To Amend Constitution and Bylaws to Alter Selection of Voting Delegates to National Convention

Official Workbook overture source text

9-19 
To Amend Constitution and Bylaws  
to Alter Selection of Voting Delegates  
to National Convention 
WHEREAS, The national convention of the Synod is the “principal 
legislative assembly” of the Synod and, inter alia , establishes 
general positions and policies of the Synod; elects officers, 
directors, and board and commission members; and provides 
overall program direction and priorities (Bylaw 3.1.l); and 
WHEREAS, Member congregations of the Synod are grouped 
together to be represented by two voting delegates at a national 
convention of the Synod, one a pastor and one a lay delegate (Const. 
Art. IX l), which grouping constitutes an “electoral circuit” of 
between “ 7 and 20 member congregations” of the Synod with 
aggregate confirmed membership of between 1,500 and 10,000 
individuals (Bylaw 3.1.2 [a]); and 
WHEREAS, In 2024, the Synod had 5,799 member congregations, 
of which 82 reported average weekly attendance in excess of 500 
individuals while not less than 4,286 reported average weekly 
attendance of 100 or less (LCMS Office of National Mission 
handout, Smaller C ongregation Summit, St. Louis, Mo., June 25 –
26, 2024); and 
WHEREAS, There are member congregations of the Synod that 
have more than 1,500 confirmed members and could alone satisfy 
the aggregate confirmed membership requirements of Bylaw 3.1.2 
(a) but are required to be included in an electoral circuit, 
diminishing repres entation of their members at a national 
convention of the Synod while, conversely, 20 congregations with 
50 confirmed members each in an electoral circuit would have 
outsized representation at a Synod convention; and 
WHEREAS, The Synod makes known the love of Christ by word 
and deed through its member congregations of all sizes in the 
2026 Convention Workbook
476 STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION