Gordon W. Bynum, 2355 Fairview Avenue No. 161, Roseville, Minnesota 55113 The Reverend Dr. Jamison J. Hardy, Bishop and President The English District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 33100 Freedom Road Farmington, Michigan 48336-4030 2017 May 17 Dear President Hardy, I think we need more clarity. Let's also start with greater simplicity. Again, I would like the record to reflect the reality, so I am asking you to send the following memo: DATE: TO:
________________ Rev. Matthew Harrison, President All District Presidents & Administrative Assistants FROM: Rev. Dr. Jamison J. Hardy, President, English District, LCMS SUBJECT: Gordon Bynum – Ordained Minister Please disregard the previous memos and announcements regarding the roster status of Rev. Gordon Bynum. At no time was he removed from the ordained roster of the synod. The memos, announcements and any other actions indicating otherwise are retracted, along with any references or suggestions made in them by citing synodical bylaws 2.13.2.1, 2.13.4, 2.11.2.3 (b) and “non-compliance”. Rev. Bynum accepted a call to a synodical RSO, the Saint Timothy Society, in July of 2016, and was transferred to the Minnesota South District in August of 2016. He was and remains eligible for consideration for a call. We regret having caused any misunderstanding or damage to his reputation this may have occassioned. I ask that the following appear in the print edition of the Lutheran Reporter under the “Official Notices” section: GORDON BYNUM was and remains eligible to receive a call. At no time was he removed from the ordained roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The earlier notices and announcements of his removal (in July and August of 2016) are, regrettably, in error. I ask that the same appear in the online version of the official notices (https://blogs.lcms.org/category/lcms-notices). I also ask that the notice found at https://blogs.lcms.org/2016/updates-from-lcms-districts-august-2016 be appended with the note “(THIS NOTICE IS IN ERROR AND HAS BEEN RETRACTED).”
Page 1 of 1
Gordon W. Bynum, 2355 Fairview Avenue No. 161, Roseville, Minnesota 55113 I ask you to place the following in the relevant section of the 2018 English District Convention Workbook: “The Rev. Gordon Bynum's status change from Candidate to Non-Candidate occurred on January 1, 2009, and not in 2008. We regret the error.” When I mentioned the error in June of 2012, I was informed it was a trivial mistake, probably due to an administrative oversight, and it would not have any signifigance. It became signifigant when the erroroneous date became part of the attempt to remove me from the clergy roster. This needs to be corrected. I ask that you include the following in the 2018 Engish District Convention Workbook under the category “TRANSFERS OUT - ORDAINED MINISTERS”: The Rev. Gordon Bynum August 24, 2016 Minnesota South District Chaplain, Saint Timothy Society, Recognized Service Organization Please refer to the correspondence and documentation I have sent since August of 2016 if you need further verification. I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter given the length of time the memos and notices have gone uncorrected, and the ongoing confusion this has generated. Sincerely, Gordon Bynum CC: Rev. Dr. Dean Nadasdy, District President, The Minnesota South District LC – MS Matthew Johnson, Circuit Counsellor, Northwest Metro, Minnesota South District Directors, the Saint Timothy Society Rev. Dr. John Sias, Synod Executive Secretary, LC - MS Eugene Weeke, Director of Business Services, LC - MS
Page 2 of 2
24/03/2017
Gmail -
To: Rev. Dr. Gordon W. Bynum Fri, Mar 24, 2017 at 9:12 AM
Dear Rev. Dr. Gordon W. Bynum, Bishop Jamison J. Hardy received your letter dated March 18, 2017. Attached is a copy of the corrected memo that was emailed in the same manner, using the same venue and to the same recipients on July 20, 2017. Attached is a copy of the letter to Mr. Gene Weeke where Bishop Hardy writes: Rev. Hartwig said that this is a "nun et tunc" situation to which he would apply his signature to the change in the official record upon his return to St. Louis. Below is the link to the lcms locator page. You are a member in good standing with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. http://locator.lcms.org/nworkers_frm/w_detail.asp?W7241 You were not removed from the roster of Ordained Ministers. The letter to Mr. Gene Weeke reversed the decision and the memo that was sent on July 20th was the correct one at the time. God's blessings,
English District, LCMS 33100 Freedom Road Farmington, MI 49336-4030 Subscribe to English District E-Newsletter
3 attachments
image001.jpg 12K
REMOVAL MEMO - Ordained Minister.pdf 223K Gordan Bynum Letter 3-18-2017.pdf 251K https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=66cdbf7269&view=pt&search=inbox&msg=15b00a9cbd56a253&siml=15b00a9cbd56a…
