The Steering Committee Requests Your Comments on the Proposed BJS Constitution
The Steering Committee of the Brothers of John the Steadfast has worked hard in the last few months to develop a constitution for the group. We would like input on the constsitution from our 250 members from around the world and also from any of our other readers. We think it is a good document but it won’t hurt to have a few thousand more eyes take a look at it. If you have any comments or suggestions just enter them in the comment section below and we will take them into consideration. (Click here to see the constitution.)
We are looking forward to the next era this constitution will usher in for BJS. To this point we have been led by a steering group of about 15 folks. (Official votes when required by law have been made by the three member board of directors described in the Articles of Incorporation.) Once we have processed the comments over the next week or so we will make plans to elect the new, larger board and officers as described in the constitution. We will probably conduct those elections via the website so that we can get as many votes as possible.
We thank Steering Committee member and Brother of John the Steadfast James Neiswonger for writing the template that became the proposed constitution after much editing by the group.
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Constitution – good; ByLaws – corrections noted below:
Section 11 – Starndards (should be Standards)
4.13.2 d) “Acts bringing discredit on this organization or any church of the LCMS or other confessional Lutheran churches.” This puts the membership in a genuine quandary given the current state of our Synod. During the past year, our Synodical leadership has engaged in several actions which, in my judgment, brought discredit to the LCMS. Indeed, several individual churches (with the approval of the LCMS) have engaged in activity contrary to Article 2 of this constitution (Epic Church, MI; Jefferson Hills Church, MO; etc and I may include the articles on other organizations and/or individuals which have appeared in several posting herein.)
Currently, the burr stirring my saddle is the Witchita resolution passed at the 1989 convention. This is far removed from Walther’s Church and Ministry and the Book of Concord; yet the effect of this resolution resonates through our Synod and individual churches today. In summation, I would be comfortable with an elaboration on the phrase “Acts bringing discredit.” Are these “acts” individual, congregational, and/or corporate. And what further “discredit” could be wrought by individual BJS members beyond what our Synodical officials have and are committing (specifically dealing with “Issues.Etc during the past year and the current handling of the BRTFSSG).
I like it a lot, and hope to start a chapter in my local congregation post-Seminary. I do have one question; why is the Power and Primacy of the Pope not listed among the Confessional documents here?
Also, I echo the concerns above, but what is the “Witchita resolution?”
Pastor Rossow,
Given the amount of editing suggestions I have, I am going to try to send you an edited copy of the Constitution in a Word document with comments.
Heartbroken – thanks, I look forward to your insights.
TR
Great point Dennis. We will correct that.
Quinn – “the Witchita resolution” refers to the synodical convention in Witchita about 15 (?) years ago that approved the oxymoronic notion of “lay ministers.”
TR
Am I reading this wrong or are Art. IV and Bylaw 4.1 self-contradictory? Three (President, Secretary and Treasurer) plus seven (at large) equals an even number (10).
IV.IX.V The board shall never consist of an even number of members
4.10 The Board of Directors are: *President (the man serving as Executive
Director), *Secretary (the man serving as the officer position of Secretary)
*Treasurer (the man serving as the officer position of Treasurer), and
seven directors at large.