Members are invited to vote on updates to Good Shepherd’s Constitution & By-Laws and hear important updates from the Mission & Vision Taskforce.
Below is a summary of changes to the Consitution & By-laws (with documents for download at bottom):
The last time revisions were made to the GSLC constitution and bylaws was in 1996.
The proposed revisions bring the GSLC constitution and bylaws into accordance with the ELCA Model Constitution for Congregations adopted in 2022. Most changes to our constitution reflect required provisions by the ELCA. Sections of the constitution marked by an [*] are required provisions that Good Shepherd must adopt when amending our constitution. These sections must be used without alteration or amendment of the text in any manner.
Careful work has been taken to maintain the unique governing policies of Good Shepherd while also adhering to the many required provisions from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
In addition to the required provisional changes the proposed constitution incorporates the following substantive changes:
To require the congregation to hold an annual meeting in February or March of each year. This provision brings GSLC into compliance with the State of Ohio policies regarding 501c3 non for profit organizations. (C10.05.01.)
To permit voting at meetings by members who are joining in a synchronous fashion via digital means. This will allow homebound or traveling individuals to participate in important meetings and decisions of the congregation who cannot be present in the building. (C10.06.)
To change the start of the operating year of the congregation from September 1st to January 1st. This change will make it more efficient for annual stewardship purposes and in reporting quarterly generosity and financial updates to the congregation. Considering this change, our annual stewardship campaign will move from the spring (current practice) to the fall of each year with a new operating budget for the congregation commencing on January 1st of each year. (C12.04.02.)
The proposed constitution and bylaws also remove an outdated ministry structure from our governance documents which has not been reflective of staffing roles at GSLC for many years.
All members are encouraged to read through the proposed constitution and bylaws in advance of the May 5th congregation meeting which will begin at 10:00 am.
The congregation must vote to adopt the proposed changes which have been reviewed by the GSLC Congregation Council and the Southern Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
More detail documents available for download below: