Our Saviour's constitution serves as a governing and guiding document that reflects the theology and the polity of the church as we work to Know Jesus and Make Jesus Known. 

You can find a copy of Our Saviour's existing constitution, last revised on March 1, 2006, HERE. A copy of the existing bylaws can be downloaded HERE.

In 2022, the sixteenth Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), of which Our Saviour's is a member, approved amendments to its Model Constitution for Congregations. The model, originally adopted by the Constituting Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and amended by subsequent churchwide assemblies, is, the ELCA notes, "deeply rooted in Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and the history of this church and its predecessors."

In late 2022, Our Saviour's embarked on a process to update its church constitution to align with required and recommended provisions set forth in the ELCA's current Model Constitution for Congregations. That work was completed with the assistance of outside legal counsel, and in spring 2023, Our Saviour's Church Council approved recommendations for updates to the church's constitution and bylaws. A congregational vote on accepting those recommendations will take place later this summer (exact date TBD).

A copy of the proposed updated church constitution can be downloaded HERE; a copy of the proposed updated bylaws can be downloaded HERE. Significant updates to the constitution are highlighted in yellow. Sections marked with an asterisk(*) cannot be modified; they must match the ELCA model. 

If you have questions about proposed updates to the constitution or its bylaws, please direct them to ChurchCouncil@oursaviours.com or, in person, to Jim Harms or Council Chair Kathy Ewald.