# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1983_S180 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 180 ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION including recommendations to increase seminary subsidies to their needed operational level, and further recommendations that could include the possibility of selling or closing some of our synodical schools; and be it further Resolved, That the Board of Directors present its recommen- dations to the next synodical convention. Mount Hope Lutheran Church Casper, Wyo. John G. Evans III, Secretary J.B. Brown, Pastor 4-50 To Include in the Handbook the Formula for Membership in the LCEF WHEREAS, The bylaws of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund spell out the formula for members of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund; and WHEREAS, Requests have come to include this formula for membership also in the Bylaws (Handbook) of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; therefore be it Resolved, That Bylaw 2.621 a be, and it is hereby. amended to add as a new sentence at the end thereof the following: As established by its bylaws, the members of Lu- theran Church Extension Fund—Missouri Synod are divided into two classes, one consisting of the Presi- dent of the Synod or his representative, the Treasurer of the Synod, and such additional members ap- pointed by the Synod’s Board of Directors as shall equal one for each 10 members of the other class, and the other class consisting of that number of indi- viduals representing participating Districts deter- mined according to the following formula: Baptized Members, Investments , Investments x 915 50,000 10,000,000 Baptized Members Fund Number of + Balance x 1Q1 - Members per 100,000 District LCEF Board of Directors Board of Church Extension Karl Abel, Chairman Fred Forster, Secretary 4-51 To Revise LCEF Loan Policies WHEREAS, The concept and the reality of Church Extension constitutes a history of support of the mission programs of the District and the Synod; and WHEREAS, The LCEF (synodical) has shown strong, crea- tive, and exciting leadership in support of the mission of the church; and WHEREAS, Most of the expansion in the mission program and the establishing of new congregations in the U.S.A. is under the direction and leadership of the various synodical Districts: and WHEREAS, There is no question about the value of a strong Church Extension Fund program at the District level; and WHEREAS, The lifeline of the mission program at the District level will continue to be a strong Church Extension program; and WHEREAs, Support for that program must come from the congregations and members of the respective Districts; and WHEREAS, Lutheran Church Extension Fund. in its effort to be helpful to the entire mission program of the Synod, is often viewed as being in competition with the District programs soliciting the support of its membership for CEF; therefore be it Resolved, That LCEF be commended for the leadership that it has taken in developing new and exciting avenues of support for Church Extension; and be it further Resolved, That the Districts continue to be responsible for the solicitation, investment, and use of CEF funds in their individual Districts; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod direct that when congregations qualify for a loan from LCEF, this loan be made to the District of which that congregation is a member and then from that District to the congregation under the guidelines set up by the District; and be it finally Resolved, That LCEF be encouraged to continue its creative and innovative thinking, and that it be actively involved in the total support of all aspects of CEF at the District level. Board of Directors Texas District Glenn O’Shoney, President , 4-52 To Petition the Synodical Church Extension Fund to Find a Way to Provide Low Interest Loans for Home Purchase to Staff Members of Synodical Agencies and Institutions WHEREAS, The Kansas District Church Extension Fund (CEF) has a policy whereby a limited amount of money is made available to congregations to assist their called workers in the purchase of a home at low rate of interest; and WHEREAS, The current guidelines governing the operation of the Kansas District CEF state that the CEF can loan money only to congregations incorporated within the state of Kansas and not directly to individuals; and WHEREAS, St. John’s College is owned by the Missouri Synod and is therefore not a corporation within the confines of Kansas; therefore be it Resolved, That this convention decline the overture sub- mitted by St. John’s College requesting the Kansas District CEF to loan money to faculty members for the purchase of homes; and be it further Resolved, That this convention petition the synodical CEF to develop a program whereby those serving synodical agencies, orinstitutions, can borrow money for home purchase at a low rate of interest. Kansas District Harvey Hanneman, Secretary 4-53 To Make Minutes of Benefit Plans Available WHEREAS, Congregations and agencies of the Synod which participate in the Concordia Plans and pay its cost, and also Plan members who look to the Plans for financial protection, have a legitimate interest in the conduct of the affairs of the Plans; and WHEREAS, Inquiries for specific information or requests for specific action by the Board of Managers of the Plans have been answered only indirectly and in generalities, rather than specifics; and WHEREAS, The guidelines for each of the Concordia Plans. in the Section titled “Board of Managers,” subsection ‘‘Records,” states in part: ‘‘All acts and determinations of the Board of Managers shall be recorded by the Secretary thereof, and all such records ... shall be subject to inspection by any person having a legitimate interest therein” (Health Plan 9.4; Disabil- ity Plan 12.4; Retirement Plan 16.4); and WHEREAS, Requests for copies of minutes of the meetings of the Board of Managers have been refused or ignored; and WHEREAS, Distance makes personal inspection of the minutes impossible for the great majority of Plan members: therefore be it