In preparation for synod assembly, we present the relevant chapter from our constitution (read the constitution in full as PDF). Codification explanations are below the chapter.

 Chapter 7. SYNOD ASSEMBLY

†S7.01. This synod shall have a Synod Assembly, which shall be its highest legislative authority. The powers of the Synod Assembly are limited only by the provisions in the Articles of Incorporation, this constitution and bylaws, the assembly’s own resolutions, and the constitutions and bylaws of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

†S7.11. A regular meeting of the Synod Assembly shall be held at least triennially.

S7.11.01. The time and place of the Synod Assembly shall be held annually as scheduled by the Synod Council.

S7.12. Special meetings of the Synod Assembly may be called by the bishop with the consent of the Synod Council, and shall be called by the bishop at the request of one-fifth of the voting members of the Synod Assembly.

a. The notice of each special meeting shall define the purpose for which it is to be held. The scope of actions to be taken at such a special meeting shall be limited to the subject matter(s) described in the notice.

b. If the special meeting of the Synod Assembly is required for the purpose of electing a successor bishop because of death, resignation, or inability to serve, the special meeting shall be called by the Synod Council after consultation with the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

S7.13. Notice of the time and place of all meetings of the Synod Assembly shall be given by the secretary of this synod.

S7.13.01. The secretary shall give notice of time and place of all Synod Assembly meetings at least 30 days in advance of the meeting date. Notice shall be given to all congregations of this synod, all lay voting members, all ministers of Word and Sacrament and all ministers of Word and Service under call on the roster of this synod, all retired ministers of Word and Sacrament and all retired ministers of Word and Service on the roster of this synod, and all ministers of Word and Sacrament and all ministers of Word and Service on leave from call.

S7.14. One-half of the members of the Synod Assembly shall constitute a quorum.

†S7.21. The membership of the Synod Assembly, of which at least 60 percent of the voting membership shall be composed of laypersons, shall be constituted as follows:

a. All ministers of Word and Sacrament under call on the roster of this synod in attendance at the Synod Assembly shall be voting members.

b. All ministers of Word and Service, under call, on the roster of this synod shall be voting members in the Synod Assembly, in addition to the voting membership of lay members of congregations provided in item †S7.21.c.

c. A minimum of one lay member elected by each congregation with fewer than 175 baptized members and a minimum of two lay members elected by each congregation with 175 or more baptized members related to this synod, normally one of whom shall be male and one of whom shall be female, shall be voting members. The Synod Council shall establish a formula to provide additional lay representation from congregations on the basis of the number of baptized members in the congregation. The Synod Council shall seek to ensure that, as nearly as possible, 50 percent of the lay members of the assembly shall be female and 50 percent shall be male. Additional members from each congregation normally shall be equally divided between male and female.

d. Voting membership shall include the officers of this synod.

†S7.21.01. Voting members shall begin serving with the opening of a regular Synod Assembly and shall continue serving until voting members are seated at the next regular Synod Assembly.

S7.22. This synod may establish processes that permit retired rostered ministers, those designated as disabled, or on leave from call on the roster of the synod to serve as voting members of the Synod Assembly, consistent with †S7.21.c. If the synod does not establish processes to permit the rostered ministers specified above to serve as voting members, they shall have voice but not vote in the meetings of the Synod Assembly.

S7.22.01. If 10% of the retired ministers of Word and Sacrament on the roster of this synod, or fewer, register for the Synod Assembly, they shall automatically be credentialed as voting members. In the event that more than 10% of the retired ministers of Word and Sacrament on the roster of this synod register for the Synod Assembly, they shall elect voting members from among their number, not to exceed 10% of the total number of retired ministers on the roster of the synod. Laity must always constitute at least 60% of the voting members, consistent with +S7.21.

S7.22.02. Voting rights at Synod Assembly shall be granted to any retired ministers of Word and Sacrament who is serving under contract as interim pastor in a congregation, or who is appointed to special service by the bishop of the synod and approved by the Synod Council, or who may be a pastor of the congregation he or she serves and approved by the bishop to substitute for the pastor of the congregation as a Synod Assembly member. Such retired ordained ministers shall not be counted among the 10 percent specified by bylaw S7.22.01.

