The Synod’s Board of Directors has asked the Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM) to reconsider an opinion regarding the authority of the Board of Directors provided in Article XI F 2 of the Synod’s Constitution.
The opinion, prompted by proposed Constitutional Amendment A (which failed to receive the necessary two-thirds affirmative vote in congregational balloting), interpreted a key word, “it,” as being attributable to a party other than the Board of Directors, thereby affecting the meaning and intent of the paragraph.
In a motion approved by unanimous vote at its Feb. 24-25 meeting, the Board of Directors (BOD) asked Synod Secretary Raymond Hartwig and BOD member Walter Tesch, who formerly served as chairman of the CCM, to prepare an explanation of the reasons for their request.
Hartwig told Reporter that he and Tesch are preparing a formal request to the CCM. He said the details of the request will not be made public until the CCM has time to render an opinion.
The CCM issued its opinion in October in response to a letter from a pastor who asked if failure to ratify Amendment A would affect any other resolutions or changes to the bylaws passed at the 2004 convention. The CCM opinion said the proposed amendment to Article XI F 2 “states more clearly what the existing language already means.” The opinion further stated that, if the proposed amendment were not ratified, “it would not affect the implementation or validity of other resolutions or changes to the bylaws passed at the 2004 convention.”
In its opinion, the CCM also noted that it is required to review proposed amendments to the Constitution or other existing bylaws before they are brought to the convention.
Posted March 31, 2005
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