We are in the process of making some required and recommended updates to our governing documents. The Council voted at their October meeting to recommend the following updates to our Constitution and Bylaws. In addition, the Council approved updates to the Continuing Resolutions. The primary reason for these updates to to comply with required and recommended updates to the ELCA Model Constitution. In addition, we are following the ELCA's recommendation to create one governing document that includes the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions (they remain three separate governing documents even though they are combined). In addition to these changes, the Council is proposing some updates in language and wording to provide consistency, clarity, and to better represent our current procedures. The Constitution Working Group reviewed our documents in 5 sessions over the summer and proposed the updates below to the Council at the October meeting. The Council is recommending these changes be adopted by the Congregation at our upcoming Congregational Meeting. The updates that are required or recommended by the ELCA model constitution can be approved by a majority vote at our Congregational Meeting. The additional changes can be approved by a majority vote at our Congregational Meeting, and must then be ratified without change at the next regular meeting of this congregation by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting.
Please review the document below for the recommended changes. Please read the "Codification Explanation" carefully on page 2 to understand the distinction between Constitution, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions and to understand which are required by the ELCA.
All proposed changes are highlighted in yellow. If something has a line through it, the recommendation is removal. If it does not have a line through it, the recommendation is addition.
With gratitude to the Working Group for their time on this project: Melanie Bowman, Angie Grandison, Paige Marty, Patty Sirls, Pastor Amalia. A special word of thanks to Paige Marty who carefully updated and edited the documents. An additional word of thanks to Rev. David Brandfass (Sedona) who as a volunteer helps congregations with the huge task of combining governing documents into one and without whom this project would still be in its early stages.