1/2
24/03/2017
Gmail - To: Rev. Dr. Gordon W. Bynum
2/2
ENGLISH DISTRICT 33100 Freedom Road Farmington, MI 48336-4030
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNOD
CORRECTED MEMO DATE:
July 20, 2016
TO:
Rev. Matthew Harrison, President All District Presidents & Administrative Assistants
FROM:
Rev. Dr. Jamison J. Hardy, President English District, LCMS
SUBJECT:
Gordon Bynum – Ordained Minister
This is to notify you that Gordon Bynum, Roseville, MN, has been removed from the Roster of Ordained Ministers of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod by action of the District President, effective July 18, 2016, in accord with Bylaw 2.11.2.3 (b) for non-compliance. Therefore, he is no longer eligible for call consideration. JJH:kms
Gordon W. Bynum, 2355 Fairview Avenue No. 161, Roseville, Minnesota 55113 The Reverend Dr. Jamison J. Hardy, Bishop and President The English District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 33100 Freedom Road Farmington, Michigan 48336-4030 2017 March 17 Dear President Hardy, It has been over six months since we began the process of corrections to my roster status. I believe the remaining corrections can be relatively simple. My roster membership chronology is straighforward: 2001 Jan. 1 to 2009 Jan. 1: member of synod as a Candidate (8 years). 2009 Jan. 1 to 2017 Jan. 1: member of synod as either a Candidate or Non-Candidate (8 years). 2016 July 8: received call as Chaplain for the Saint Timothy Society (a new synodical RSO). 2016 July 13: member of synod as a Candidate (term of 10 years). 2016 Aug. 24: transferred from the English District to the Minnesota South District. I would like to have the record reflect the reality. The following are some of the remaining items I am asking you to address. 1. Would you correct and retract your memo of July 18, 2016 to “Rev. Matthew Harrison, President” and “All District Presidents and Administrative Assistants” in the same manner, using the same venue, and to the same recipients? This correction would include: (a) I have not been removed from the Roster of Ordained Ministers of The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod; (b) I was and continue to be eligible for a call; and (c) that the memo of July 18th is in error and retracted. It would also be important to include: (a) the use of bylaws 2.13.2.1 and 2.13.4 in the July 18 memo is mistaken; (b) I have never been “placed on restricted status” for being “incapable of performing the duties of the office or position because of physical, mental, or emotional disability”; nor (c) have “formal proceedings have been commenced” (against me) “which may lead to expulsion from the Synod” recently or any other time. My assumption is that the use of these bylaws (along with “non-compliance”) in your memo of July18th is a mistake. In your letter to Mr. Weeke dated August 23rd you reference a more relevant bylaw (2.11.2.3) and none of the bylaws from your July 18 memo. Your stated reason for your July 18 effort to remove me was that I had not applied for continuation as a Non-Candidate. But as mistakes go, this one is very damaging, so a more fullsome and accurate correction would be appreciated. 2. Would you clarify the sentence “Please bestow Gordon Bynum his candidate status to the Roster of Ordained Ministers of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod effective August 23, 2016” from your letter dated August 23, 2016 to Mr. Eugene Weeke? Perhaps Mr. Weeke can do this, but it is more likely that he can record and note that only one change occurred in my roster category in July (to Candidate on July 13th), and that I have not been removed as an ordained member of the LC – MS. There is no “gap” period when I was not an ordained member of synod between July 13, 2016 and August 23, 2016. On July 13, 2016 the synod in convention changed my roster status to Candidate for Page 1 of 2
a period of 10 years, deleted the category of Non-Candidate, and deleted bylaw 2.11.2.3 which created and governed Non-Candidate status. That action prevails, prevents and replaces the later action of July 18th because the action of July 18th applied to a roster category (Non-Candidate) which no longer existed on the basis of bylaws which also no longer existed (2.11.2.3). I was and continue as a member of synod, and I was an ordained member of the LC – MS as a Candidate during that period. 3. Will you correct and retract the official public notices in the Lutheran Reporter of 2016 August and on the synod's website using the same venue and in the same manner, both in print and digital formats? This would include that I was and continue to be on the ordained roster of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod; I have been and continue to be eligible for a call; and that the 2016 August official notices in the print edition of the Lutheran Reporter and the electronic version of the synod's website stating otherwise are in error and retracted. 