CTX Board of Regents declines to seat new members

[Michael Speckhard]

From the LCMS Reporter:

On Aug. 8, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Board of Directors (BOD) reached out to the Concordia University Texas (CTX), Austin, Texas, Board of Regents (BOR) seeking a board-to-board meeting in keeping with the spirit of Resolution 7-03, adopted on Aug. 1 by the Synod in convention. In that letter, the LCMS BOD also asked the CTX BOR:

To recognize and seat the four CTX regents elected by the Synod convention on Aug. 3; and
Not to seat anyone who has not been elected or appointed to the CTX BOR under Synod Bylaws.
The next day, on Aug. 9, CTX President Dr. Donald Christian notified the LCMS BOD via email that the four CTX regents elected by the Synod convention would not be seated on the CTX BOR.

Attached to Christian's email were copies of letters from Christopher Bannwolf, CTX BOR chair, that previously had been sent to each of the four newly elected regents. Those letters referred to the regents' "purported election" to the CTX BOR. They also claimed that the current CTX Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws "do not allow for Regents to be elected or appointed externally by someone else," including by the LCMS convention.

The Synod BOD has been informed by Bannwolf that the CTX BOR will meet soon to discuss its response to the Synod BOD's Aug. 8 letter requesting a meeting.

[Dan Fienen]

I'm afraid that we're headed to breaking Gibbs' rule #13, Never involve lawyers.

[Dave Benke]

From the LCMS Reporter:

On Aug. 8, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Board of Directors (BOD) reached out to the Concordia University Texas (CTX), Austin, Texas, Board of Regents (BOR) seeking a board-to-board meeting in keeping with the spirit of Resolution 7-03, adopted on Aug. 1 by the Synod in convention. In that letter, the LCMS BOD also asked the CTX BOR:

To recognize and seat the four CTX regents elected by the Synod convention on Aug. 3; and
Not to seat anyone who has not been elected or appointed to the CTX BOR under Synod Bylaws.
The next day, on Aug. 9, CTX President Dr. Donald Christian notified the LCMS BOD via email that the four CTX regents elected by the Synod convention would not be seated on the CTX BOR.

Attached to Christian's email were copies of letters from Christopher Bannwolf, CTX BOR chair, that previously had been sent to each of the four newly elected regents. Those letters referred to the regents' "purported election" to the CTX BOR. They also claimed that the current CTX Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws "do not allow for Regents to be elected or appointed externally by someone else," including by the LCMS convention.

The Synod BOD has been informed by Bannwolf that the CTX BOR will meet soon to discuss its response to the Synod BOD's Aug. 8 letter requesting a meeting.

That sounds like the way the order of events would work from the CTX side.  First answer the request for a meeting, at which the seating of the board and the ramifications of the CTX Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws would be discussed.   Why would they seat the Milwaukee-elected regents and then have the meeting with the Synod BOD?

My sense is that at some time along the way this lands squarely at District President Newman's desk.

Dave Benke