LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 134

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134 ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

F. Participation in LCUSA (Res. 3-05). This resolution
called upon the Synod to continue participation in the council
and also to evaluate the cost in relation to benefits received.
The board received detailed reports from all operating units to
help it in evaluating budgetary commitments.

G. Retirement Compensation (Res. 4-06). The period of
years for determining a worker’s final average compensation
was changed from 15 to 20 years.

H. Equalization of Convention Travel Expenses (Res. 4-14).
With the concurrence of the Council of Presidents, the Board of
Directors decided upon a formula to equalize all convention
travel expenses, the cost to be borne by Districts on the basis of
the number of voting delegates from each District. As provided
for in Res. 4-14, this equalization begins with the 1983
convention.

I. Guidelines for New Corporations (Res. 5-07). It was
decided to include this convention resolution in the board’s
policy manual and to share this policy with all colleges,
seminaries, Districts, and other incorporated entities, and their
respective legal counsels.

J. Classification of “Ministers” for Purposes of Federal
Law (Res. 5-08). This resolution was referred to the Board of
Directors for study and report to the next convention. The
Board asked the Secretary to develop a position statement
which has now been approved by the board for submission to
the convention. (See separate overture.)

K. Seminary Education in Canada (Res. 6-02A). As author-
ized by the 1981 convention, The Lutheran Church—Canada
made its decision regarding seminary education in the future
when it becomes a self-governing partner church. It decided
upon two seminaries, one in St. Catharines and one to be
established in Edmonton. The Board of Directors appointed
the Board for Professional Education Services to serve as the
interim Board of Regents for the projected Edmonton seminary.
It authorized early work on the Edmonton seminary program
and construction at the St. Catharines seminary. It also
endorses the BPES overture to the convention regarding the
governance of the Canadian colleges and seminaries.

L. Seminary Support (Res. 6-17A, 6-18A, and 6-30). Acontin-
uing problem involves the adequate funding of our seminaries
and colleges. Several studies have been initiated and several
actions have been taken by the board (see Section III, HH of
this report).

M. Edmonton (Res. 6-31). Since the convention in this
resolution clarified the relationship of Concordia College,
Edmonton, to the Synod, the board resolved that all regular
financial relationships with the college and synodical policies
should be activated effective July 1, 1979.

N. Scholarly Research Allocation (Res. 7-11). The board did
not find it possible to allocate the specified amount but will
monitor the matter; fortunately, royalties from previous pro-
ductions enabled the work to be continued.

O. Conference on Social Needs (Res. 8-03). Efforts are
continuing to finance this conference authorized by the
convention.

P. Staff Person for Ministerial Health (Res. 8-04). The board
is still making an effort to engage a shared staff person for both
the Commission on Ministerial Health and the Commission on
Health and Healing.

Q. Executive Planning Group (Res. 12-07A). Such a group
was called into being as instructed by the convention and
consists of the President of the Synod, 3 District Presidents, 3
lay members of the Board of Directors, and 5 executives from
the Synod’s major boards represented on the Council of
Administrators.

R. New Stewardship and Financial Support Department
(Res. 12-08A). The structure of the department has been
reviewed and approved as developed; the staffing is not yet
completed.

S. Selma Funding (Res. 6-05A and 6-06A). Allocation of
subsidy to fund Concordia College at Selma has exceeded the

BPES subsidy formula in view of the college’s unique nature
and mission.

III. Other Business

The Board of Directors was called into being in the early
1920s. In constitutional language, “The voting members of the
Board of Directors are the legal representatives of the Synod
and the custodians of all property of the Synod, and upon them
are incumbent the general management and supervision of all
the business affairs of the Synod.”

In the course of time these responsibilities have been further
detailed to cover such assignments as budgeting, accounting,
auditing, and personnel policies for headquarters staff.

The minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors are
again available to the floor committees for inspection.

The following is a partial list of actions taken by the board
since the last convention.

A. Budget. One of the principal responsibilities of the board
is the setting of the budget for the general Synod. The budget
adopted for the 1982—83 fiscal year was $31,732,586.

B. Policy Statements. Another major responsibility of the
board is the development of policy statements for itself and
also for other units of the synodical structure. Such policy
statements are adopted at almost every meeting and are shared
with the other boards and commissions of the Synod.

C. Capital Projects. A third responsibility of the board is
that of giving formal approval to capital projects, which are
usually recommended by the Board for Professional Education
Services or the Board for Mission Services.

D. International Center. The board at regular intervals
heard progress reports on the construction of the new head-
quarters building. Financing arrangements have not been
finalized. It was decided that no space in the building should be
leased to other Lutheran agencies. The board did resolve that
the proceeds from the sale of and rental income from 210 North
Broadway (approximately $430,000) be applied to the construc-
tion costs. In February 1983 it was reported that $3,500,000 in
gifts and pledges had been received. The board adopted the
following as the name of the new building: “The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod International Center.” The corner-
stone was laid April 13, 1982; dedication was scheduled for
May 29, 1983. Costs for the center were reported in March as
having reached $12.6 million.

E. Presentations. The officers shared information at every
meeting of the board. As opportunity presented itself, the board
also heard presentations from other representatives within the
synodical structure.

F. Worker Benefit Plans. The board has the responsibility to
approve any proposed amendments in the Worker Benefit
Plans of the Synod. This was done on several occasions again
in the past biennium.

G. Forward in Remembrance. The board heard reports on
the continuing growth of the Forward in Remembrance offer-
ing. In January 1983 it was reported that $75,169,617 had been
pledged. Cash contributed: $50,823,183 (67.6% of the pledge).
During the course of the biennium appropriations from the
Forward in Remembrance fund were made for various mission
and education purposes as well as $5 million for debt reduction.

H. Convention Minutes. The board approved the minutes of
Sessions 12, 13, and 14 of the 1981 synodical convention.

I. LCUSA. Reports on the activities of the Lutheran Council
in the U.S.A. were regularly given to the board. The board
informed the council that it would have great difficulty in
carrying out a new bylaw regarding the time element for
notification of intended withdrawal from programs of the
council.

J. Lawsuits. Some additional settlements were made regard-
ing the case of a parochial school teacher in Detroit; the Grace,
River Forest, issue is under appeal; several other lawsuits are
in process at this time. In addition to lawsuits there are many
pressing legal questions that impede the ongoing work of the
church in our generation. These are being addressed as quickly
and as efficiently as posssible. The board also adopted a policy
statement indicating general assistance and support for those
synodical officials at whatever level who are striving to carry
out their responsibilities, since they should not be left standing
alone.