# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S307
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Financial Matters 807

What may be expected in this department is illustrated by a
comparison of Synod’s growth and the increase of Support liabil-
ities. From 1918 to 1936, 38 per cent. were added to the communi-
cant membership of Synod; during the same period the number of
applications in force jumped from 300 in 1918 to 808 in 1936, an
“expansion” of 169 per cent.

If we compare the total number of persons supported in the
last ten years it may appear that the increase is not very pro-
nounced; but there is a rather surprising phenomenon, which to
some extent explains the increased demands made on our funds.
Comparing the changes during the last ten years, we are confronted
by the following situation:

Per- Per- Per-

1926 = cent 1936 cent Increase cent
Applications in force... 577 — 808 _ 31 40%
Adults supported 0. 3 «59% 1,017 66% 264 35%
Children supported 527 41% 524 34% less3 less 1%
Total number supported......1,280 100% 1,541 100% 261 21%
Persons per application ...... 2.2 _ 19 — less0.3 less16%

From this tabulation it is evident that in ten years the number
of adults on our roll grew by 35 per cent. while the number of chil-
dren dropped by 1 per cent. Whatever other meaning this phe-
nomenon may have, it explains why the demands grow much faster
than the number of beneficiaries, because an adult needs about
three times as much as a child.

Everything considered, Synod’s actual expense for this depart-
ment was comparatively modest. If we deduct the amount accruing
from the L. L. L. and other invested funds, we find that only seven
cents of every collected budget dollar are used for this large de-
partment. When we consider that there is a force of more than
5,000 workers engaged in the activities of our Church and that the
Board of Support is held responsible for all the disabled, the infirm,
the widows, the orphans, and other dependents produced by this
mighty army, which is scattered over five continents, and that your
Board may be called Synod’s combined old people’s home, hospital,
orphanage, asylum, and almshouse, the demands have been com-
paratively small.

Still $240,000 has been set aside for this year’s budget, and in
view of the growing number of our workers that amount will have
to be steadily increased for many years to come, unless the partici-
pation in the Pension Plan becomes general. We are confident,
however, that for 1939 we shall have to ask for an increased appro-
priation for the last time; after that the effect of the pension an-
nuities should permit us to keep house with the same amount and
then gradually to decrease the annual requisition.