# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S142
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

142 Missions in General

the value of the United States dollar in the coin of the realm
and its purchasing power, the cost of living in a given mission-
field, we are apt to criticize mission boards severely for offering
a salary which, if transcribed into United States coin, is either
far below or above the usual salary offered in the home country.

26. Pension.—In accordance with resolutions passed at the
Fiscal Conference in September, 1937, the majority of District mis-
sion boards urged their subsidized congregations to assume the
responsibility of making Pension Plan payments for their' workers.
In order to simplify matters, the subsidized parishes were informed
that pension payments were an allowable budget item which they
might include in their annual financial statement presented at
the time when the request for subsidy is made.

27. District-Synodical Mission Departments. —In the past tri-
ennium we met with the various subsidized, as well as with the
majority of the self-supporting District Home Mission boards. We
met to discuss with them their specific needs, their problems, and
their mission policies. We also took occasion to visit typical
mission-fields in the respective Districts. We attended the meet-
ings of the Foreign, the South American, the Deaf and Blind, the
European, the African, and Colored Missions boards as well as
the meetings of the General Church Extension Board. We inter-
viewed a number of missionaries on furlough in order to get a
closer view of the problems confronting our missions, of the mis-
sionary methods and policies, and of the needs of our missions.

28. A meeting of representatives of mission boards operating
in foreign lands — the Foreign, the African, the South American
Missions — was held to bring about a greater uniformity in the
conduct of these missions wherever this is possible. Questions
pertaining to furlough, the salaries of missionaries, the salaries of
missionaries on furlough, matters pertaining to equipment of mis-
sionaries leaving for the foreign fields, mission policies, missionary
methods, and such other questions as the several mission depart-
ments are mutually interested in were ventilated. This meeting

proved to be a real help to the mission departments represented.
Other meetings are to follow.

29, Preliminary Training of Missionaries. —A problem which
is again and again confronting all mission boards and in particular
those operating in foreign fields is to gain men qualified and
willing to go to the respective mission-field. Even in this day when
the Lord has granted us a large number of candidates, it is ex-
tremely difficult. We ask, Why is it that seemingly so little in~
terest is shown in the work in foreign fields? Have we failed to
do all at our theological seminaries to create a lively interest in