# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1853 06 21_S149
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

149

nen general synodical assembly a determination has been made. For exceptions see: Chap. VI. E. §. 11. The duration of these assemblies may never be extended beyond ten days.

§. 9. The form and order in the assemblies of the general Synod is the same as that of the District Synodical assemblies, as set forth in Chap. V. A. §. 2 – 7., except that in the assemblies of the general Synod its own officers act, and the admission of new members of the Synod is carried out solely by the District Synod concerned.

§. 10. The general President makes a report on the results of the visitation made by him during the past triennium in the congregations of all the Districts, whereupon those assembled enter into earnest deliberation on what is to be done in consequence of the knowledge gained of the condition of the whole Synodical congregation.

§. 11. The past performance of the editors of the periodicals which are organs of the general Synod is judged, and instructions for their further activity are given them.

§. 12. Those assembled confer on the suitable measures for the prosecution of home missions outside the District Synodical bounds.

§. 13. The report of the Heathen Mission Commission is read, and deliberation is held on further steps in the matter of the heathen mission.

§. 14. The report of the boards of supervision on the condition of the educational institutions of the general Synod is read, and thereupon the necessary arrangements are made with regard to these institutions.

§. 15. The Correspondent for foreign countries, as well as the Chronicler, make their report.

§. 16. For the valid holding of an assembly of the general Synod, a lawful convocation of the same is required, and the presence of at least one third of the Synodical congregations in their representatives, and indeed at least through one of them each. If officers are absent from assemblies, temporary substitutes for those officers are chosen by the members of the Synod who are present.

§. 17. The new officers are chosen at the close of every assembly of the general Synod.

Chap. VI.

Rights and Duties of the Officers and the other Members of the Synod.

The officers of the Synod have to lay claim only to such rights as have been expressly conferred upon them by the Synod, and they are answerable to the Synod in all things for these, as well as for the fulfilment of their duties. They can therefore at any time be called to account by the Synod and, according to circumstances, removed from their office in Christian order. The Synod also reserves the right, if any office established by it no longer serves for edification, to abolish it again at once, even that of the general President.

A. Rights and Duties of a District President.

§. 1. He has to direct the course of the proceedings at the assemblies of the Synod of his District, so that everything may be carried out in Christian order.

§. 2. He has the deciding vote when, in a vote on matters which are not matters of conscience, there is a tie and the matter cannot well be postponed.

§. 3. He is empowered to appoint certain committees for the dispatch of business before the body. (Cf. Chap. V. A. §. 6.)

§. 4. He has to lay before the Synod all petitions which have come to him for submission to the Synod.

§. 5. He has to sign the certificates of examination and ordination and, in general, all letters and documents going out in the name of the Synod of his District.

§. 6. He is to apply all diligence, during his three years' term of office, to visit every parish of his District at least once, concerning which he makes his report at the annual assembly of the District Synod. During his stay among the congregations visited he is permitted to have a congregational meeting called together through the board of the latter. He is also, if possible, to deliver a sermon at this time in the congregation visited.

§. 7. He is, if possible, to attend the pastoral conferences of his District.

§. 8. He is, if possible with the assistance of the neighboring pastors, to ordain the newly called servants of the Church.

§. 9. He may, where necessary, transfer his functions at an ordination to any already ordained pastor. This commission, however, must always be given in writing by him, the District President.

§. 10. He is also, outside the sessions of the Synod, to give counsel and answer upon request.

§. 11. He is, in his duties of oversight, to conform strictly to the written instruction which he receives for this purpose from the general Synod.

§. 12. He has the power, in urgent emergencies, to call together extra assemblies of the Synod of his District, but he must first have obtained the consent of at least two thirds of the voting members of the District Synod for the holding of an extra assembly. But if the meeting admits of no delay, he calls the Synod together without further ado, after having notified the general President thereof, and its assembly is then legally valid if full two thirds of those entitled to vote have presented themselves for it. Moreover, the District President must in every case first have made known to the general President and to all members the purpose of the extra assembly summoned.

§. 13. If, between the Synodical assemblies, offenses in respect of doctrine or conduct should be given by individual pastors, whether voting or advisory members, and upon admonition of the President and the other officers of the District repentance and confession are not made and amendment promised, the President is empowered provisionally to suspend their membership in the Synodical body until the next session and also to make this his proceeding public. The District President is empowered, in urgent emergencies, to make it publicly known even beforehand that the member concerned is under investigation.

§. 14. He has, as often as a pastor of his District passes from his office into another or otherwise lays it down, especially if he declares that he has been driven out by his congregation, to investigate the lawfulness of the matter.

§. 15. He has to see to it that the resolutions of the general Synod which concern the District Synods are made known to his District Synod and carried into effect by the same.

§. 16. He has the obligation to hand in to the general President quarterly a report on his official activity as District President, and to allow him in general all necessary insight into his (the District President's) official activity.

B. Of the District Vice-President.

§. 1. He has, at the request of his District President, to take his place in all functions.

§. 2. In case of the death of his District President he takes his place entirely, until the expiration of the term of service of the former.

C. Of the District Secretary.

§. 1. He has to keep the minutes during the proceedings of the Synod of his District.

§. 2. He has to prepare and sign all letters and documents of the Synod of his District.

§. 3. He has to attend to everything that is to be published in the name of the Synod of his District.

§. 4. He has to keep an exact register of all members of the Synod of his District.

§. 5. He has to keep a book in which the church statistics of his Synodical District are contained.

§. 6. He has the duty, those which have been by him