CONSTITUTION

OF THE

GENERAL SYNOD OF THE EVANG. LUTHERAN CHURCH

IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

[Translated from the original German copy.]

JESUS CHRIST, the Supreme Head of His Church, having prescribed no entire specific directory for government and discipline, and every section of his church being left at full liberty to make such regulations to that effect, as may be most adapted to its situation and circumstances, therefore-Relying upon God our Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit in the Word of God, for the promotion of the practice of brotherly love, to the furtherance of Christian concord, to the firm establishment and continuance of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace-We, the Deputies of the "German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Pennsylvania and the neighbouring States," of the "German and English Evangelical Lutheran Synod in the State of North Carolina and the bordering States," of the "Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium in the State of New York, and the neighbouring States and Countries," and of the "Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Maryland and Virginia, &c." for ourselves and our successors, do adopt the following fundamental articles: viz.

ARTICLE I.

The Name, Style and Title of this Convention shall be: "The Evangelical Lutheran General Synod of the United States of North America."

ARTICLE II.

This General Synod shall consist of the Deputies from the several Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conventions in the United States, who may join themselves thereunto, and be duly acknowledged as members thereof, in the following ratio, namely:

Every Synodical body, or Synod (whether of Ministers only, or of Ministers and Lay Deputies together) containing six Ministers, may send one; if it contain fourteen, two; if twenty-five, three; if forty, four; if sixty, five; and if it contain eighty-six Ministers or upwards, six Deputies of the rank of ordained Ministers, and an equal number of Lay Deputies.

Each Deputy, appearing in the General Synod according to this ratio, shall, except as is hereinafter provided, enjoy an equal right and vote with all others. Every Synod may choose its Deputies in such a way and manner as to them may seem proper; and shall pay the travelling expenses of the same to and from the General Synod, until the General Synod shall have established for itself a treasury from which the future expenses may be discharged.

ARTICLE III.

The business of the General Synod shall be as follows, namely: SEC. 1. The General Synod shall examine the Proceedings of the several Synods and Ministeriums belonging to this association, in order that they may obtain some knowledge of the existing state and condition of the Church. The several Synods, therefore, shall transmit as many copies of their proceedings to the General Synod, as there shall be members contained in the General Synod.

SEC. 2. With regard to all Books and Writings proposed for public use in the church, the General Synod shall act as a joint committee of the special Synods and Ministeriums, after the following manner, viz.

1. The General Synod shall examine all books and writings such as catechisms, forms of liturgy, collections of hymns, or confessions of faith, proposed by the special Synods for public use, and give their wellconsidered advice, counsel or opinion concerning

the same. No Synod, therefore, and no Ministerium, standing in connexion with this General Synod, shall set forth any new book or writing of the kind above mentioned, for public use in the church, without having previously transmitted a full and complete copy thereof to the General Synod, for the purpose of receiving their said advice, counsel or opinion.

2. Whenever the General Synod shall deem it proper or necessary, they may propose to the special Synods or Ministeriums, new books or writings of the kind mentioned above, for general or special, public use. Every proposal of the kind, the several or respective Synods and Ministeriums shall duly consider, and if they, or any one of them, shall be of opinion, that the said book or books, writing or writings, will not conduce to the end proposed, then, and in such a case, it is hoped, that the reasons of such opinion will be transmitted to the next convention of the General Synod, in order that the same may be entered on their journal.

3. But no General Synod can be allowed to possess, or arrogate unto itself," the power of prescribing among us uniform ceremonies of religion for every part of the Church;" or to introduce such alterations in matters appertaining to the faith, or to the mode of publishing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, (the Son of God, and ground of our faith and hope) as might in any way tend to burden the consciences of the brethren in Christ.

SEC. 3. If hereafter twenty-five ministers, dwelling together, within a certain marked boundary, fifteen of whom, being ordained ministers, shall apply to the General Synod for permission to create within themselves a Special Ministerium, and the Synod or Ministerium to which they have previously belonged, do not, upon due notice given of their intention so to apply, make any serious or important objection, then the General Synod shall have power to grant the permission; and if within the bounds of a whole state no special Synod or Ministerium shall yet have existed, and six ordained ministers residing therein shall apply for permission to create within themselves a special Ministerium, the General Synod shall authorize the establishment of a new Synod and Ministerium within the said State. But until the permission or authority be

thus formally conceded, no Deputies of a new Synod or Ministerium shall be acknowledged to have a seat and vote in the General Synod.

SEC. 4. With regard to the grades in the Ministry, the General Synod may give to the several Ministeriums well considered advice, wherein the circumstances of time, place and condition must be duly contemplated, and a beneficial uniformity, and actual equality of rank among the several ministers, must, as much as possible, be had in view. The General Synod shall also advise such rules and regulations among the several Synods and Ministeriums, as may prevent unpleasant and unfriendly collisions, that might otherwise arise out of any differences of grades existing among them, or from any whatever other possible causes.

SEC. 5. The General Synod shall not be looked upon as a Tribunal of Appeal; it may, however, be employed in the following cases and after the following manner :

1. The General Synod may give advice or opinion, when complaints shall be brought before them by whole Synods, Ministeriums, Congregations, or individual Ministers, concerning doctrine or discipline. They shall however be extremely careful, that the consciences of the Ministers of the Gospel be not burdened with human inventions, laws or devices, and that no one be oppressed by reason of differences of opinion on nonfundamental doctrines.

2. If Parties, differing in matters of doctrine and discipline, refer the cause of difference, in a brotherly manner, to the General Synod, they shall institute a close and exact scrutiny and examination thereof, and give their opinion on the subject of difference, according to their best insight of right, equity, brotherly love and truth.

3. If difference between Synods be referred, the votes thereon shall be taken by Synods, and the referring Synods shall have no

vote.

SEC. 6. The General Synod may devise plans for seminaries of education and missionary institutions, as well as for the aid of

poor ministers, and the widows and orphans of poor ministers, and endeavour, with the help of God, to carry them into effect.

SEC. 7. The General Synod may also institute and create a treasury for the effectual advancement of its purposes.

SEC. 8. The General Synod shall apply all their powers, their prayers and their means, toward the prevention of schisms among us, to be sedulously and incessantly regardful of the circumstances of the times, and of every casual rise and progress of unity of sentiment among Christians in general, in order that the blessed opportunities to promote concord and unity, and the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, may not pass by neglected and unavailing.

ARTICLE IV.

The General Synod shall choose, from among their own number, a President and a Secretary; and from among their own number, or elsewhere, as it may be necessary, a Treasurer. They shall continue in office until the next succeeding convention. The same person is at all times re-eligible as Secretary or Treasurer; but no one may be elected President more than two conventions in succession, and the same person cannot thereafter be elected for the two successively following conventions.

SEC. 1. The President shall act as chairman of the Convention. He may make motions, give his opinion and vote like every other meinber. With the consent and concurrence of the minister of the place where the convention is held, he shall appoint the several preachers during the convention. He shall subscribe all letters, written advices, resolutions, and the proceedings of the Synod. In extraordinary cases, and by request of any one of the acknowledged Synods, made known to him in the form of a Synodical or Ministerial resolution, he may call together special conventions of the General Synod. In case the business of the secretary become too burdensome for one person to execute, he shall, with the concurrence of the Secretary, appoint an assistant Secretary, and make known to him what portion of the labours he ought to undertake.

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