# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S630
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

630 FINANCIAL MATTERS
[829] Increase Widows’ Annuities

In convention assembled at Camp Pioneer, Angola, N. Y.,
June 27—July 1, 1949, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod,
Eastern District, adopted the following resolutions pertaining to
Synod’s Pension Plan:

1. Resolved, That we memorialize Synod to increase the pay-
ment to widows;

2. Resolved, That we memorialize Synod to investigate the
possibility of group insurance to augment the very limited
“income of widows from the present annuity paid.

Martin W. Mvuetter, Secretary

[830]
Withdrawal from Pension Fund

Wueress, The Pension Catechism, page 43, states that a con-
gregation may not “expect the refund of its payments made in
behalf of a worker who discontinues his payments of the Pension
dues or resigns,” “because these contributions should be considered
as having been made for the benefit of all of Synod’s Pension Fund
members”; and

Wuereas, The above contention that the contribution of a con-
gregation “should be considered as having been made for the
benefit of all of Synod’s Pension Fund members” is not the ruling
of Synod, but only an interpretation of Synod’s Board of Support
_and Pensions of Synod’s regulation: “all accumulations made for
this account under Section 10.43 d-h shall be transferred to, and
become a part of the Contingent Fund as defined by Section 10.41 c”
(Handbook 10.49 a); and

Wuereas, Synod grants a worker the right to terminate his
membership in thé Pension Fund and to withdraw all payments
made by him and the interest thereon, by stating, “A worker leaving
the service of Synod or any component part thereof before the re-
tirement age, except for disability, relinquishes all claims for
benefits provided under Sections 10:45 and 10.4%. He shall have the
right, however, to withdraw all payments made by him under
Section 10: 43 a-c and the interest thereon” (Handbook 10.49 a); and

Wuereas, Justice and fairness demands that a congregation
should also be granted the right to terminate its contributions to
the Pension Fund and under certain conditions to withdraw ‘pay-
ments made by it; and

Whereas, Synod has made no regulation regarding ‘the dis-
position of the congregation’s “contribution to the Pension Fund”