LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 77

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

|

PARISH, YOUTH, AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES 77

—450th anniversary of the approximate date of the first
printing of Luther’s German Bible (Oct. 1, 1534)

—250th anniversary of the landing of the Salzburgers in
Georgia (March 10, 1734)

—125th anniversary of the birth of Synod President
Friedrich Pfotenhauer (April 22, 1839)

—100th anniversary of the dedication of St. Paul’s College,
Concordia, Mo. (Aug. 31, 1884)

—75th anniversary of the dedication of the Concordia
College, Bronxville, campus (Nov. 29, 1909)

—50th anniversary of the ordination of the first Chinese
Lutheran pastor of the Missouri Synod (Jan. 7, 1934)

1985

—450th anniversary of the publication of the Coverdale
Bible (Oct. 4, 1535)

—425th anniversary of the death of Philipp Melanchthon
(April 19, 1560)

—300th anniversary of the birth of J. S. Bach (March 21,
1685)

—175th anniversary of the birth of Johann F. Buenger, the
“father of social service” in the Synod (Jan. 2, 1810)

—175th anniversary of the birth of Synod President F.C. D.
Wyneken, “father of home missions” in the Synod (May
13, 1810)

—100th anniversary of the birth of seminary professor and
dogmatician J. T. Mueller (April 5, 1885)

—25th anniversary of the publication of Luther’s Small
Catechism in Taiwanese (June 5, 1960)

1986

—475th anniversary of the death of Ursula Cotta (Nov. 29,
1511)

—400th anniversary of the death of Lukas Cranach, Jr
(Jan. 25, 1586)

—400th anniversary of the death of Martin Chemnitz (April
8, 1586)

—175th anniversary of the birth of Dr. C. F. W. Walther
(Oct. 25, 1811)

—150th anniversary of the birth of Daniel Landsmann
(June 18, 1836)

—125th anniversary of the opening of the preseminary in
Steeden, Germany (April 7, 1861)

—75th anniversary of the reception of the English Missouri
Synod into the German Missouri Synod as the English
District (May 15, 1911)

—50th anniversary of the organization of the Armed
Services Commission of the LCMS (Feb. 13, 1936)

—25th anniversary of the first graduating class from Hong
Kong Seminary, 7 men, (July 31, 1961)

—25th anniversary of the first use of the Taiwanese
Lutheran Hymnal (Dec. 3, 1961)

Financial Summary
There is no problem which the Institute faces which could

: not be resolved by an adequate supply of funds. Our processing,

_

cataloging, and inventorying is running many years behind.
Our accessioning process is about two years behind. We have
been enormously blessed in two aspects of our work, namely,
incoming materials and ever-increasing demands for reference
services.

We have received enormously large collections within the
past biennium which would fill several semitrailers. To process
such voluminous materials, beginning with accessioning and
ending with inventorying and cataloging, is no menial task.
We simply need staff in order to accomplish that. The same is
also true when we are in the daily mail bombarded with
requests of all shades and descriptions, requests for our
reference and research services. It has been impossible to
remain current in both of these aspects, and we therefore ask
the kind indulgence of those who would like to obtain such
services.

There is also a third area which has already become serious
because of the lack of funds—rehabilitation and restoration.
—We have priceless paintings that are several hundred years old,
sketches, drawings, etc., as well as books, pamphlets, and

documents which need rejuvenation and repair. A life-size oil
painting of C. F. W. Walther, for example, has been damaged
over the years; it would cost over $5,000 to provide professional
restoration services. Other documents require deacidification,
encapsulation, binding, etc. Binding continues high on the
agenda. But we are most grateful for the more than 20
volunteers who are working throughout the country decipher-
ing the old German Fraktur script and retyping it line by linein
legible typescript. This is, indeed, areal work of love because so
very few people today consulting our vast collections can read
this script.

The Synod is benefiting substantially in a financial way
from the Institute's records management program. The present
Handbook (section 2.607) indicates that all of the synodical
entities, beginning with its officers, boards, commissions,
Districts, colleges, seminaries, auxiliaries, agencies, and other
entities affiliated with the Synod are required to deposit their
records at the Institute. This provides a significant twofold
advantage: (1) These agencies know that their records are
receiving professional attention in preserving them for the
future, and (2) all such records are deposited in one place where
they can be consulted by vast numbers of researchers. This is,
indeed, extrememly cost efficient.

The Institute is also deeply concerned about preserving the
records of defunct and dissolved congregations. If you know of
any such records which may still be in attics and private
homes, call them to the Institute’s attention. Not only should
those records be preserved in the archives of the Synod, but
family historians are constantly seeking records of the official
acts in their research.

The financial records of the Institute reveal the following
sources of income:

A. Types of Income

Actual Budget

1981 1982
1. Synodical Budget ......... $161,984 $168,164
2. Membership .............. 30,389 38,386
3. LLL Microfilm support .... 2,000 2,000
Total ...............00. $194,373 $208,550

B. Projections

The projected needs, without considering the inflationary
increases which may be anticipated, include the following for
the next triennium:

1988 1984 1985
1. Synodical Budget ......... $226,210 $252,800 $272,735
2. Membership .............. 41,460 43,000 45,400
3. LLL Microfilm support .... 2,000 2,000 2,000
Total .................. $269,670 $297,800 $320,135

A Petition for Restructuring

The July 1981 convention modified the terms of office of the
Board of Governors from the three 4-year terms for amaximum
total of 12 years to three 3-year terms for a total of only 9 years.
The concept of limiting the terms of office and thus giving a
wider range of individuals the opportunity to serve the Synod
has much to say for itself. However, because the Synod, at the
same convention, also decided to go to a three-year convention
cycle, we have now built in the possibility that all Board of
Governors members could be replaced at one fell swoop. The
provision for staggered elections and appointments, which had
been in effect for decades, is no longer possible. Staggering
provided an essential continuity to the board which, unless the
Synod acts at this convention, will come to a grinding halt on
Dec. 31, 1983.

In the past some of the presidential appointments alter-
nated with the elected positions, so that at each biennium there-
were five holdover board members. The Institute Board of
Governors is petitioning the Synod to extend the board’s
present three three-year terms to two six-year terms in order to
provide for staggered appointments and elections every three
years. This would allow each board member a maximum of 12
years of service if reelected or reappointed.

Perhaps it should be noted that the Commission on Consti-
tutional Matters has ruled that any “hybrid” board or commis-