# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1983_S179
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION 179

WHEREAS, Previous disclosure has been limited to
“examples” of holdings from the Concordia Plans; and

WHEREAS, Churches are becoming increasingly concerned
about issues of corporate responsibility in an interdependent
world: and

WHEREAS, The other large Lutheran bodies in the U.S. have
been able to enter into constructive dialogue with leaders of
banking and industry following initiation of “shareholder
actions” in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of
1934; and :

WHEREAS, Members of the Synod are rightly concerned
when companies and banks of which they are together share-
holders. i.e., part owners, do business in Communist countries
or southern Africa or other parts of the world in which human
rights may not be honored or freedom of religion allowed: and

WHEREAS, Members of the Synod would not presume to pass
judgment in any of these matters without being in full posses-
sion of the facts: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention ask officials
responsible for its various investment programs (excluding the
LCMS Foundation, which holds stock in trust for others) to
disclose at the end of each calendar year those stocks in which
the Synod's membership has an interest; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod request these officials to consult
with their counterparts in other Lutheran church bodies to
ascertain which companies in which the Synod has an interest
may be doing business in Communist countries or southern
Africa; and be it finally

* Resolved, That, where appropriate, the Synod support
shareholder initiatives dealing with human rights and corpor-
ate responsibility and inform the Synod accordingly through
the official publications.

St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church
Grand Rapids, Mich.

Larry Genther, Chairman

Marion Friedrich, Secretary

R.S. Miller. Pastor

Identical or similar:

4-46B to 4-46D

Grace, Warminster, Penn.

Mt. Olive, Pasadena. Calif.
Trinity, Spencerport, N.Y.

Paul Aldinger
Jeff Matson
Chas N. Goehring

4-47

To Authorize Campaign for Expanded
Library and Media Center at Fort Wayne
and Chapel at St. Louis

WHEREAS, We recognize that a theological seminary must
have an adequate library and media center for theological
training: and

WHEREAS, The present library has approximately half as
much space as the library facility in Springfield, and we havea
larger student body (about 175 more students and growth is
continuing); and

WHEREAS, The two accrediting agencies of our seminaries
have severely criticized our present library and have given usa
notation for this inadequacy; and

WHEREAS, Our students are presently severely crowded in
these facilities; and

WHEREAS, Our total volumes cannot be housed in the
present library: and

WHEREAS, A feasibility study conducted by Community

Counselling Service has revealed that a fund campaign within
our Synod would be successful after Forward in Remembrance
has been completed and even more successful if combined with
a campaign with the St. Louis seminary for a chapel and not
combined with any other appeals; therefore be it

Resolved. That our Synod urge the Board of Directors to
authorize a fund campaign for an adequate library and media
center, and that this fund campaign be combined with a
similar campaign with one of the St. Louis seminary for a
chapel.

Board of Regents
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Ind.

4-48

To Conduct a Synodwide Offering
for the St. Louis Seminary

WHEREAS, A practicing confessional Lutheran church body
most surely requires a continuing supply of truly faithful
pastors prepared by its own seminaries: and

WHEREAS, The Synod's subsidy to Concordia Seminary, St.
Louis, has constituted a declining percentage of funds required
for educational and general expenses: and

WHEREAS, Concordia Seminary does not have available for
educational and general expenses meaningful endowment
funds; and

WHEREAS. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Svnod should
not in fairness expect its seminary students, whoconstitute its
future body of pastors, to assume the burden of paying an
increasing proportion of educational and general expenses of
the seminaries by way of tuition increases: and

WHEREAS, The seminary is without adequate chapel facili-
ties (included in the original plans of the present campus but
never built) for its corporate worship and for training men to
lead the corporate worship of God's people; and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s Forward in Remembrance offering
has conclusively demonstrated the Synod’s willingness and
capacity to generously respond to demonstrated needs of the
Synod: therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod permit Concordia Seminary, St.
Louis, to conduct in 1984—1985 a Synodwide faith offering for
the purposes of (a) meeting its current capital, education, and
expense needs: (b) providing for its longer range financial
requirements through the establishment of endowment funds:
(c) constructing and equipping a chapel: and (d) providing
adequate married student housing.

Board of Regents
,Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
‘ E. J. Otto, Chairman

4-49

To Evaluate Purpose of and Subsidy to
Our Educational Institutions

WHEREAS, The Synod is in the midst of a multimillion dollar
indebtedness: and

WHEREAS, This indebtedness is in no small part due to the
ever-increasing subsidy demands of our colleges and semi-
naries: and

WHEREAS, In the past our synodical schools were primarily
for the purpose of training future pastors. teachers. and church
workers; and

WHEREAS, There has been a gradual movement away from
this basic purpose, so that now many of our schools are
providing a general education: and

WHEREAS, The synodical budget cannot continue to with-
stand the financial drain all our schools place upon it in the
form of required subsidy: therefore be it

Resolved, That the synodical Board of Directors take the
serious and difficult steps necessary to alleviate the problem,