LCMS. Council of Presidents

The origins of an assembly of the District Presidents are unclear, although traces go back to the constitution of Synod which first provided for District Presidents (1854). The 1856 Constitution provided for special sessions of the Synod in emergencies "provided that the majority of the District Presidents concur" and that two-thirds of the "voting members are present." However, the 1856 Constitution does not state whether the District Presidents were to be consulted as a group or individually. The District Presidents were used extensively as counselors to the Synodical President in the earlier years; but again, it is unclear whether this was done individually or collectively.

The District Presidents became increasingly involved in Synod—wide activities over the remaining decades of the nineteenth century. An important responsibility in terms of their current duties was added in 1881, when Synod decided that all calls required the signature of the local District President, and in 1895, when the responsibility of assignment of calls to candidates was given to the "College of Presidents." The District Presidents have assigned candidate calls ever since, except for a period during the Depression, when the shortage of calls made this impractical.

The College has also been employed on an ad hoc basis for interim decisions in emergencies, to be ratified by the next Synodical convention. Such decisions have dealt with the sale of Synodical property, the calling of professors, and the opening of new mission fields.

The District Presidents have also been assigned certain powers of appointment. For example, in 1956 Synod assigned to their care the appointment of eight of the thirteen members of the Synodical Survey Commission. Also, in 1975 they were instructed to select nine of the twenty-one members of the Task Force on Constitution, Bylaws, and Structure.

There have been other duties as well which derive from the District Presidents‘ knowledge of their districts. Most importantly, the District {residents have served on the Synodical Fiscal Conference (1926-present) in order to provide information from the districts in drawing up the Synodical budget.

The 1965 convention resolved to change the name of the group from "College of Presidents" to "Council of Presidents."

(For more information, consult the report of the Synodical Survey Commission, Report 3C, August, 1961, by August R. Suelflow.)