District Committee Studies Synod Representation

The Northern Light, May/June 2008

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Your Input Invited
Read Res. 4-05

By Jackie Bussert

Delegates to the Northern Illinois District’s 2006 Convention directed the district Board of Directors to take a look, locally, at issues related to Article V of the Synod’s Constitution, namely, the limitations on eligibility to become a delegate for both district and synodical conventions. The current constitution affords the privilege of voting membership to delegate lay members of congregations and a parish pastor.

All commissioned ministers of the Synod (principals, teachers, directors of Christian education, deaconesses, directors of family life ministry, etc.) are advisory members of Synod and are not eligible to serve in a voting capacity, even as a lay delegate representing their congregation. There also is no allowance for size of congregation.

This issue has come up a number of times in discussions and memorials to Synod. Because the process of initiating a study team at the national level may be too difficult a place to start, the Northern Illinois District’s 2006 convention called for a district-level committee to begin exploring this.

Consisting of lay persons, ordained ministers and commissioned ministers, this group was charged to make recommendations to the next district convention for a process of electing delegates that would assure a fairer representation of all the members and congregations of Synod.

Their recommendation would come to the 2009 District Convention as a specific memorial to the Synod. If the memorial is adopted, the Synod would have the opportunity to consider it in 2010.

This committee has begun its work and invites input from individuals and congregations. Members of the committee include ordained ministers Roger Gallup and Patrick Pinion; commissioned ministers Jean Weidler, Jon Laabs and Rebecca Haage; and lay members Judy Fiene and Wilburn Hester.