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As announced in the 2023 Convention Nominations Official Notice issued in the January 2021 issues of Reporter and The Lutheran Witness, and as repeated in an e-blast a year later (18 months prior to the 2023 LCMS convention), nominations are now being accepted from …
- Agencies and officers of the Synod
- Congregational and individual members of the Synod
- Laypersons of the congregations of the Synod
… for the 69 officer, board, and commission positions to be elected by the 2023 Synod convention (detailed in the January 2022 mailing and at lcms.org/convention/nominations-and-elections/secretary-board-and-commission-positions). The Committee for Convention Nominations (CCN), whose members are now being elected by 17 district conventions, is counting on the input of all these nominators as the basis of its important work of identifying the very best candidates for service.
If every congregation in the Synod nominated but a single person for office, that would mean nearly 6,000 nominations. (Of course, individual members and laypersons of the Synod’s congregations can also nominate as individuals.) Approximately five months into the 12-month nomination period, we have received only 223 total position nominations, including incumbents, for the 69 offices to be filled — and these have not yet been screened for willingness to serve. Nominations must be received by Oct. 29, 2022, but are desired as soon as possible, given that each nomination then must be augmented with the responses of nominees and evaluators.
The extra year of this triennium has put nominations not ahead of, but behind even the usually lackluster pace. The nomination process is open to every member of every Synod congregation. It is a wonderful opportunity to gather up the great diversity of human gifts in our pews to see how they may be put to the common good in Synod offices, boards, and commissions. Congregations are urged to make their membership aware of the website above and to encourage their members to take up this task, together or individually, with zeal.
The nomination form is available for download at lcms.org/convention/2023-nomination-form. It can be downloaded and filled out electronically, then emailed to the Office of the Secretary at ccn@lcms.org. Electronic submission, according to the accompanying instructions, will expedite processing. With your affirmation and contact information on the form, including your return email address, there is no longer a need to send a hard copy by U.S. mail.
Nominations for regional offices can come from anywhere in the Synod, but the nominee must reside in the designated region.
Information on the distinct, and newly electronic, nomination process for Synod president, first vice-president and regional vice-presidents will be mailed to nominating member congregations beginning in October 2022.
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