To Amend Bylaws to Eliminate Ability of Circuit Forum to Submit Overtures

Official Workbook overture source text

9-36 
To Amend Bylaws to Eliminate Ability  
of Circuit Forum to Submit Overtures 
WHEREAS, The principal business of the Synod and its districts 
in convention is conducted through the consideration of reports and 
overtures (Bylaw 3.1.6); and 
W
HEREAS, Overtures to the Synod in convention and the districts 
in convention may be submitted by, inter alia , member 
congregations of the Synod and a forum of a circuit (circuit forum) 
(Bylaw 3.1.6.2); and 
W
HEREAS, Visitation circuits are a network of congregations, 
established by a district according to geographical criteria (Bylaw 
section 5.l), for which the circuit forum is designed to keep 
“congregations, particularly the lay leaders, commissioned 
ministers, and pastors, supportive of one another in their common 
confession and mutually active in developing programs for the good 
of member congregations, in considering and recommending new 
work, and in suggesting improvements for services and 
programming at the national and district levels” (Bylaw 5.3.1); and 
WHEREAS, The Bylaws provide that a circuit forum consists of 
one pastor and one layperson from each member congregation 
(Bylaw 5.3.2), is encouraged to meet at least twice a year (Bylaw 
5.3.l), and must meet at least once triennially (Bylaw 5.3.3), but do 
not establish requirements for a quorum or the voting threshold for 
a circuit forum to take action; and 
WHEREAS, A member congregation of the Synod can submit 
overtures, authorized and approved by a majority of the voting 
members of said member congregation at a meeting at which a 
quorum is present or by its governing board if so authorized by the 
governing documents of said member congregation, either of which 
carries legitimacy in the act; and 
W
HEREAS, Conversely, submission of an overture by a circuit 
forum gives the impression that it is supported by all congregations 
of the visitation circuit when, in reality, it may have been approved 
by a minimal number of representatives who attended the circuit 
forum; and 
WHEREAS, Nothing is accomplished by allowing circuit forums 
to submit overtures that cannot be accomplished through member 
congregations of a visitation circuit submitting the same overture to 
the Synod in convention or a district in convention; therefore be it 
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.1.6.2 be amended as follows: 
2026 Convention Workbook
486 STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION