The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Commission on Constitutional Matters consists of six voting members. Three are ordained ministers and two are lawyers — all nominated by district boards of directors, selected as candidates by the Council of Presidents, appointed by the President of the Synod, and ratified by the Council of Presidents. The Secretary of the Synod serves as the remaining voting member.
Who we are
- The ordained minister members of the commission include Kevin A. Karner (Bristol, Conn.), Larry A. Peters (chairman; Clarksville, Tenn.), and David D. Vandercook (Maumelle, Ark.).
- The lawyer members of the commission are Thomas J. Deadrick (vice-chairman; Pierre, S.D.) and Scott A. Killian (secretary pro tempore; Great Falls, Vir.).
- The Secretary of the Synod, Rev. Dr. John Wollenburg Sias, serves as the secretary of the commission.
Return to top
What we do
The Commission on Constitutional Matters:
- interprets the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod upon written request of a member congregation, ordained or commissioned minister, or official or agency of the Synod;
- examines all governing instruments of the Synod and its agencies to ensure that they are in accord with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod; and
- examines all convention reports, overtures, and resolutions that ask for amendments to the Synod’s Constitution and Bylaws to determine their agreement in content with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod.
Return to top
Meetings
The Commission on Constitutional Matters meets four or more times a year and as needed to carry out its responsibilities.
The CCM publishes its minutes following each meeting. These minutes contain the official opinions of the commission in response to questions submitted in writing. The opinions are binding upon the Synod and its members unless or until overruled by a national convention. For this reason, former minutes and selected prior opinions are made available electronically.
Upcoming regular meetings of the commission are as noted in the commission's minutes, typically at the end of each meeting.
Correspondence for the commssion may be sent care of the office of the Secretary of the Synod.
Return to top
View archives
Handbook
View archives
Handbook background
At its triennial conventions, the Synod endeavors to structure its walk and work together by adjusting its Constitution and Bylaws to enable it to carry out its mission statement most effectively:
“In grateful response to God’s grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments, the mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities, and world.”
The Commission on Handbook consults with the Commission on Constitutional Matters in the revision of the Handbook of the Synod following each national convention to bring it into harmony with convention actions.
2019 Handbook
The 2019 Handbook of the Synod (as approved by the Commission on Handbook, having consulted with the Commission on Constitutional Matters) has been published electronically, as of November 13, 2019, as the “November 2019” edition. As of the same date, print production and distribution are commencing.
The Handbook, with its growing index, is available in Adobe PDF and Microsoft Word versions. It is accompanied by an “update” edition, indicating all the changes made since the previously-released 2016 Handbook.
The electronic edition found here may be updated periodically as the Commission on Handbook incorporates minor corrections and other non-substantive changes as part of its responsibility for the ongoing maintenance and management of the Handbook.
Please report suggestions for correction or improvement, particularly regarding the new index, to the Office of the Secretary.
Return to top
Opinions
Not all CCM opinions are of consequence to the entire Synod. Those opinions of broad significance are provided in the Convention Workbook that is published before each national Synod convention.
- Addressing published opinions
-
Addressing published opinions
The process for addressing the published opinions of the CCM requesting clarification, expressing dissent or requesting reconsideration:
The 2013 Convention of the Synod adopted Resolution 6-16A, a portion of which directs the Commission on Constitutional Matters to “provide resources to educate members of the Synod on how to address its published opinions, including requests for clarification and expressions of dissent.”
In response, the commission has developed the following guidelines to assist members of the Synod in understanding the appropriate ways to address published opinions of the commission, including instances when a member of the Synod questions the correctness of a published opinion:
- Just as any member of the Synod (congregation, ordained or commissioned minister), official, board, commission or agency of the Synod may submit a written request for the commission to interpret the Synod’s Constitution, Bylaws and resolutions (Bylaw 3.9.2.2), so also may any of these present a written request to the commission asking for clarification or reconsideration of a published opinion of the commission.
- When asking for a clarification, the petitioner should identify those portions of the opinion or the Constitution and Bylaws which seem to be inconsistent and unclear.
- When asking for a reconsideration because the member making the request is convinced the opinion is in error, the petitioner must point out on the basis of the Constitution, Bylaws and resolutions of the Synod where the opinion is in error, or where the petitioner believes the commission went beyond its authority as it interpreted the Constitution, Bylaws and resolutions of the Synod.
- If, after reconsideration, the commission concludes that the published opinion was the correct interpretation of the Constitution, Bylaws and resolutions of the Synod and if the petitioner is still convinced that the published opinion does not correctly interpret the Constitution, Bylaws and resolutions of the Synod, then those authorized to submit overtures to the conventions of the Synod may submit an overture to the convention of the Synod requesting the opinion be overturned. In this overture, it is necessary to demonstrate where, on the basis of the Constitution, Bylaws and resolutions of the Synod, the opinion is incorrect or demonstrate where the commission has gone beyond its authority.
- If it is eventually recognized that the opinion is indeed correct, but a perception of a problem with the conclusions of the opinion remains, then a solution would be to submit an overture to the convention of the Synod, by those authorized to do so, calling for a change in the Constitution or Bylaws of the Synod to resolve the problem.
Download PDF >>
Return to top
Standard Operating Procedures Manual
The Bylaws of the Synod require the Commission on Constitutional Matters to provide comprehensive procedures manuals for the dispute resolution and expulsion from membership processes in the Handbook of the Synod.
Accordingly, revised Standard Operating Procedures Manuals, incorporating 2023 convention bylaw changes and other process improvements and clarifications have been prepared for Bylaw sections 1.10 (Dispute Resolution), and 2.14–17 (Expulsion) after consultation and concurrence, as appropriate, with the Council of Presidents of the Synod.
Return to top
Guidelines & Frequently Noted Concerns
- Guidelines for the Constitution and Bylaws of a Lutheran Congregation
-
Guidelines for the Constitution and Bylaws of a Lutheran Congregation
Congregations become members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod only after their constitutions and bylaws have been approved by the constitution committee of one of the Synod’s 35 districts. Changes to constitutions and bylaws of existing member congregations also are to be reviewed and approved, with revised documents considered by Synod to be in effect only after they have been approved by a district constitution committee.
Because a high degree of uniformity is desirable, the Commission on Constitutional Matters, as a service to the Synod, has issued guidelines for the proper composition of congregations’ constitutions and bylaws.
- Frequently Noted Concerns and Aberrations
-
Frequently Noted Concerns and Aberrations
The Bylaws of the Synod require the Commission on Constitutional Matters to examine the articles of incorporation, bylaws, and policy documents of all agencies of the Synod to ascertain that they are in harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod.
Agencies that intend to make amendments to their articles of incorporation or bylaws must make such intentions known and receive approval of the changes from the commission before taking official action.
The commission believes that a high degree of uniformity in the verbiage of these documents is desirable. In its review of agency documents, the commission has noted frequent recurrences of minor departures from the norm established by the Synod when preparing its documents.
Rather than call attention to each of these details individually and repeatedly, the commission has prepared a checklist of these “Frequently Noted Concerns and Aberrations” to alert document preparers and editors to language and grammar departures from the norm established by Synod's Handbook.
Return to top