# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S665
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

FINANCIAL MATTERS 665

And even that does not provide for the amount Synod went
into debt in 1955. That calls for another $500,000 plus. In other
words, when our congregations in 1956 give $4,798,599 more for
Synod than last year, the debt incurred in 1955 still remains to be
disposed of.

Should Synod receive only 90 per cent of its goal in 1956, we
would be short $1,290,000 plus the $510,705 debt incurred in 1955.
The consequences of something like that would upset what was
prayerfully put into motion at the St. Paul Fiscal Conference and
would have most serious consequences upon our entire program.
That must not happen!

We Recommend

the following overtures for the consideration of Synod’s St. Paul
Convention:
I

Wuereas, Many of the members of many of our congregations
are not acquainted with, and therefore do not appreciate, the basic
principles of Christian stewardship and their practical applications
as they apply especially to membership in a Christian congrega-
tion; and

Wuerras, The talents of many of our members in too many
of our congregations are not challenged and more largely enlisted
through a broad and well-planned congregational program of
Christ-centered activities gauged to fulfill the God-given purposes
of a Christian congregation; and

Wuereas, Our people generally are not practicing the grace
of proportionate giving (“as God has prospered them”) and as a
result do not “grow in this grace also”; and

Wuereas, Failure in giving “as God has prospered” is detri-
mental to the individual spiritual life of our people as well as to the
efforts of congregations in supporting God’s cause at home and
abroad; and

Wuereas, Synod has a broad stewardship program to aid our:
congregations in overcoming the problems afore-mentioned; be it
therefore

Resolved, That the congregations of Synod study Synod’s
stewardship program and give serious consideration toward adopt-
ing and adapting the same to their local conditions; and be it further

Resolved, That all congregations appoint a stewardship com-
mittee (or its equivalent) consisting of qualified and. consecrated
people, who together with the pastor will be responsible for ini-
tiating and promoting the congregational stewardship program,