# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S479
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

FINANCE
that may be necessary or appropriate to implement it; and be it
further
Resolved, That such a strategic plan be made available
electronically to all members of the Synod by October 31, 2021; and
be it further
Resolved, That a regular report of actions taken to enact and
execute the strategic plan be made electronically in January of each
year until 2033 to all members of the Synod by the Office of the
President of the Synod; and be it finally
Resolved, That failure to enact a strategic plan and comply with
the requirements of this resolution will become a cause for
discipline for any president, director, or executive of the LCMS,
Synod corporate entities, Synod trust entities, districts, CUS, and
auxiliary organizations of the Synod.
High Plains Circuit
Wyoming District
Ov. 8-03

To Acknowledge God’s Gift of Pastors and to
Memorialize The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod to Increase its Budgeted Support
of Both Seminaries
WHEREAS, “So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of
teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was
instituted. Through the Word and Sacraments, as through
instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith, when and
where it pleases God, in those that hear the good news that God
justifies those who believe that they are received by grace for
Christ’s sake. This happens, not through our merits, but for Christ’s
sake.” (Augsburg Confession [AC] V); and
WHEREAS, “The Synod is organized to work in support of and on
behalf of congregations to assist them in carrying out their
ministries as they seek to serve our Lord Jesus Christ, the members
of His body, and the whole world which stands in need of the Word
and the impact of His redeeming love.” The Synod is “to assist
[member congregations] in carrying out their functions of worship,
witness, teaching and nurture, service, and support.” (Bylaw 1.1.1);
and
WHEREAS, The Synod’s objectives include:
…
3. Recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other professional church
workers and provide opportunity for their continuing growth;
…
5. Aid congregations to develop processes of thorough Christian
education and nurture and to establish agencies of Christian
education such as elementary and secondary schools and to
support synodical colleges, universities, and seminaries;
…

WHEREAS, The number of pastoral candidates is down from “240
recent annual averages of candidates” to “90 pastoral candidates” in
2017, which is not sufficient to cover the Synod's needs (Pamela J.
Nielsen, “COP reviews Koinonia Project outcomes,” Reporter,
Nov. 2017, 2); and
WHEREAS, In May, 2017, the Board of Regents for Concordia
Seminary approved a budget of $23 million dollars “for the coming
fiscal year” [2017–18] (Concordia Seminary News), and Concordia
Theological Seminary has a budget of $12.9 million for “this fiscal

479

year” [2017–18] (email from Dr. Ron Garwood, Concordia
Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Board of Regents, December
1, 2017), and the two seminaries are also running the Global
Seminary Initiative; and
WHEREAS, Only 4.2% of the Synod’s budget ($3,097,000) goes
toward “Pastoral Education” (“Financial Year 2017 Expenses,”
Lutheran Witness, Nov. 2017, 12) for both seminaries; therefore be
it
Resolved, That the Montana District meeting in convention in
2018 acknowledge: (1) that the Lord of the Church has chosen,
given, instituted, and established “the ministry of teaching the
Gospel and administering the Sacraments” (that is, the Office of the
Word/Pastoral Office) to be the primary means through which He
expands His kingdom and upholds His Body, the Church; (2) that it
is through this Office that the Synod carries out the majority of its
purposes and objectives; and (3) that we receive with thanksgiving
both those men He has currently called to this office and those He
calls to be trained for this office; and be it further
Resolved, That the Montana District in convention memorialize
the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention in 2019 to
adopt the above Resolved as its own; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Montana District in convention memorialize
the LCMS in convention in 2019 to direct the Synod's Board of
Directors to increase the Synod’s budgeted support of both
seminaries by 10% per annum until reaching 51% of the combined
seminaries’ budgets by the 2025 Synod budget.
Montana District
Ov. 8-04

To Encourage Congregations to Receive Special
Offerings to Support the LCMS Joint Seminary
Fund on the Occasions of the
Ordination/Installation of Pastor or Pastors’
Ordination Anniversaries
WHEREAS, Well-trained pastors are essential for the ongoing
work of Word and Sacrament ministry in our congregations; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) has
been blessed by God with two seminaries for the training and
equipping of parish pastors and every congregation in Synod has
and continues to benefit from the work of our seminaries in training
and equipping parish pastors; and
WHEREAS, Every congregation in our Synod has benefited and
continues to benefit from the ministry and service of well-trained
pastors from our Synod’s seminaries; and
WHEREAS, As the cost of seminary education continues to rise,
the LCMS continues to search for ways to cover the costs of
maintaining the quality of the pastoral education of our seminaries
without unduly increasing the financial burden of the students; and
WHEREAS, The LCMS Joint Seminary Fund was established as a
vehicle to allow congregations and individuals to contribute to the
support of our seminaries in an orderly and systematic way; and
WHEREAS, The occasions of ordinations and/or installations and
the ordination anniversaries of pastors provide wonderful
opportunities for congregations to show their thankfulness to God
for a pastor to carry out the Word and Sacrament ministry in its
midst; therefore be it

2019 Convention Workbook