Article XIV of the Constitution of the Synod requires all constitutional amendments adopted by conventions of the Synod to be affirmed by the voting congregations of the Synod. Within three months of the close of a convention, announcements of the proposed amendments are to appear in an official periodical of the Synod, and official ballots are to be provided to all congregations. To become effective, amendments must be affirmed by a two-thirds majority of the ballots returned.
The 2004 convention of the Synod adopted two such constitutional amendments. Official ballots were mailed to all voting congregations on August 16, 2004, with a return date deadline of February 16, 2005. A brief description of the amendments and the results of the balloting are as follows.
Constitutional Amendment A
Convention Resolution 7-21, “To Amend Constitution Regarding Officer and Board Responsibilities,” would have amended Article XI F 2 of the Constitution regarding the authority of the Board of Directors to supervise the property and business affairs of the Synod. This amendment failed to receive the required two-thirds majority of the votes cast by congregations, with 1,801 affirming the amendment and 1,654 not affirming. Article XI f 2 will continue to read as it did prior to the convention action:
2. The Board of Directors is the legal representative of the Synod. It is the custodian of all the property of the Synod, directly or by its delegation of such property to an agency of the Synod. It shall exercise supervision over all the property and business affairs of the Synod except in those areas where it has delegated such authority to an agency of the Synod or where the voting members of the Synod through the adoption of bylaws or by other convention action have assigned specific areas of responsibility to separate corporate or trust entities, and as to those the Board of Directors shall have general oversight responsibility as set forth in the Bylaws.
Constitutional Amendment B
Convention Resolution 5-04A, “To Place Directors of Family Life Ministry on Roster,” amended several different articles of the Constitution by adding “director of family life ministry” to lists of categories of roster membership in the Synod (Art. V; VI 3 and 6) and categories of advisory membership in the Synod (Art. V B and XII B). It received the required two-thirds majority of votes cast by congregations, with 2,794 affirming the amendment and 601 not affirming. Lists of advisory members will now read:
1. Pastors whose congregations do not hold membership in the Synod;
2. Assistant pastors;
3. Ministers not in charge of congregations;
4. Professors at the Synod’s educational institutions;
5. Teachers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church;
6. Directors of Christian education;
7. Directors of Christian outreach;
8. Directors of parish music;
9. Directors of family life ministry;
10. Deaconesses;
11. Parish assistants;
12. Certified lay ministers;
13. Candidates for the office of the ministry, for that of a teacher of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, for director of Christian education, for director of Christian outreach, for director of parish music, for director of family life ministry, for deaconess, for certified lay minister, or for parish assistant.
Voting Results
The following is a detailed accounting of the ballots received and votes cast, as required by Article XIV of the Constitution: “At the end of the six-month period the Secretary of the Synod shall announce the outcome of the voting by districts in the official periodical of the Synod.”
Amendment A Amendment B
District Ballots Yes No Yes No
Atlantic 45 36 9 42 2
CNH 106 75 29 88 15
Central Ill. 112 17 95 72 36
Eastern 72 51 21 61 9
English 72 46 25 59 11
Fla-Ga 76 63 13 69 4
Indiana 134 50 83 108 24
Iowa East 82 26 56 56 26
Iowa West 115 50 65 104 9
Kansas 103 54 48 84 16
Michigan 188 114 74 158 28
Mid-South 61 38 23 55 2
Minn. N. 118  
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