Zion's current constitution has not been updated in over 20 years and does not include roughly eight rounds of required ELCA revisions. At the January 2025 congregational meeting, the congregation will vote on amendments to the constitution.
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For more information, please consult Zion’s current (2001/2017) constitution and the proposed (2025) constitution, linked below. Paper copies are available from Zion's Office upon request.
To ask questions not answered here or in these documents, please contact President Brian Petersen.
The format of the notation is chapter number [dot] paragraph number. In some cases, there is also a sub-paragraph letter. Unless noted, these refer to the current constitution.
8.02c The Council proposes that Zion allow associate members from other Christian churches, and not restrict this to only other Lutheran churches, or only other ELCA churches.
10.02 In 1995, Zion added this sentence to this paragraph: “A special meeting may be designated an Emergency meeting if in the judgement of the Pastor, the Congregation Council, or the President of the Congregation, a situation exists whereby the property of the congregation would suffer unless immediate action is taken.” But Council proposes striking it, because the 10 day process is sufficient and an important guardian of an inclusive, democratic decision making process. There is no emergency that would require the congregation to act in fewer than 10 days or suffer. The staff and congregational council are already authorized to take immediate action, if necessary.
11 & 12.01 and 12.02 ELCA required amendments to chapters 11 and 12 invited several decisions to be made about the size and composition of Officers, Council, and Executive Committee. There are three significant changes here:
proposed 12.06 The Council proposes allowing for continuing resolutions, which “are intended to provide more detailed descriptions of operational patterns and practices within the congregation.” Bylaws relate to “each congregation’s organization, operation, and life.” Neither are required. Chapter 17 describes the adopting and amending of bylaws; chapter 18, continuing resolutions. Continuing resolutions are much easier to adopt or amend and are useful for that reason.
13.02 Council proposes eliminating the requirement to have a Vision Committee. If this is adopted, a Vision Committee can still be formed. It is simply not required.
Citations refer to proposed constitution.
1-5 No amendments are proposed for chapters 1-5.
6 Required new paragraph 6.04d and amended and expanded 6.05.
7 Required amended 7.03 and 7.04 and new 7.05
8 Required addition of final sentence of 8.02c
9 Required new paragraph 9.03b6, lightly amended 9.05a4, 9.08, and 9.14. Optional new paragraph 9.15. In 9.21 and elsewhere, the ELCA model constitution requires replacing “Minister of Word and Service” with “deacon.”
10 Required amended 10.01 and new 10.03, 10.08, and 10.09.
12 Required lightly amended 12.03, 12.04, 12.05, and 12.08 and amended 12.12. Required omission of current 12.13.
14 No amendments are proposed for chapter 14.
15 Required amended 15.11.
16 Required amended 16.01. Council proposes 10 as the number of voting members required to propose constitutional amendments. Required omission of 16.03c.
17 & 18 Required amendments throughout but no substantive changes.
19 No amendments are proposed for chapter 19.
Zion is two things at once: a community of faithful people whose citizenship is in heaven and a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Iowa. The state of Iowa requires Zion to have a constitution, even if heaven does not. The goal is an earthly constitution that reflects heavenly values. Zion believes democracy is a heavenly value, as is staying centered in Jesus. So Zion’s constitution helps this congregation, and especially leaders, stay centered in Jesus and function well as a democracy.
Zion’s leaders began to update Zion’s Constitution in 2017, but that update was never completed. A draft of a new constitution was created but, as far as Zion’s records indicate, the congregation did not vote to adopt it. This leaves Zion with a core governing document that has not been properly updated in over 20 years.
This matters because, at most ELCA Churchwide Assemblies, the model constitution for congregations is updated. Many of these updates are required, and congregations must amend their own constitutions to keep current. Zion’s constitution is roughly eight revisions out of date.
More, the only copy of the constitution Zion’s leaders have access to is the unfinished revision. That is a 2001 constitution marked up with incomplete 2017 updates. Not just out of date but also hard to use.
The congregation itself in a congregational meeting has the sole authority to do the most important things—call a pastor, elect congregational council members, set a budget, and change the constitution. As in all of these, Council and a subcommittee worked to propose the changes summarized here.
Constitutional changes are called amendments, and Zion’s constitution lays out the rules for making amendments. We are governed by the current 2001/2017 version, specifically chapter 17 “Amendments” which in the copy available to us is struck out. Since Council is proposing amendments that bring Zion’s constitution in line with the ELCA model for congregations, a simple majority vote at one congregational meeting is all that is required. This is described in old chapter 17, paragraph three.
Changes to Council’s proposal or amendments the constitution can be proposed by members at the congregational meeting. In some cases, we are bound by the ELCA model constitution and cannot significantly change the language of certain amendments. In others, we are free.