# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S490
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

STEWARDSHIP AND FINANCES; RETIREMENT AND BENEFITS ATT

Wuereas, Such amounts paid by congregations and
boards were often considered as part of salary for the
participating member; and

Wuereas, Individual workers in the church may for
various reasons find it necessary or desirable to resign
from their positions in the church prior to the retire-
ment age; and

Wuereas, The necessity for providing for the retire-
ment years still remains with the individual; and

Wuereas, His reliance on the full retirement benefits
of the Pension Plan has prevented him from making
other provisions for his advanced years; and

Wuereas, A concern for such individual’s welfare
is not abrogated by his resignation from full-time church
work; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention assembled
adopt such amendments to the (old) Pension Plan as
would provide for the following:

a. that participating members who resign from full-
time church work be permitted, if they elect to do so,
to withdraw the full amount credited to their Pension
Plan account (such full amount to include the mem-
ber’s contribution, those contributions made on his be-
half by congregations and boards, plus the accrued
interest), and

b. that such action be retroactive to July 1, 1950.

FartH LUTHERAN CHURCH
La Grande, Oreg.
STEPHEN KELLY, Secretary

(12-11)

To Provide for Release of Pension
and Retirement Accumulations

Wuereas, The old Pension Fund, as well as the Con-
cordia Retirement Plan, represents the accumulated
contributions not only of workers but also of congrega-
tions in behalf of specific workers; and

Wuereas, Changes taking place in the church, as in
every area of activity today, may lead a worker to
change his assumed course of service in the Kingdom;

and

Wuereas, If he were led to change vocations, or even
church affiliations, Christian ethics would not approve
of the church either depriving him of the accumulated
benefits accruing to his account or transferring them
arbitrarily to the benefit of the church body itself or its
membership: therefore be it

Resolved,

1. That any such worker leaving the teaching or
preaching ministry of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod, or even the fellowship of this body, may request
that all accumulated offerings in behalf of his pension
or retirement be released:

2. That such request must be accompanied by a
signed statement relieving The Lutheran Church —

Missouri Synod of any financial responsibility related
to his retirement;

3. That upon receipt of such request, with the re-
quired release, all funds credited to his specific account

be released without penalty. Rev. ERwin A. RUHLIG

Indianola, Iowa

(12-12)

To Permit Withdrawal of Personal
and Employer Contributions
to Pension and Retirement Funds

Wuereas, The pension and retirement funds repre-
sent the accumulated contributions of individuals and
their employers; and

Wuereas, These contributions were made for and on
behalf of individual workers: and

Wuereas, These contributions were not made as gifts
to the Synod; and

Wuereas, These contributions represent the hope of
individual workers for the “golden” years of retirement,
if God be so gracious as to give them; and

Wuereas, A worker for a good reason may be per-
suaded to sever his connections with The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod; and

Wuereas, Such worker should not be deprived of his
accumulated reserves paid by himself and his em-
ployers; and

Wuereas, The Synod should not legalistically hold
the pension retirement fund as a club over the heads of
her workers; and

Wuereas, We seem to be moving towards an ap-
proval of holding some diverse doctrinal opinions (di-
versity in unity); and

Wuereas, Financial restriction ought not to be more
severe than the doctrinal; therefore be it

Resolved,

1. That workers withdrawing from The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod may apply for the funds ac-
cumulated to their accounts through personal and em-
ployers’ contributions;

2 That such funds be released upon presentation of
a proper request form:

3. That a service charge of 2% of the total accumu-
lated amount be made, and that amount shall flow into
the pension retirement fund;

4. That such worker be not eligible for any further
financial assistance from the Synod, once he has ob-
tained his accumulated reserves;

5. That the Board of Managers of the Concordia
Plans be directed to prepare proper forms reflecting the
above recommendations:

6. That the workers of the Synod covered by the
Concordia Plans be informed of the new provision.

Rev. GERHARDT J. C. GERIKE
Des Moines, Iowa