S7.22.03. If 10% of the retired ministers of Word and Service on the roster of this synod, or fewer, register for the Synod Assembly, they shall automatically be credentialed as voting members. In the event that more than 10% of the retired ministers of Word and Service on the roster of this synod register for the Synod Assembly, they shall elect voting members from among their number, not to exceed 10% of the total number of retired ministers of Word and Service on the roster of this synod.

S7.23. The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and such other official representatives of this church as may be designated from time to time by the Church Council shall have voice but not vote in the meetings of the Synod Assembly. Like privileges shall be accorded to those additional persons whom the Synod Assembly or the Synod Council shall from time to time designate.

S7.24. Ministers under call on the rosters of this synod shall remain as members of the Synod Assembly so long as they remain under call and so long as their names appear on the rosters of this synod. Lay members of the Synod Assembly representing congregations shall continue as such until replaced by the election of new members or until they have been disqualified by termination of membership. Normally, congregations will hold elections prior to each regular meeting of the Synod Assembly.

†S7.25. Except as otherwise provided in this constitution or in the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, each voting member of the Synod Assembly shall be a voting member of a congregation of this synod.

S7.26. This synod may establish processes through the Synod Council that permit representatives of congregations under development and authorized worshiping communities of the synod, which have been authorized under ELCA bylaw 10.02.03., to serve as voting members of the Synod Assembly, consistent with †S7.21.

S7.27. This synod may establish processes through the Synod Council to grant a minister of Word and Sacrament from a church body with which a relationship of full communion has been declared and established by the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America the privilege of both voice and vote in the Synod Assembly during the period of that minister’s service in a congregation of this church.

S7.28. Duly elected voting members of the Synod Council who are not otherwise voting members of the Synod Assembly under †S7.21. shall be granted the privilege of both voice and vote as members of the Synod Assembly.

†S7.31. Proxy and absentee voting shall not be permitted in the transaction of any business of this synod.

S7.32. Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition, shall govern parliamentary procedure of the Synod Assembly, unless otherwise ordered by the assembly.

S7.33. “Ex officio” as used herein means membership with full rights of voice and vote unless otherwise expressly limited.

CODIFICATION EXPLANATION

The provisions of the constitution, bylaws, and continuing resolutions that pertain to the same matter have been placed together. This arrangement requires that the three types of material be identified by means other means than physical separation.

The three types of material are identified by the following devices:

a. All constitutional provisions are identified by two sets of numbers (such as S7.12.).

b. Required constitutional provision that may be amended only by the Churchwide Assembly are identified by a symbol in front of the number (as in †S1.21.). This mark (†) before any codified listing indicates that the language and the provisions included in that chapter or paragraph are unalterable.

c. All bylaws are identified by three sets of numbers (as in S7.22.02.).

d. All continuing resolutions are codified with three sets of numbers except that the third set is preceded by a capital letter indicating sequence and followed by a number indicating the year it went into effect.

Thus "S11.01.A87" refers to Synod Constitution, Chapter 11, provision #1 (.01), the first continuing resolution (letter A), which was adopted in 1987.

Major sections are designated as chapters. The chapters are numbered 1 through 18, with each numbered section preceded by the letter "S" indicating that the material is found in the constitution of this synod. The chapter designation becomes the first number in the codification sequence and is followed by a period. Thus "S11." indicates that the subsequent provisions are found in the synod constitution, Chapter 11, dealing in that instance with committees.

General subjects or provisions within major sections are normally designated by two sets of numbers. Thus subdivisions of Chapter 11 are codified in numerical sequence as "S11.01," "S11.02," etc.

When many related provisions are parts of a unit that is considered inseparable, they are normally lettered "a," "b," "c," etc. When related provisions are part of a unit but considered separable, such as a list of duties, they are normally recorded in numerical sequence (for example, †S6.03.01.a.1).