When voting members gather next July to conduct the business of Women of the ELCA, among the items on the agenda are several proposed constitutional changes being brought by the churchwide executive board to the convention.
The constitutional review committee of the churchwide executive board is currently compiling the various proposed changes acted on by the churchwide executive board in the 2014–2017 triennium.
Under the terms of our churchwide constitution, proposed constitutional changes must be mailed to the voting members at least six months prior to the convention. That allows sufficient time for voting members to read the proposed changes and consider and discuss the proposed changes prior to the triennial convention.
Additionally, the proposed changes will be posted on on our website.
Sometimes the proposed changes are of a grammatical or editorial nature, such as when all the constitutions were updated at the Ninth Triennial Convention (2014) to change the term “delegate” to “voting member.” Other times the proposed changes are of a more substantive nature.
If approved at the Tenth Triennial Convention (2017), the constitutional changes become effective immediately. Even with those changes that effect the constitution of a congregational unit or synodical organization, no further action is required.