# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1267
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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788 FINANCIAL MATTERS

This Disability Pension shall be in the sum of $720 a year.
Deductions in this Disability Annuity, or Pension, shall be
made in the same manner now obtaining with regard to the
Old Age Benefit as set forth in 10.47 b (2). It is taken for
granted that the disabled worker shall make periodical reports
as to his physical condition and also with regard to his earn.
ings from part-time work during such a period of disability,

We recommend that this Disability Annuity be made
effective as of February 1, 1951, in favor of all disabled Pension
Fund members now receiving their earned annuity only, or
Support in addition to this earned annuity.

Special Widow’s Benefit or Pension

; A widow whose husband passed away prior to age 65
shall be granted a free subsidy from Synod’s treasury during
the period of her widowhood to increase her earned pension
annuity to such an amount as may from time to time be
determined by Synod.

This Widow’s Pension shall be in the sum of $360 a year.
Deductions in this Widow’s Annuity, or Pension, shall be made
in the same manner now obtaining with regard to the Old
Age Benefit as set forth in 10.47 b (2).

We also recommend that this Widow’s Annuity be made
effective as of February 1, 1951, in favor of all widows of
Pension Fund members who have Passed away since the in-
auguration of the Pension Fund, subject, of course, to such
regulations as already obtain with regard to the Widow’s Old
Age Benefit. To explain, permit us to say that a widow who
has married again is not eligible to receive this proposed
Widow’s Pension.

We know that there has been much agitation throughout our
country these past few years calling for pensions in behalf of
labor in big industry. The Federal Government also is intent upon
improving Social Security benefits to an increasingly larger num-
ber of people. We believe that the congregations in Synod appre-
ciate the services rendered by their pastors and teachers and
surely regard them as even more important, necessary, and bene-
ficial for time and eternity than the work of those who are fol-
lowing secular employment. At the present time our congregations
and salary-paying organizations are contributing to the Pension
Fund at the rate of 4% in behalf of their workers. We wish to
advise you that the contributions of congregations in other Prot-
estant church bodies, except for the groups that are much smaller
than ours, runs from 6% to 15%. The average of such congrega-
tional participation so far as the number of participating groups
is concerned is nearer 9%.

To improve and increase the earned benefits of the Pension
Fund to the individual members, we recommend that the em-
ployer’s contributions be increased from 4% to 8%. The mem-
ber’s contributions are to remain at 4%. .