# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S136 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 136 TASK FORCE and the consequent volume of this communication has served to make the present deadline for suggestions impractical ; and WHEREAS, Suggestions made near the present deadline stand a lesser chance of being completely qualified by the time that the committee must be prepared to meet the Convention Workbook printing deadline; therefore be it Resolved, That the present deadline for suggestions be adjusted in view of these problems; and be it further Resolved, That Bylaw 2.141 d be revised to read as follows: d. All suggested names and information for con- sideration by the Committee for Convention Nomi- nations shall be submitted to the committee no later than 8 months prior to the synodical convention. Committee for Convention Nominations Eldor W. Meyer, Chairman Roy Krause, Secretary Identical or similar: 2-24B St. Marks, Youngstown, Ohio Ronald P. Theis 2-25 To Update Bylaws re Medical Work WHEREAS, The Board for Missions no longer has a staff person for medical work; therefore be it Resolved, That Bylaw 8.71 c be amended as follows: PRESENT WORDING c. The council shall meet regularly to consult with and advise the staff person for medical work of the Board for Missions. PROPOSED WORDING c. The council shall maintain liaison with the Board for Missions on all matters that relate to the church’s medical-mission program. Council for Christian Medical Work Florence Montz, Staff Administrator 2-26 To Upgrade the Process of Funding the Mission of the Church WHEREAS, The 1979 synodical convention in approving the Forward in Remembrance appeal (Res. 12-01A) also resolved, “that the board of Directors, after consultation with the appropriate boards, bring to the 1981 synodical convention its proposal for a continued upgrading process to fund the mission of our church”; and WHEREAS, Receipts from the members of our congregations received through the Districts, including 1980, have met the District pledges only four times in the last 15 years; and WHEREAS, District pledges to the Synod for the calendar year 1981 increased only 4.7 percent, thereby necessitating significant program cutbacks in order to provide enough funds for certain staff and missionary salary increases, increased interest on the debt (for prior year convention—authorized deficit spending, including faculty salary increases), the costs of the 1981 convention; and PRESENT WORDING WHEREAS, For many years financial support of the Synod has not kept up with inflation, resulting in substantial synod- ical staff reductions, reducing the number of missionaries from 364 down to the present 148, and reducing subsidy for higher education from 46 percent to 27 percent all in an effort to balance the budget and yet leaving a cumulative deficit of $10,447,447 as of June 30, 1980; and WHEREAS, Colleges and seminaries have been forced to form their own fund-raising departments, who approach congrega- tions and individuals directly while other departments under the present organization do not have direct access to con- gregations and individuals but must operate primarily with receipts from Districts; and WHEREAS, The Major Gifts Phase of Forward in Remem- brance, which exceeded its goal by more than 100 percent, and the Forward Phase, which also exceeded its goal, have indi- cated a great interest in funding the work of the Synod and its Districts, colleges, and seminaries through other avenues in addition to the normal Sunday morning offering and have also generated a continually growing list of unvisited prospects, and have thereby shown the need for an expanded financial support function to assist the Synod, Districts, colleges, sem- inaries, and congregations in special gift solicitation conducted according to sound Biblical stewardship concepts; and WHEREAS, Forward in Remembrance through its structure has trained many people as Christian fund-raisers and as speakers on behalf of the work of the Synod and Districts, and the Board of Directors believe this structure should continue to be utilized to upgrade the process of funding the mission of the church; and WHEREAS, The LCMS Foundation has also been in the process of developing a field structure similar to that of Forward in Remembrance, has trained many people in the area of deferred giving, and had a record year in 1980; and WHEREAS, The Forward in Remembrance and Foundation experiences show the need to coordinate deferred giving, special gifts, and normal giving; and WHEREAS, Such coordination can best be accomplished by a department under the Board of Directors which sets the spending budget and should be held responsible for raising the operating and capital funds required to keep it in balance; therefore be it Resolved, That the Board of Directors authorize, effective March 1, 1981, the establishment of a Financial Support Department, accountable to the Board of Directors; to promote deferred giving and special giving; and be it further Resolved, That the Board of Directors acting also as the Members of the Foundation look to the Financial Support Department for the promotion of deferred giving; and be it further Resolved, That the Board of Directors recommend to the 1981 St. Louis convention that it transfer all fund-raising responsibilities from the Board of Stewardship to the Depart- ment of Financial Support; and be it further Resolved, That prior to such convention approval, the Stewardship Counselor and his staff be requested to cooperate with the Financial Support Department so that all aspects of fund-raising can be coordinated; and be it finally Resolved, That this resolution, together with the attached suggested Bylaw changes, be shared with the convention as the Board of Directors report requested by Res. 12.01A. Board of Directors Herbert Mueller, Secretary PROPOSED WORDING VII. RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION A. Financial Support 7.01 General a. The Board of Directors shall have the respon- sibility for providing operating and capital funds for