# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1958_S134 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 134 Proceedings of the Forty-fifth Convention 18. Insurance Reserve —$500. This amount is being set aside annually to cover possible fire and windstorm losses which may occur and cause damage to our properties in Africa. 19. Charity — $500. Missionaries are approached frequently by our African Christians for financial aid. Certain needy cases are taken care of out of this budget allowance. 20. Miscellaneous and Contingent — $5,000. Various operating costs connected with our office work at Obot Idim; office repairs, cables, long- distance calls, postage, foreign-exchange premium, etc.; also provision for contingencies. 21. Africa Visitation — $2,550, Many problems presently exist in connection with the retention of our primary schools in the nine dis- tricts of our African fields. The Synodical Conference is aware that the continuation of the elementary school system is of the utmost importance for the expansion of our mission work. At the 1956 conven- ion (Proceedings, page 118) the Missionary Board was urged to “do all within its power that our schools may not be placed in jeopardy.” In view of recent developments the Board has authorized an official visitation of the African field during the spring of 1959. EFFECTS OF BUDGET REDUCTION June 19, 1958 When the Missionary Board of the Lutheran Synodical Con- ference prepared its budget for the fiscal year 1958—1959 (July 1, 1958, to June 30, 1959), the specific needs of our setup were care- fully tabulated for the present and future conduct of our missions, both at home and in Africa. Although salaries should have been raised in the budget to higher levels in order to equal the amounts paid to workers by District mission boards, it was deemed a wiser procedure to appeal directly to the subsidized congregations to assume this responsi- bility over against their servants. From all indications the Mis- sionary Board will be compelled to grant higher subsidies to con- gregations in the next fiscal year, since many of their congregations failed to supply sufficient funds necessary for a livable salary for their workers. It is apparent that no reduction in salaries could be made in our budget for 1959 in compliance with the report of the Budget Con- trol Committee of the Missouri Synod to reduce our needs. The amounts indicated for salaries are imperative for providing the bare necessities of life for those who are serving the Lord in the field of missions. The Missionary Board gave further consideration to other categories in the budget which would bring about a reduction in the requested amount. It focused its attention on a capital-invest- ment amount of $50,000, which was originally set aside for the establishment of a new and much-needed mission station near the industrial section of New Orleans. This new area had been thoroughly explored and seemed most suitable for an expansion program, In its plenary ruling on April 16—17, 1958, the Missionary Board passed the following resolution: “IT WAS RESOLVED to eliminate from the suggested budget for 1958—59 the $50,000 for capital investments and the $10,000 for Church Extension.”