The ELCIC’s National Office has recently sent out a notice that congregations must elect their lay delegates by January 20, 2007. The secretary of the Synod then needs to advise the national office of the names and addresses of lay delegates elected by the member congregations by February 20, 2007. This will complicate life for many congregations whose annual meetings do not take place until the end of January or later. Unless the annual meetings are re-scheduled to an earlier date, then congregations will need to schedule a special congregational meeting in order to elect their delegate(s) within the allotted time frame - that is, prior to January 20, 2007.
ELCIC – National Convention
June 21 – 24, 2007 – Winnipeg, MB
Election of Lay Delegates
Section 29 b) of the Corporate By-Laws of the ELCIC indicates that a lay delegate shall be elected not earlier than twelve months and not later than five months before a convention by each member congregation which is not represented by a delegate who is an ordained minister elected by a conference.
Therefore, the congregations must elect their lay delegates by January 20th, 2007. The secretary of the Synod then needs to advise the national office of the names and addresses of lay delegates elected by the member congregations by February 20, 2007.
Following is the full text of the election process of delegates that appears in the Corporate By-Laws of the ELCIC.
CORPORATE BY-LAWS
DELEGATES
29. Each member congregation shall be entitled to be represented by at least one delegate at each Convention. Such delegates shall be elected as follows:
a) 200 ordained ministers shall be elected not earlier than eighteen (18) months and not later than seven (7) months before a Convention by the Conferences as allocated by the National Church Council on the basis of baptized membership;
b) a delegate who is a lay person shall be elected not earlier than twelve (12) months and not later than five (5) months before a Convention by each member congregation which is not represented by a delegate who is an ordained minister elected by a Conference; and
c) an additional delegate who is a lay person shall be elected within the time specified in clause (b) above by each member congregation with more than 800 baptized members.
A member congregation with a membership of less than 800 baptized members which has been represented by an ordained minister elected by a Conference for two consecutive biennial Conventions shall not be represented by an ordained minister at the following biennial Convention.
The secretary of the Synod shall advise the secretary of the names and addresses of the delegates elected by the Conferences and by the member congregations of that Synod within thirty (30) days following each such election.
