ST. LOUIS — After some debate, delegates to the Synod’s 62nd Regular Convention July 14 adopted a revision of the 2001 Handbook, which contains the church body’s Constitution, Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation. The vote was 921 to 230.
The revision was mandated by the 1998 convention to “eliminate inconsistencies and make the Handbook more usable for the Synod.” Delegates postponed adoption of the Handbook at the 2001 convention because the Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM) had not completed its review of the revision. A draft of the revision was made available via the Internet to members of the Synod in July 2003, when the pro tem Commission on Structure completed its five years of work on the Handbook.
Some delegates said they needed more time to study the revised Handbook. Dr. James Kalthoff, president of the Missouri District, who introduced the resolution for the Floor Committee on Structure, Planning and Administration, described the revisions as “a reformatting of the current Handbook.
“There are no substantive changes,” he said. Items that relate to a single topic, such as higher education, have been placed together, making the Handbook more “user friendly,” Kalthoff added.
The revised Handbook also will include bylaw changes adopted by the 2004 convention. Suggestions for the new Handbook may be submitted to Synod Secretary Hartwig by Sept. 1.
Posted July 15, 2004
