# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S216 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 214 ADMINISTRATION The Lord of the church directs the church to provide for its servants, not on a subsistence level, but on a level that is fair, equitable, and honorable. The Board of Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. therefore submits the following overture: WHEREAS, In our present society the cost of housing is a major factor in living costs; and WHEREAS. The cost of housing is rising rapidly, even in relationship to other costs; and WHEREAS, High interest rates have added to this escalation of housing costs; and WHEREAS, Individual congregations, being aware of these problems, have adopted a wide variety of methods of providing adequate housing for their servants—housing allowances, annuities, housing equity allowances, low-cost loans—besides and sometimes in conjunction with the traditional ‘“‘parson- ages” and “‘teacherages”’; and WHEREAS, The Synod’s colleges and seminaries are scattered throughout our nation and at times have situations unique to their area, they still should have some uniformity with their sister colleges and seminaries: and WHEREAS, Even at an individual college or seminary there can be a wide variety of needs; and WHEREAS, At the present time there are severe inequities in the way the housing is provided for the various college and seminary servants; and WHEREAS, Colleges and seminaries have encountered diffi- cult and almost impossible problems when asking people to serve but not being able to make adequate provisions for the housing of such servants: therefore be it Resolved, That the Board for Higher Education be directed to develop an overall systemwide program of providing adequate and fair housing compensation for the various colleges and seminaries, and that this program be ready for implementation by July 1, 1982, at the latest; and be it further Resolved, That the various Boards of Control be permitted to adapt programs suitable to their area and local situation under the guidelines and policies adopted by the Board for Higher Education; and be it further Resolved, That in those situations where the colleges and seminaries supply the housing by providing a house or apart- ment, a housing equity annuity plan be made available so that these servants of the church might have a reasonable oppor- tunity to have adequate housing at retirement; and be it finally Resolved, That when no synodical housing is available, funds be made available for low-cost loans to staff members who find it necessary or advantageous to purchase their own housing. Board of Control Concordia Seminary St. Louis, Mo. Walter C. Dissen, Secretary PRESENT WORDING 8.51 The Lutheran Church Extension Fund— Missouri Synod c. The Board of Directors for the Lutheran Church Extension Fund—Missouri Synod shall consist of nine individuals—two pastors, two teachers, and five laymen. Eight of the directors shall be elected by the members and shall have an understanding of the Church Extension program and/or demonstrate an expertise in fields and areas closely related to church extension activities, such as knowledge of real estate, management, and financial planning. The Treasurer of the Synod shall be the fifth lay member of the board and the treasurer of the fund. The results of such elections shall be ratified by the Synod at its next convention. 4-29 To Treat the Matter of Membership and Election of Church Extension Boards WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church Extension Fund—Missouri Synod (LCEF) was established in order to provide a means for more effectively and efficiently carrying on the Church Extension functions of the Synod, as was reported to the 1979 convention of the Synod (see Memorial 4-23 Convention Work- book, pp. 141—44); and WHEREAS, The 1979 convention of the Synod amended the Synod’s Bylaws dealing with Church Extension in order (1) to recognize LCEF and (2) to assure consistency in the conduct of Church Extension activities through LCEF (as determined by its Board of Directors) and the conduct of other synodical Church Extension functions (under policies established by the Synod’s Board for Church Extension) by providing in Bylaw 8.51 d that the Synod’s Board for Church Extension would be comprised of those individuals who were elected to the LCEF Board of Directors; and WHEREAS, The election by the Synod in its 1979 convention of certain members of the Synod’s Board for Church Extension is deemed to have been intended as transitional until July 1, 1981, as specified in Bylaw 8.55; and WHEREAS, Those individuals who were elected by the 1979 convention to the Synod’s Board for Church Extension, and who also serve on the LCEF Board of Directors, want the record to show the effect and purpose of that transition, as described in the convention report from the Board for Church Extension, and to have the Synod’s Bylaws clearly reflect the current situation that those individuals who have been elected to the LCEF Board of Directors are, by virtue of Bylaw 8.51 d and not otherwise, also serving on the Synod’s Board for Church Extension; and WHEREAS, It is necessary as a result of law governing corporations that corporate directors be clearly elected and qualified, which may not be the case due to use of the word “ratified” in Bylaw 8.51 c; and WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) in its own bylaws, Art. II, Sec. I, provides for its board of directors to be composed of nine individuals, at least two of whom shall be on The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s official roster of pastors and called teachers; and WHEREAS, The Synod’s Bylaws, 8.15 c, provides that the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund— Missouri Synod shall consist of nine individuals—two pastors, two teachers, and five laymen; therefore be it Resolved, That “‘a Board for Church Extension’”’ be deleted from Bylaw section 2.03 a and be it further Resolved, That Bylaw 8.51 and Bylaw 8.55 be amended as follows: PROPOSED WORDING 8.51 The Lutheran Church Extension Fund— Missouri Synod c. The Board of Directors for the Lutheran Church Extension Fund—Missouri Synod shall consist of nine individuals, at least two of whom shall be on The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s official roster of pastors and called teachers. Eight of the directors shall be elected by the members and shall have an understanding of the Church Extension program and/or demonstrate an expertise in fields or areas closely related to Church Extension activities, such as knowledge of real estate, management, and finan- cial planning. The Treasurer of the Synod shall be one of the lay members of the board and the treasurer of the fund. The results of such elections shall be reported to the Synod at its next convention.