General Convention delegates have the responsible task of electing people to the various boards, councils and committees of the Lutheran Church of Australia.
All nominations must be included on the official nomination form which needs to be signed by the nominee and proposers. The nomination form provides data about the person, indicates the board for which they are being nominated, and contains privacy information release agreements in relation to LAMP and the LCA Yearbook.
Who can be nominated?
Nominations can be made in the following ways:
- Current board members are eligible for re-nomination. They need to sign a form; a say-so or an assumption is not sufficient.
- Boards can submit to the Nominations Committee the names of people whom the board thinks are suitable. The committee then checks these out, before including the nomination with the person’s signature.
- Bishops can submit to the Nominations Committee the names of people who they think are suitable for a particular service area. The Committee will follow through, talking with the person, and perhaps make a nomination.
- Congregations can nominate a person, through a congregation meeting. These nominations are rarely received but very welcome because it indicates that congregations are thinking about the work of the wider church.
- At Convention itself, late nominations can be received, using the Convention check box. It must be signed by any two delegates and the nominee.
Download Nomination Form – to print
Download Nomination Form – interactive PDF
The delegate’s role in elections
Here are a few tips to help you prepare responsibility for the task of electing people to the boards, councils and committees of the LCA. These people make a huge personal commitment to serve the church, some even taking using leave entitlements to attend meetings. So please honour them and sacrifices they make by preparing as best you possibly can for elections.
- You should read the board reports contained in the Book of Reports (coming to this webpage in August), which will give you a good idea of the scope of work and the sorts of skills and experience required to serve the board well.
- You should read the details for each nominee carefully as you consider their suitability for the board. In their own words, they summarise their involvement in the LCA and/or congregation/parish over the past ten years, and they should also include their skills, qualifications and interests.
- At General Convention you will see and hear some of the nominees as they make presentations or speak to motions. Keep alert to who is speaking and the topics they speak about, as you might gain extra information about them. Bear in mind, though, that not all nominees will be at Convention, and that fact does not mean they are less worthy candidates.
In the end, you have to make a sensible decision on the information you have. Take this job seriously because you are electing people to serve the LCA on behalf of your parish.
More information
If you want to know more about the electoral process, contact Margaret Koch, LCA Nominations Committee, at nominations@lca.org.au