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LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 211

2026 Convention Workbook
176 
OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
be brought into line with the articles (see below).
ARTICLE EIGHTH: the commission notes that the “rounding 
down” of the number of additional members appointed by 
the Synod Board of Directors is not inherent in controlling 
Synod Bylaw 3.6.4.2.1; however, the commission notes this 
aspect of the LCEF articles as “semi-original” (dating to the 
implementation of the 1979 structure in 1981 LCEF articles) 
and does not find it, therefore, to require modification.
Bylaws
Article I, Section 1 (c): see above under ARTICLE EIGHTH: 
“three terms” should read “three successive terms” (new).
Article I, Section 2: while not inconsistent with the Constitution 
and Bylaws of the Synod, a reference to “written or telegraph 
notice” of a special meeting may be worthy of update.
Article II, Section 1: Synod Bylaw 3.6.1.3 (a) provides that a 
minimum of one-third of the voting members of the govern-
ing board of a synodwide corporate entity shall be elected 
by the Synod in convention. Thus, with three voting mem -
bers elected by the convention, LCEF’s board may contain 
no more than six appointed voting members; it presently 
has eight. Bylaw 3.6.1.3 (a) was (as Bylaw 3.192, reading 
“A minimum of approximately one-third” until 2004) intro-
duced by 1998 Res. 8-02B, for “implementation following 
the 2001 convention” (Proceedings, 166). 
 A 
review of LCEF Bylaws in the commission’s files noted 
a modification by the LCEF membership in November of 
1999, containing provisions adopting the present makeup of 
the LCEF board “beginning with the installation of officers 
elected at the convention of the [Synod] occurring in the 
year 2001.” The language adopted by LCEF designated three 
members to be elected by the Synod in convention, as newly 
required by 1998 Bylaw 3.490, but did not reduce the total 
size of the board to bring the ratio into alignment with Bylaw 
3.192 (present-day Bylaw 3.6.1.3 [a]) or with the comment 
under which the 1998 change to Bylaw 3.490 was adopted, 
which indicated that the change was to “establish[] that a 
minimum of approximately [n.b., the Bylaw no longer al-
lows approximation] one-third of the voting board members 
are elected by the Synod in convention” (1998 Res. 8-03B, 
Proceedings, 167). (Perhaps the ratio of 3/11 was felt to be 
“approximately” 1/3 at the time, although documentation of 
this conclusion has not been identified.) Nonetheless, this re-
flects the identification of a long-standing but apparent con-
flict between the Bylaws of the Synod and those of LCEF, 
which needs to be corrected.
Article II, Section 3: Here it is provided that no director may be 
re-elected after serving four consecutive terms; Synod By-
law 3.6.4.3, however, does not read “consecutive” or “suc-
cessive,” but limits directors of LCEF to four terms total.
Article II, Section 4: It would be appropriate to include the re-
quirement of Synod Bylaw 1.5.3, that the board of directors 
meet at least quarterly (new).
Article II, Section 6 (f): perhaps “including the District 
Vice-Presidents” is intended here?
Article VI, final sentence: “to ascertain that” should read (cf. By-
law 3.6.1.7 [a]) “for it to review and approve that.”
Synod Bylaw 1.5.2 requires implementation of the Synod’s con-
flict of interest policy. While explicit mention in these gov-
requiring adjustment due to the senior pastor vacancy, it is the 
parish’s determination—with the benefit of the advice, counsel, 
and ecclesiastical supervision of the respective district president 
and within the commitments it has made as a member of the Syn-
od—how pastoral oversight will be provided for in the vacancy. 
(It should be noted that an assistant or associate pastor remaining 
in the parish does not always serve as the senior during a vacancy, 
even where he is a general pastor.) If the district president cannot 
certify that the SMP is adequately trained to take on oversight of 
the congregation’s auxiliary offices (or otherwise, to carry out the 
role of the senior pastor), the congregation will need to obtain the 
service of a different vacancy pastor who is so equipped. The SMP 
“is eligible to serve only in that specific ministry context for which 
he is trained” and may not serve outside that context (call, parish) 
without the certification of his district president (Bylaw 2.13.1).
Endnotes
1. 2007 Res. 5-01B and the bylaws it introduced appear to have used the 
terms supervision and oversight without reference to the definitions of By-
law 1.2.1. Supervision here does not appear to be either “to have authority 
over, to direct actions, to control activities” (the definition of supervision, 
Bylaw 1.2.1 [u])—because the SMP and neither the supervising general 
pastor nor the district president is pastor within the scope of the SMP’ s call 
call—or, in the case of the supervision general pastor, the fullness of the ec-
clesiastical supervision assigned to the district president (Bylaw 1.2.1 [i]). 
The Council of Presidents continues to define, in practical terms, the sense 
of the general pastor’ s supervisory work. This terminology is referred to the 
Commission on Handbook for potential clarification.
2. Some particular SMPs, of course, already possess certification as 
a commissioned minister. While the particular SMP may thereby have the 
training expected of a commissioned minister and ought not by virtue of 
additional SMP training be excluded from commissioned ministry roles, it 
should not be presumed that this combination constitutes adequate prepa-
ration for pastoral supervision of commissioned ministry in a congregation.
3. See note 1 above regarding the use of oversight in a sense likely far 
more general than that of Bylaw 1.2.1 (p).
Lutheran Church Extension Fund Articles of 
Incorporation and Bylaw Review (23-3024)
Minutes of March 15–16, 2024
In its review of a proposed amendment to the Lutheran Church Ex-
tension Fund (LCEF) Articles of Incorporation (Op. 23-3015, min-
utes of September 6, 2023), the commission had noted a number of 
additional items potentially requiring attention and indicated that 
it would undertake a full review of the LCEF bylaws and consult 
with LCEF regarding some of them, in particular, the requirement 
of Synod Bylaw 3.6.1.3 (a) that “a minimum of one-third of the vot-
ing members of every governing board [of a synodwide corporate 
entity] shall be elected by the Synod in convention.” 
The commission now undertakes that review. In addition to the by-
law items identified in the commission’s previous review (Op. 23-
3015, September 6, 2023, these reproduced here for convenience), 
the commission notes the following, marked as “(new)”:
Articles of Incorporation (new)
ARTICLE SEVENTH: “subject to the Constitution and Bylaws” 
should read “subject to the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolu-
tions.” (Bylaw 3.6.1.8 [b])
ARTICLE EIGHTH: members-at-large are limited to three suc-
cessive terms, while in the corresponding bylaw (Article I, 
Section 1 [c]), there is no qualification on the limit of three 
terms. This is inconsistent. Presumably, the bylaws should