LCC Special Convention News

ONLINE – In June of this year, the Board of Directors called for an online or virtual Special Convention of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) to be held on October 17, 2020. The purpose of this Special Convention concerns the amending of Statutory Bylaw 9.01 to allow for postponement of a convention if precluded by some extraordinary event and to be held as soon as feasibly possible.

As outlined in the Handbook, LCC must hold a Regular Convention every four years. Currently there is no allowance for unforeseen circumstances (like a pandemic) which could impact holding a Convention. Any change to the bylaws governing LCC must be adopted by a Convention. Anticipating an ongoing disruption of large gatherings due to COVID-19 continuing into 2021 (the next date for a Regular Convention) the Board of Directors is asking a Special Convention to change the bylaw to allow for more flexible scheduling if required.

If such an amendment to Statutory Bylaw 9.01 is approved at this Special Convention, the Board of Directors intends to move the regular in-person convention, scheduled for June 11-14, 2021, to June of 2022.  If such an amendment to the Statutory Bylaws is not approved by this Special Convention, the scheduled June convention will be moved to the fall of 2021 and be an online or virtual convention.

Like many major corporations LCC will conduct the Special Convention online using software developed specifically for this type of event. Delegates may speak when recognized by the chair and vote securely on the proposed resolution.

Before calling for an online Special Convention the Board of Directors asked the Commission on Constitution Matters and Structure (CCMS) for its opinion. The Commission ruled that there is nothing in the Handbook to prohibit an online convention. LCC’s legal counsel also confirmed that laws governing Canada’s non-profit sector allow for online gatherings of the membership or representatives to conduct business.

The proceedings will be available online for anyone to watch live. LCC Communications will provide links to viewing sites in early October through InfoDigest and social media.

Visit LCC’s Special Convention Webpage for all related information, including the following:

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Initial Special Convention Notice
• Special Convention – Overture 1.01
• Special Convention – CCMS Rulings
• Special Convention – Bulletin #1
• Special Convention Workbook
• Special Convention 2020 Action Plan E

Comments regarding the resolutions can be sent to convention@lutheranchurch.ca, to be forwarded to the Resolutions Committee. There will also be an opportunity for delegates to speak to the Resolutions Committee online, on Thursday, October 15 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. CDT. Information about signing into the meeting will be sent to delegates, as soon as it is available.

The members of the Resolutions Committee are:

• Rev. David Bode (Chair), Calgary Circuit, West Region
• Rev. Barry Wood, Assiniboine Circuit, Central Region
• Merv Rocheleau, Northland Circuit, Central Region
• Rev. Don Schieman, London Circuit, East Region
• Reg Tiegs, Toronto Circuit, East Region

Additional Communications

Through the convention organizing committee, the Board of Directors has established LCC’s Servant Leader Network (SLN) as the platform by which all delegates can discuss convention issues with each other. This type of forum was suggested as part of the evaluation of the 2017 convention submitted by delegates.

The Servant Leader Network (SLN) is essentially an “intranet” (an internal website) for the people of LCC. Both formal and informal groups can be created by users to enable discussion, document sharing, event planning, and more within these groups. Almost all of the content on the site is available only to those who have an account and who are signed in. A very small amount of public-facing content may be created by administrators, but all user-created content will be visible only to those who are signed in to the site. User accounts will be moderated; those who sign up for an account must have their account manually approved. For the purposes of LCC’s 2020 Special Convention, a group has been designated within the Servant Leader Network to provide a centralized place to discuss Special Convention matters.

An introduction and invitation to sign up for SLN is available on the Special Convention webpage, including additional resources to help members get started. Please contact LCC’s Communications Director with any questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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