LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 214

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214 ADMINISTRATION

The Lord of the church directs the church to provide for its
servants, not on a subsistence level, but on a level that is fair,
equitable, and honorable.

The Board of Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
therefore submits the following overture:

WHEREAS, In our present society the cost of housing is a
major factor in living costs; and

WHEREAS. The cost of housing is rising rapidly, even in
relationship to other costs; and

WHEREAS, High interest rates have added to this escalation
of housing costs; and

WHEREAS, Individual congregations, being aware of these
problems, have adopted a wide variety of methods of providing
adequate housing for their servants—housing allowances,
annuities, housing equity allowances, low-cost loans—besides
and sometimes in conjunction with the traditional ‘“‘parson-
ages” and “‘teacherages”’; and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s colleges and seminaries are scattered
throughout our nation and at times have situations unique to
their area, they still should have some uniformity with their
sister colleges and seminaries: and

WHEREAS, Even at an individual college or seminary there
can be a wide variety of needs; and

WHEREAS, At the present time there are severe inequities in
the way the housing is provided for the various college and
seminary servants; and

WHEREAS, Colleges and seminaries have encountered diffi-
cult and almost impossible problems when asking people to
serve but not being able to make adequate provisions for the
housing of such servants: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board for Higher Education be directed
to develop an overall systemwide program of providing
adequate and fair housing compensation for the various
colleges and seminaries, and that this program be ready for
implementation by July 1, 1982, at the latest; and be it further

Resolved, That the various Boards of Control be permitted
to adapt programs suitable to their area and local situation
under the guidelines and policies adopted by the Board for
Higher Education; and be it further

Resolved, That in those situations where the colleges and
seminaries supply the housing by providing a house or apart-
ment, a housing equity annuity plan be made available so that
these servants of the church might have a reasonable oppor-
tunity to have adequate housing at retirement; and be it finally

Resolved, That when no synodical housing is available,
funds be made available for low-cost loans to staff members
who find it necessary or advantageous to purchase their own
housing.

Board of Control
Concordia Seminary

St. Louis, Mo.

Walter C. Dissen, Secretary

PRESENT WORDING

8.51 The Lutheran Church Extension Fund—
Missouri Synod

c. The Board of Directors for the Lutheran Church
Extension Fund—Missouri Synod shall consist of
nine individuals—two pastors, two teachers, and five
laymen. Eight of the directors shall be elected by the
members and shall have an understanding of the
Church Extension program and/or demonstrate an
expertise in fields and areas closely related to church
extension activities, such as knowledge of real estate,
management, and financial planning. The Treasurer
of the Synod shall be the fifth lay member of the
board and the treasurer of the fund. The results of
such elections shall be ratified by the Synod at its
next convention.

4-29

To Treat the Matter of Membership
and Election of Church Extension Boards

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church Extension Fund—Missouri
Synod (LCEF) was established in order to provide a means for
more effectively and efficiently carrying on the Church
Extension functions of the Synod, as was reported to the 1979
convention of the Synod (see Memorial 4-23 Convention Work-
book, pp. 141—44); and

WHEREAS, The 1979 convention of the Synod amended the
Synod’s Bylaws dealing with Church Extension in order (1) to
recognize LCEF and (2) to assure consistency in the conduct of
Church Extension activities through LCEF (as determined by
its Board of Directors) and the conduct of other synodical
Church Extension functions (under policies established by the
Synod’s Board for Church Extension) by providing in Bylaw
8.51 d that the Synod’s Board for Church Extension would be
comprised of those individuals who were elected to the LCEF
Board of Directors; and

WHEREAS, The election by the Synod in its 1979 convention
of certain members of the Synod’s Board for Church Extension
is deemed to have been intended as transitional until July 1,
1981, as specified in Bylaw 8.55; and

WHEREAS, Those individuals who were elected by the 1979
convention to the Synod’s Board for Church Extension, and
who also serve on the LCEF Board of Directors, want the
record to show the effect and purpose of that transition, as
described in the convention report from the Board for Church
Extension, and to have the Synod’s Bylaws clearly reflect the
current situation that those individuals who have been elected
to the LCEF Board of Directors are, by virtue of Bylaw 8.51 d
and not otherwise, also serving on the Synod’s Board for
Church Extension; and

WHEREAS, It is necessary as a result of law governing
corporations that corporate directors be clearly elected and
qualified, which may not be the case due to use of the word
“ratified” in Bylaw 8.51 c; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF)
in its own bylaws, Art. II, Sec. I, provides for its board of
directors to be composed of nine individuals, at least two of
whom shall be on The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s
official roster of pastors and called teachers; and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s Bylaws, 8.15 c, provides that the
Board of Directors of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund—
Missouri Synod shall consist of nine individuals—two pastors,
two teachers, and five laymen; therefore be it

Resolved, That “‘a Board for Church Extension’”’ be deleted
from Bylaw section 2.03 a and be it further

Resolved, That Bylaw 8.51 and Bylaw 8.55 be amended as
follows:

PROPOSED WORDING

8.51 The Lutheran Church Extension Fund—
Missouri Synod

c. The Board of Directors for the Lutheran Church
Extension Fund—Missouri Synod shall consist of
nine individuals, at least two of whom shall be on The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s official roster of
pastors and called teachers. Eight of the directors
shall be elected by the members and shall have an
understanding of the Church Extension program
and/or demonstrate an expertise in fields or areas
closely related to Church Extension activities, such
as knowledge of real estate, management, and finan-
cial planning. The Treasurer of the Synod shall be
one of the lay members of the board and the treasurer
of the fund. The results of such elections shall be
reported to the Synod at its next convention.