The registration status of congregations shall not be further disseminated.
3.12.2.4 Six weeks prior to the national convention, the Secretary of the Synod shall
provide, via a secure and verifiable method, opportunity for two voting delegates from each congregation , as determined according to Bylaw
3.12.2.3, to vote for one of the candidates for President. The Secretary shall, with the approval of the Board of Directors of the Synod, obtain the assistance necessary to accomplish this task. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, a second or succeeding ballots are required for a majority; the candidate receiving the fewest votes shall be dropped from the ballot, and another vote shall be taken in the same manner.
3.12.2.5 Following the completion of the election and at least two weeks prior to the
convention, the Secretary shall notify the candidates of the results of the ballot(s). He shall thereafter also make the results known to the public. The candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be declared elected.
3.12.2.6 Prior to all other elections, the convention shall elect the First Vice -
President.
