# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1979_S166
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

168 PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

To Develop Master Plan
for Responding to Challenge
for the ’80s

RESOLUTION 12-04

Reports 1-01, 2-01, Add. A, 6-01, 7-01, 7-02, 12-
03, 12-05 (CW, pp. 1—33, 63—64, 163—168, 203—
216, 249—251, 253)

WHEREAS, We gratefully acknowledge that God
opens doors; and

WHEREAS, Our complex society challenges the church
to new emphases and new work in the fields of home and
world missions, higher education, parish services, and
other ministry concerns; and

WHEREAS, The Board for Missions report culminates
in 29 challenges for growth in the 10-year period of the
1980s; and

WHEREAS, The Board for Higher Education report
presents a systemwide model of higher education that
calls for the continuing growth and development of
synodical seminaries and colleges; and

WHEREAS, The reports in the area of Parish Services
call us to perceive and then walk through the doors God
opens for the expanded ministry of Christ’s Gospel
within all our parishes; and

WHEREAS, There is a need for a more effective process
of bringing congregations, Districts, and the Synod into
cooperative program planning of the church’s mission
at every level; and

WHEREAS, No comprehensive plan now exists that
identifies long-term program and resource require-
ments; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Syn-
od in convention authorize the development of a long-
term (10-year) integrated master plan for the Synod and
its Districts to define and describe the impact of the
Challenge for the ’80s, including the program and
resource requirements (priorities and resources such as
people, locations, facilities, and finances) that shall be
coordinated with, but not limited to, plans and programs
of Districts, synodical boards and commissions, and
that will result in the identification of the organizations
responsible for and accountable for practical program
implementation; and be it further

Resolved, That responsibility for developing the
overall master plan be vested in a planning group
composed of the Board of Directors, the Council of
Presidents, and the Council of Administrators; and that
an executive planning group consisting of three mem-
bers each from the Council of Presidents, the Board of
Directors, and the Council of Administrators (to be
appointed by the chairmen of the respective groups)
shall be responsible for facilitating this effort; they
shall prepare background material, call meetings, pre-
pare agenda, and conduct other activities necessary to
assure the preparation and reporting of the master plan
prior to the 54th convention; this planning group shall
serve until the 54th convention; and be it finally

Resolved, That in the interim this group shall review
the plans and projects formulated by the various boards
and commissions of the Synod and by its Districts, shal]
endeavor to establish immediate priorities, and shall,
particularly where areas of duplication or conflict are
evident, address its findings and recommendations to
the responsible boards, commissions, and Districts of
the Synod. :

Action: Adopted (6).

To Designate July 1 as Beginning
of New Fiscal Year

RESOLUTION 12-05
Report L12-01 (CW, pp. 285—286)

WHEREAS, Certain problems are encountered with
operating the synodical financial program with a fiscal
year beginning February 1; and

WHEREAS, A fiscal year beginning later in the calen-
dar year will give synodical officials, boards, and
agencies adequate time to review, analyze, and react to
the annual financial commitments and other informa-
tion received from the Districts during December and
January; and

WHEREAS, Colleges and seminaries are already ona
fiscal year beginning July 1; and

WHEREAS, The current short time between District
and synodical fiscal years makes sound budget develop-
ment for the new fiscal year beginning February 1
extremely difficult; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention designate
July 1 as the beginning of each fiscal year, effective July
1, 1980, to allow sufficient time for all budgeting pro-
cedure to be implemented more efficiently and
effectively.

Action: Adopted (6).

To Establish New Method of
Preparing Budgets and Work Programs

RESOLUTION 12-06
Report L12-02 (CW, pp. 287—323)

WHEREAS, The Districts of the Synod in many in-
stances are unable to comply with the provisions of
Bylaw 9.02, in that they presently are unable to provide
meaningful estimates of funding support beyond one
year; and

WHEREAS, Without reliable income estimates it is
impossible to propose detailed program expenses for a
balanced budget; and

WHEREAS, By authorization of the 1977 convention
deficits had been budgeted for each of the years 1977—
79 of five percent of the estimated spending budget, and
such deficit spending can no longer continue; and

WHEREAS, Present sharing trends of congregations
with Districts, and of Districts with the Synod, indicate