4. Will you correct the record regarding the dates of my membership roster categories and inform the relevant districts (including Minnesota South and English) and departments of synod using the chronology in the first paragraph above? I am sympathetic to the fact that you were probably not the District President when these dates became confused, but it would be very helpful to have this corrected. Whatever my clergy roster categories were (Candidate or Non-Candidate), one of their terms had to be from 2001 to 2009 followed by another from 2009 to 2017. The enclosed letter from the English District dated January 2008 verifies that I was a Candidate from 2001 to 2009. If any confusion remains that my following term on the clergy roster (as either Non-Candidate or Candidate) began in 2009, let me know and I will dig deeper into storage and send you more documentation. Given what I have sent you already since May of 2016, it may be overkill. I'm happy to send it all again, and I can try to locate and send to you other documentation you might find helpful. Please let me know what you decide; if you determine you are able to do the items above, I would appreciate copies for my records. Sincerely, Gordon Bynum CC: Rev. Dr. Dean Nadasdy, District President, The Minnesota South District LC – MS Matthew Johnson, Circuit Counsellor, Northwest Metro, Minnesota South District Directors, the Saint Timothy Society Rev. Dr. John Sias, Synod Executive Secretary, LC - MS Eugene Weeke, Director of Business Services, LC - MS Enclosures: 3 January 2008 Letter, David Stechholz to Gordon Bynum July 18, 2016 Memo, Jamison Hardy to Praesidium and all Administrative Assistants 2016 August Official Notices
Page 2 of 2
eoev ENGLISH DISTRICT
G-1»
1
MISSOURI SYNOD
LII
zj§?°_:;\_MO,_,‘_
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH
33100 Freedom Road Farrnington, MI 48336-4030
1*
vnll
F“‘*- e gg
K .
Q
.1
..
k
/J_
, ,
/‘@901/Rist‘§
MEMO one;
July 1a, 2016
TO:
Matthew Harrison, President Ali District Presidents & Administrative Assistants
FROM:
Rev. Dr. Jamison J. Hardy, President English District, LCMS
SUBJECT:
Gordon Bynum -- Ordained Minister
'
Rev.
This is to notify you that Gordon Bynum, Roseville, MN, has been removed from the Roster of Ordained Ministers of The Lutheran Church--—~Missouri Synod by action of the District President, effective July 18, 2016, in accord with Bylaw 2.13.2.1 (b) and 2.13.4 for non-compliance. JJH:kms
Qv
06/01/2017
Official Notice: updates from LCMS districts (August 2016) - LCMS News & Information
LCMS News & Information
Official Notice: updates from LCMS districts (August 2016) August 10, 2016 in FROM THE DISTRICTS, LCMS NOTICES REBECCA J. SHAW has resigned from the commissioned roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and is, therefore, no longer eligible to receive a call. — Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan, president, Missouri District CLAIRE C. PAVIA has resigned from the commissioned roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and is, therefore, no longer eligible to receive a call. — Rev. Dan P. Gilbert, president, Northern Illinois District MIRYAH STUBENBORT and ROSALYN ZUEST have been removed from the commissioned roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and are, therefore, no longer eligible to receive a call. — Rev. Andrew J. Dzurovcik, president, SELC District LINDA L. ERJAVEC has been removed from the commissioned roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and is, therefore, no longer eligible to receive a call. — Rev. Dan P. Gilbert, president, Northern Illinois District GORDON BYNUM has been removed from the ordained roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and is, therefore, no longer eligible to receive a call. — Rev. Dr. Jamison J. Hardy, president, English District REV. STEVE EATON, Sequim, Wash., has been appointed circuit visitor for Peninsula Circuit 19, replacing Rev. Mark Adrian. — Rev. Paul Linnemann, president, Northwest District REV. DONALD WHITE, Stuttgart, Ark., has been appointed circuit visitor for Stuttgart Circuit 12, replacing Rev. Dean Clausing. — Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola, president, Mid-South District REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH, Dayton, Wash., and CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH, Seattle, Wash., are no longer congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. — Rev. Paul Linnemann, president, Northwest District Posted Aug. 10, 2016
http://blogs.lcms.org/2016/updates-from-lcms-districts-august-2016
1/1
