These are the statutes and bylaws of the Synod as of 1901 as found in the Handbuch der Deutschen Evang. Synode von Nord-Amerika. Translation by Gemini 2.5 Pro.
§ 1. The name of this church organization is: "German Evangelical Synod of North America."
§ 2. The German Evangelical Synod of North America, as a part of the evangelical church, understands the evangelical church to be that church fellowship which recognizes the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God and as the sole and infallible guide for faith and life, and professes the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures as laid down in the symbolic books of the Lutheran and Reformed churches, principally: the Augsburg Confession, Luther's Catechism, and the Heidelberg Catechism, insofar as they are in agreement; in their points of difference, however, the German Evangelical Synod of North America adheres solely to the relevant passages of Holy Scripture and avails itself of the freedom of conscience prevailing in the evangelical church in this matter.
§ 3. The mission of the German Evangelical Synod of North America is, in general, the promotion and expansion of the Kingdom of God, and in particular, the establishment and dissemination of the evangelical church, above all among the German population of the United States of North America.
§ 4. The means for accomplishing its mission are: Providing for the faithful and wise leadership of the evangelical ministry, for the training of evangelical preachers and teachers, for the truly evangelical formation of its member congregations and those under its influence, and for the Christian education of the rising generation, as well as the promotion of such institutions and facilities that serve the practice of Christian charity.
§ 5. The voting members of the German Evangelical Synod of North America are: Pastors, Congregations, and Teachers. Their rights and duties are determined by the bylaws.
§ 6. The entirety of the German Evangelical Synod of North America is structured into districts, which are subordinate to the General Synod and are responsible to it for their measures and regulations.
§ 7. The right of legislation, administration, and jurisprudence rests with the General Synod. It exercises the right of legislation, which is not further transferable, only through the assemblies of the General and District Synods. In contrast, the administration is carried out by the officers and the specially designated legal authorities under the control of the Synod, and the administration of justice is handled by judicial authorities under the supervision of the Synod.
§ 8. The legislative activity of the General Synod covers the general church affairs of the Synod, i.e., all matters that are not transferred to the districts by the statutes and bylaws or by resolutions of the General Synod, and whose validity, operation, and activity extend over the entire territory of the Synod. This includes:
The Synod's statutes, their maintenance and possible amendment, the synodical agenda, the catechism and the hymnal, as well as all publications in which the confessional standpoint of the Synod is officially presented. These can only be established or changed by resolutions of the General Synod.
The representation of the Synod to the outside world through the interaction of its officers with other church communities in the name of the Synod.
The creation or abolition of such authorities to which certain branches of administration are transferred or from which they are removed, such as the educational institutions, i.e., those educational institutions whose ownership or operation is necessary for the church purposes of the Synod, namely: institutions for the training of pastors and teachers, furthermore the synodical publishing system, home and foreign missions, the administration of the church building fund, the care for the invalids and the widows and orphans of Synod members, as well as any other branches of church activity.
The division of the Synod's territory into districts, the creation of new or abolition of already existing districts.
The regulation of the legal procedure to which the members of the Synod are subject.
The acquisition of property for the purposes of the Synod and the disposal of the same under the laws of the State of Missouri.
§ 9. The administration of the affairs of the German Evangelical Synod of North America lies in the hands of the officers and authorities who are elected by the General Synod and the District Synods.
§ 10. The officers of the General Synod are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Their term of office extends from one regular session of the General Synod to the next.
§ 11. The Synod President is the official representative of the General Synod. He holds the seal of the General Synod and signs all documents issued in the name of the Synod. He is also responsible for conducting the official correspondence of the General Synod and for concluding legal transactions for the Synod. However, contracts for the Synod can only be validly concluded by him in conjunction with the other Synod officers and only until the next General Synod. His other rights and duties, as well as those of the other Synod officers, are further defined by the bylaws.
§ 12. The authorities of the General Synod are: The Seminary Authority, consisting of the Directorate of the Preacher's Seminary (G. E. Missouri College) and the Directorate of the Proseminary; the Publishing Directorate (Eden Publishing House); the two Literary Authorities; the Authorities for Home and for Foreign Missions; the Authorities for the Education of the Youth in the Synod; the Invalid and the Widow and Orphan Authorities; the Church Building Authority; the Financial Authority; as well as any other authorities that the General Synod may create.
§ 13. The term of office for all authorities of the General Synod extends from the conclusion of one regular session of the General Synod to the conclusion of the next regular session.
§ 14. All authorities of the General Synod are directly responsible to the General Synod. They must provide a written report on their administration and the status of their administrative area to each regular General Synod, as well as to the District Synods through the Synod President.
§ 15. All authorities of the General Synod are subordinate to the Synod President, as their official representative, insofar as he has to ensure that they act according to the regulations given to them in the statutes and bylaws of the Synod, as well as in any special instructions for the individual authorities and in the resolutions of the General Synod.
§ 16. All these authorities organize themselves by electing the necessary officers from among their members, such as: Chairmen, Deputy Chairmen, Secretaries, and, where funds are to be managed, Treasurers.
§ 17. The legislative activity of the districts extends only to their own circles. With regard to the affairs of the General Synod, they have the right to deliberate on them and to submit motions to the General Synod. Likewise, they have the right to express wishes regarding the administration of the General Synod and its individual branches to the officers and authorities and to pass judgment on their actions.
§ 18. The officers of each district are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
§ 19. The District President is the official representative of his district. He holds the seal and conducts the official correspondence of the district. His other rights and duties, as well as those of the other district officers, are further specified in the bylaws.
§ 20. The disciplinary power of the Synod, as well as the decision of judicial questions within the Synod, is executed by District and Synod courts. Their duties and powers are regulated by the bylaws.
§ 21. The German Evangelical Synod of North America reserves the right to change or add to the present statutes, with the exception of paragraph two and the present paragraph itself, namely paragraph twenty-one, according to the current numbering.
§ 22. The following paragraphs of the statutes, namely §§ 1, 3 to 20 inclusive, § 22, can only be changed if more than one-third of the districts request such a revision and amendment of the statutes at the General Synod and if at least two-thirds of all voting members in the General Synod vote for such a motion. The bylaws can be changed upon the motion of at least four districts if at least two-thirds of all voting members in the General Synod vote for such a motion.