# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S848
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

344 MISSIONS

Ad a. Our own resources, It is understood that trust funds
cannot be used for this purpose. There are, however, other than
trust funds available, unused funds in various treasuries, funds not
earmarked for any specific purpose, which could be loaned (not
given) to the Synodical Building and Loan Department on longer-
or short-term non-interest-bearing notes,

Ad b. Surplus or unused funds of synodical Districts, of organ-
izations, and of congregations within the Districts, Synodical Dis-
tricts, organizations, and congregations within Synod having surplus
funds could consider the Synodical Building and Loan Department
their depository. A rate of 1% interest might be offered. The sur-
plus funds of one District could thus aid another that is in need.
The Building and Loan Department could be Synod’s distributing
agent, Just recently one District applied to another for a loan for
a given period of time.

Ad c. Loans from fellow Christians. If sufficient funds cannot
be made available in the above manner, an appeal to fellow Chris-
tians for loans to the proposed Synodical Building and Loan De-
partment without interest (or at 1%) would prove popular.

A fund of at least $1,000,000 might be considered the goal to
reach. It shall be understood

That the proposed Building and Loan Department be an ad-
junct of the General Church Extension Board and be placed in
charge of competent businessmen;

That detailed rules and regulations for the conduct of the
Building and Loan Department be drawn up by the committee
appointed;

That the Board of Directors, together with the College of
Presidents, be given power to carry out the proposed undertaking.

Be it suggested:

That loans are to be.made to Districts only and at an interest
rate of 3%;

That Districts, subsidized as well as self-sustaining, might
draw on this fund;

That Districts might loan money to any congregations, whether
subsidized or self-sustaining.

A gigantic undertaking indeed! Are we ready and willing
to undertake great things for the Lord, or shall we fearfully stand
by and permit others to take from us, one by one, the many fields
that are ripe unto harvest because we have not the funds in readi-
ness to build or to purchase the places of worship, the schools, the
parsonages, the teacherages. Dare we nonchalantly tarry only to
face another season of unemployed graduates? Let us take it to
the Lord. “Ye have not because ye ask not.”