Resolution: Voting Membership

Memorial regarding frequency of communion
submitted by Philip Van Dam / Peter Suwak

Whereas our congregations are formed by gathering around the Gospel proclaimed in word and sacrament, and not around an offering basket, and

Whereas Luther said that if a person did not commune at least four times a year that person was no Christian, and

Whereas when people have greater requirements for membership, they value that membership more, be it therefore

Resolved that the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod in Assembly memorialize the Churchwide Assembly to alter the model constitution so that in order to be considered active, a member would have to have communed four times in the previous twelve months, and that at least one of those would be at their home congregation. Clergy who are not serving in the congregation where they are members would not be required to commune in their congregation of membership in order to maintain active status.