Those who may or do have the power to vote on legal actions.
This chapter outlines how to become a member (or be removed from membership) and describes the privileges and duties of members.
Top Priority: Determine how membership is terminated due to inactivity, as instructed in *C8.05.e. Full Description Here
Warning: There is also no such thing as an "active member" or an "inactive member". The above categories are the only categories of membership. See full details on the types of members.
The following is offered merely as suggestions, often based on common provisions in congregational constitutions. It is up to each congregation to determine what is and is not important to include in their own governing documents.
Are the synod bishop or the presiding bishop ex officio members of the congregation?
This category leaves a big potential hole. What happens to baptized members when they become adults (age 18) but are not confirmed? See ELCA Continuing Resolution 6.02.A09. Especially if such individuals are received by transfer? How will the congregation handle this?
On the one hand, unconfirmed adults may simply become confirmed adults. On the other hand, remaining unconfirmed into adulthood may be grounds for removal due to inactivity.
How will congregations guard against double standards, requiring teens to take extended classes for confirmation but letting adults become confirmed members after a couple new member classes or less?
Note: See the full thoughts on membership to dig deeper into this issue.
The first thing to note is that every confirmed member is potentially a voting member. This category basically describes the circumstances in which confirmed members gain the right to vote.
Note: Of importance is the phrase "current and preceding calendar year". A calendar year is January 1 through December 31. Meetings where the membership records are fixed in January would consider barely more than a year for determining voting membership. Meetings with records fixed in December would consider nearly two full years.
This consideration may influence when congregation meetings happen in Chapter 10.
Warning: If a congregation does not keep formal communion records, it will be impossible to use communing as a criteria to exclude someone from voting. A lack of communion records may also have implications for determining inactivity.
For Success: Because voting members only need to commune and contribute once per calendar year (January 1 through December 31), communion records do not need to be created for every time communion is served. Rather, congregations simply need to record the first time someone communes and the first time someone contributes in a calendar year. For communion, simply create a list of confirmed members and label a column with the current year, then record the date of the first time each member communes that year.
The phrase "record of contribution" is potentially ambiguous. Many congregations assume it means financial contribution, but it could include contributions of time or talents as well.
Note: The privileges and duties of membership in *C8.04. might help a congregation answer these questions.
It should also be determined whose contributions count toward such records. This decision will both effect voting membership and inactivity.
Note: If the phrases "youth" or "young adult" are used, they should be defined. See *C4.04.
Simply decide if associate members must belong to ELCA congregations or if they can belong to any Lutheran or Christian congregation.
Example: Few congregations use associate members, but good instances exist for the use of this category.
This category is the newest type of membership. It has a lot of restrictions. Any congregation with season members will have to consider their impact on quorum. See *C10.04.
Note: *C8.03. is an oddly placed provision. *C8.02.e. includes the same statement for seasonal members. The following thoughts really belongs under *C8.02., but because this provision clearly speaks of membership requirements, the comments are put here.
How does the congregation handle all types of membership? Are there any other requirements for membership?
Ultimately, any procedures for becoming a member need to be clear.
Note: If the requirements are different for youth confirmed members and adult confirmed members, why?
Note: All rostered ministers of Word and Sacrament have the responsibility to administer the sacraments, including Holy Baptism, and the called pastors of this congregation perform confirmations. If restrictions on membership are placed here, these restrictions should be shared with rostered leaders prior to issuing a call.
If there are additional privileges or duties of members, put them here. Many privileges and duties are likely to derive from Chapter 4.
A particularly important privilege to address is whether baptized, confirmed, or associate members have the privilege of voice.
Another common privilege is permitting members free or reduced prices for various services, such as wedding, funerals, and general facility usage.
Example: One congregation had a controversy over who gets offering envelopes. A continuing resolution here would clarify this issue.
The most important thing to remember in this provision is that anyone removed from the roll of members "remain persons for whom the Church has a continuing pastoral concern." This statement has implications on any governing document, including policies that differentiate between members and non-members. Do these policies account for this continuing pastoral concern?
Note: Remember that "the Church" refers to the entire Church of Jesus Christ, not simply this congregation nor just the ELCA.
Note: The term "release" applies to members who have joined another worshipping community but, because the other community follows a different polity, the term "transfer" is not applicable.
Inactivity is one of the most misunderstood words in the entire Model Constitution.
Warning: There is no such thing as an "inactive roll". One is either on the membership roll or not. There are not multiple membership rolls.
A person cannot be made an "inactive member". They are being removed from membership entirely due to inactivity.
Many congregations are reluctant to remove people from membership. In some ways, this is understandable. Membership is often conflated with being a disciple of Jesus, and removing someone from membership often drives them permanently away from the Church and faith in Christ. At the same time, keeping inactive people as confirmed members has the potential to allow them to return to voting membership at times of controversy. Such actions have resulted in pain and turmoil in many congregations. Every congregation needs to decide how a member will be removed from the roll due to inactivity.
Note: See the thoughts on membership for reflections on why membership is important.
Because membership has important legal consequences, having a clear definition of inactivity provides many protections to a congregation. Bylaws defining inactivity should, minimally, address two concerns:
Many congregations have simply defined inactivity as "not meeting the requirements of voting membership". Such a definition can work for confirmed members, but ignores other types of membership as well as a whole slew of additional questions, including whether or not confirmed membership should be conflated with voting membership, as if the requirements for both are one in the same.
Questions to answer when determining the definition of inactivity may include:
Note: These questions may not be comprehensive. Congregations may face many different scenarios. Context will matter.
Note: If a member requests to be removed from the roll, this is not inactivity. This is resignation, as listed in *C8.05.b.
Warning: Removal due to inactivity should be a last resort. It is always better that the lines of communication be restored or the member voluntarily resign their membership.
The Model Constitution does not explicitly state who has the power to remove someone from membership. Likely, such power should be granted to whoever has the authority to make someone a member. In the case of confirmed and seasonal members, this is the Congregation Council. The process for removal should specify who can remove someone from membership.
But once someone meets the definition for inactivity, what happens? In some cases, inactivity may result in automatic removal, even without the vote of the Congregation Council. In other cases, certain steps may be required before someone can be removed due to inactivity. Such steps may include:
Ultimately, the procedure for removal needs to be clear.
Congregations may also want to consider whether a member may be removed for inactivity during a time of pastoral vacancy.
Note: The use of "must" and "may" in the provisions on inactivity should be precise. Definitions of Must and May
Warning: Once someone is removed from the roll of members, simply coming to worship again and contributing will not result restore their membership. They are no longer members and have to be received the same way any new member would be received.
The following is offered only as an example. It does not address all the issues laid out above, but provides some building blocks that congregations may expand upon.