January 8, 2014 in Congregations
Constitution Changes
The 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August approved a number of amendments to the Model Constitution for Congregations. A summary of those amendments may be downloaded from the ELCA website. Each congregation, through its Congregation Council and/or Constitution Committee, is invited and encouraged to review these amendments and make recommendations for approval by a Congregational Meeting.
Amendments, whether required or not required, that bring a congregation’s constitution into line with the Model Constitution for Congregations may be adopted by a simple majority vote at one legally called Congregational Meeting. Section *C17.04. of your congregation’s constitution provides additional directions. Consider updating your congregation’s constitution now. Many find it an important and relatively easy task.
For those congregations that have not updated their constitutions in awhile, the 2013 version of the Model Constitution for Congregations, which includes all of the changes approved by the Churchwide Assemblies since the beginning of the ELCA, may be downloaded here. Congregations may use this document as the basis for updating their constitutions. More detailed information may be found at: www.elca.org/Resources/Office-of-the-Secretary.
