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2026 Convention Workbook 56

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

Review of Governing Documents: A second area of the commission’s charge is to ensure that the articles of incorporation, bylaws, and policy manuals of all the agencies of the Synod are in harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod. To this end, Synod Bylaws require that every agency submitting any desired changes to its articles of incorporation or bylaws receives prior approval from the commission. (Note: Because districts can only change bylaws at their triennial conventions, Bylaw 3.9.2.2.3 [b] provides a process by which district conventions may amend a district bylaw proposal previously submitted and approved by the commission and have the result take effect upon the commission’s subsequent approval of the amended, adopted proposal.)

If any agency of Synod fails to receive prior approval of the commission on any proposed change to their bylaws or articles of incorporation (as required by Bylaw 3.9.2.2.3 [a]), these changes are of no effect and have no power or authority unless and until they are approved by the commission.

The definition of an agency of the Synod is found in Bylaw 1.2.1 (a)(1): “Agencies include each board, commission, council, seminary, university, college, district, Concordia Plan Services, and each synodwide corporate entity.” In addition, Bylaw 1.5.3.6 (and associated 2016 Res. 9-02A)

requires all agencies to include certain specific language in their most fundamental governing documents or to seek and receive an exception from the Board of Directors of the Synod. This remains one of the ongoing tasks of the commission to complete the review and approval of such documents.

Dispute Resolution and Expulsion Processes: Finally, the commission together with the COP maintains the Standard Operating Procedures Manuals for the dispute resolution and expulsion processes of the Synod. As a result, following each convention, the commission, with the concurrence of the COP, reviews these manuals and makes any changes necessitated by changes to the Bylaws approved by the convention.

Although the commission has not been able to meet with the COP annually, it has enjoyed the opportunity to meet and share with the district presidents of the Synod in their various responsibilities toward the common good. Whenever an opinion affects agencies of the Synod, the commission invites comment and counsel from the various agencies and their leadership before rendering an opinion.

The Synod has stated since the inception of the CCM that “an opinion rendered by the commission shall be binding on the question decided unless and until it is overruled by a convention of the Synod” (Bylaw 3.9.2.2 [c]). Taking seriously the charge given by the Synod, the commission has worked diligently so that the will and desire of the Synod as expressed in our Constitution and Bylaws is honored in such a way that protects the rights and authority of the Synod and ensures that all its agencies act within their pur - view and the authority granted to them by the Synod in fulfilling the objectives of the Synod. This remains the single agenda of the commission. The commission wishes to thank the Secretary of the Synod, the Rev. Dr. John W. Sias, for his exemplary service, for keeping and publishing the minutes, and for maintaining the records of the commission and the agencies of Synod so that this commission might fulfill its purpose.

Larry A. Peters, Chairman dialogue with the district presidents and should make the use and development of the mission and ministry emphasis more adaptable and responsive to the needs of the Synod. The sunsetting of the mission priorities will eliminate confusion and enable greater attention and focus to be given to the use of the mission and ministry emphasis. The new mission and ministry emphasis being proposed also aligns the mission emphasis of the Synod with other efforts currently ongoing in the Synod to raise awareness of and recruit more church workers and in looking to the future and the next generation of Lutherans the Lord will raise up. To this end it is the hope of the mission boards that this mission and ministry emphasis will be enthusiastically adopted and used by all the districts of the Synod and promoted in all her circuits and congregations.

Alfonso O. Espinosa, BNM Chairman John W. Edson, BIM Chairman

R9

Commission on Constitutional Matters The Rev. John W. Sias, ex officio member and Secretary of the Synod, convened the meeting of the Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM) to welcome returning members Mr. Thomas Deadrick, attorney, and the Rev. Larry A. Peters; and the new members, the Rev. Kevin A. Karner and the Rev. David D. Vandercook, appointed by the President and Council of Presidents (COP) on Sept.

19, 2023, to the seats formerly occupied by Dr. Gude and Rev.

Bode. (Mr. Scott A. Killian, attorney, was also returned to the commission in his first full term since being appointed to fill an attorney vacancy on the commission in 2023.) The commission designated Rev. Peters as its representative to its sister commission, the Commission on Handbook, for the new triennium but deferred the election of officers until the first in-person meeting. At the Dec. 1–2, 2023, meeting in St. Louis, Mo., the commission elected the Rev.

Peters as chairman, Mr. Deadrick as vice-chairman, and Mr. Killian as secretary pro tempore.

The commission took note of the appointments by the COP to the 2023 Resolution 9-06A, “To Appoint Task Force to Evaluate Current Electoral Circuit Parameters,” and the designation of three members by the Commission on Handbook. The commission designated Mr. Thomas Deadrick, the Rev. Larry Peters, and the Rev.

David Vandercook; Rev. Peters was subsequently elected chairman of the task force.

The commission met 7 times in person and 11 times via Zoom over the course of the past three years, in addition to the individual hours spent preparing for the meetings so that the work of the CCM might be accomplished.

The responsibilities of the commission are set forth in Bylaws 3.9.2.2–3.9.2.2.3, and they fall into two main areas:

Opinions: The first area is that the commission is to interpret the Synod’s Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions. A member of the Synod (congregation or ordained or commissioned minister)

and an official board, commission, or agency of the Synod may submit a written request for such an opinion. At the time of this

report, the commission has issued 88 opinions (a listing of those

opinions is included in this Workbook (Report R61) in the present triennium. The minutes of the commission and their opinions and reviews of bylaws and documents are published on the website of the Synod and are available at lcms.org/ccm.