# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S434
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

418 OTHER REPORTS

tive shelter in the council for the Inter-Lutheran Commis-
sion on Worship and integrating with the council’s Washing-~

which identifies and develops federal government resources
which might be employed by the churches in their mission
and ministry.

The fact that possibilities such as the foregoing are not

always realized may not appear to be steps backward. It

Where
should it be? These questions are particularly germane
when on the national level the cooperative possibilities are
inadequately explored and decisions are made on bases less
than satisfactory to the churches’ stated commitment to
cooperation,

Meanwhile, the pace at which the council staff is called
upon to function continues to Set faster. We must run harder

cial resources available to us continue to diminish. Programs
and services are added, even though at a modest rate, but
Operating budgets do not increase proportionately, For
1972—73 our budget, including special ministries, was
$2,542,350, of which the Missouri Synod provided $741,750.

Our budget for 1973—74 is $2,685,615, with the Missouri
Synod’s share being $747,048.

Even without the addition of services and programs, we
would have to say that our budgets are not adequate to
provide for that which is expected of us. Year-to-year in-
creases in our budget have not been equal to the percentage

get approximately the same or a few more dollars from year
to year, but each budget ives us slightly less buying power.

Since most of what the council budget purchases is staff
service, our loss of buying power ultimately applies itself
in a reduction of staff complement. Some people seem to
have the impression that the council staff has since our be-
ginning in 1967 gotten larger...

of the new staff positions and personnel which have been
publicly announced, the total number of people salaried
under the council budget since 1967 decreased from 135 to
117.

We believe that both Christ’s Prayer for the fuller expe-
rience of unity and the reach of the church bodies for greater
efficiency can find realization within the Lutheran Council
in the U.S.A. The council is available — even eager. We
hope that the churches will fully and openly explore the
possibilities: C. Thomas Spitz, General Secretary