To Provide for Continuity of Service in Regional Positions

WHEREAS, Various boards for The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod require candidates elected by the Synod convention for some or all positions to be residents of specified regions of the Synod to be eligible for election and continued service; and

WHEREAS, Currently, if a board member elected to a position from a given region relocates outside that region, the seat held by such board member becomes vacant and must be filled by appointment between conventions, which has resulted in an increasing number of vacancies for such positions that are then filled by appointment; and

WHEREAS, The Committee for Convention Nominations for the 2023 Synod convention believes that, ideally, positions elected from the Synod convention should be filled by the persons elected by the Synod convention insofar as possible, for purposes of continuity of service on the related board and the benefit of the related expertise thereby provided to such board, and thus that it is appropriate to allow a person elected from a region to continue to serve until the elected term expires even if such person relocates residence; therefore be it

Resolved, That Bylaw 3.12.2.8 be amended as follows:

PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING Nominations and Elections of Regional Positions—Board of Directors and Mission Boards

3.12.2.8 The convention shall elect the regional positions for the Synod’s Board of Directors and Mission Boards according to the following nominations and elections process. …

(j) Persons elected to regional positions under this bylaw who subsequently take residence outside of the region may remain serving in their regional positions for the remainder of their current elected terms, so long as they retain membership in a congregation of the Synod