LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 198

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198 STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTION

new Department of Stewardship and Financial Support de-
velop specific programs, organizations, and staff for—

1. congregations and District stewardship plans and
programs:

2. planned giving (deferred) on the Synod and District level:
3. special gift activities throughout the Synod:
4. college and seminary development activities.

This study was presented to the Board of Directors. Council
of Presidents, and Council of Administrators in a joint meeting
in February 1982. Based on the study and input received at that
meeting and a subsequent joint meeting in April, the board, at
its May 1982 meeting, approved the following structure for the
Department of Stewardship and Financial Support and
authorized the director of the department to proceed with
staffing:

Stewardship Section

This section, supervised by a Stewardship Counselor who
shall bea pastor, is responsible for reviewing all materials and
programs produced by the department to insure proper Chris-
tian stewardship message and motivation. The section is also
responsible, among other things. for developing and promot-
ing the annual stewardship theme and emphasis, meeting with
Districts in the budget-setting process, and developing and
promoting various stewardship conferences and seminars.
Through field staff deployed on a regional basis, it will work
directly with District Presidents, District stewardship execu-
tives and committees, and, at the request of the District, with
pastors and committees of congregations in the implementa-
tion of stewardship plans, programs, and techniques. The
section will also, at the request of Districts, provide project
coordinators to assist Districts in intensive Districtwide efforts
to increase stewardship awareness—time, talent. and trea-
sure—among pastors and other members.

Planned Giving Section

This section is responsible for the promotion of the various
planned giving instruments and services offered by The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Foundation, as well as the
promotion of wills and other forms of deferred giving. Through
field staff deployed on a regional or District basis under
partnership agreements with the Districts, it will work directly
with Districts, colleges and seminaries, and congregations in
identifying, visiting, and cultivating planned gifts to support
the mission and ministry to the church. Staff will also be
located in St. Louis to assist in the technical matters of
finalizing instruments of planned and deferred giving, work-
ing with the Synod’s legal counsel and the Foundation’s Trust
Service staff, as appropriate. The section will develop and
sponsor periodic planned giving seminars and will provide
various planned giving resource materials.

Special Gift Section

This section, initially staffed by one person, will seek cash
gifts and pledges for specific projects of the Synod, Districts,
colleges, and seminaries. It will develop lists of prospects,
prepare appropniate materials for use in visits, train visitors in
proper techniques, and coordinate, to the extent possible, visits
to minimize competing requests to potential donors in any
given time period.

Colege and Seminary Resource Section

The board has authorized the position of College and
Seminary Resource Counselor and has asked that he work with
representatives of each seminary to develop recommendations
as to the organization and staffing needs of the section and the
development departments of the seminaries, as well as propose
policies and procedures necessary to implement the recom-
mendations. The College and Seminary Resource Counselor is
also responsible for coordinating and conducting all approved
direct mail appeals for the U.S. seminaries. Open communi-
cation will be maintained with college development officers
and consulting services will be provided. Professional growth
activities will be provided to college and seminary development
staffs.

* * x

The Commission on Structure has reviewed the Continuity
and Planning Study and the structure of the new Department
of Stewardship and Financial Support. Although the study
was thorough and the structure is responsive to the study and
the convention action, the commission believes that the struc-
ture should be refined.

The Biblical principles of stewardship (the management of
aChristian’s life and resources) must permeate al] programs of
Christian giving. This can best be done if all stewardship and
financial support activities are in one department. The com-
mission has recommended to the Board of Directors that each
of the key positions in this department should include the word
“stewardship” in the title. This would help all to remember that
the particular position must always work under the umbrella of
total stewardship. The unit executive's title would then be
changed from “Director of Stewardship and Financial Sup-
port’ to “Stewardship Counselor.” Those directly responsible
to him would carry the titles of Associate Stewardship Coun-
selor. Possible titles would be Associate Stewardship Coun-
selor—Education and Nurture, Associate Stewardship Coun-
selor—Planned Giving. Associate Stewardship Counselor—
Special Giving, and Associate Stewardship Counselor—Col-
lege and Seminary Development.

The commission recommends that a Council on Stew-
ardship be created to advise the Board of Directors and
the department in the area of financial support and to

review for use by the department various stewardship
education and nurture plans and materials developed by
the department, Districts, or others.

The Department of Stewardship and Financial Support is
somewhat different than other units of theSynod. It isin some
ways a program unit and in other ways a fundraising unit. It
requires guidance in both of these areas. In areas of planned
giving, special giving, and college and seminary development,
this guidance must come from the Board of Directors. However,
that board is not a program board, and its members are not
elected for their program experience. The commission believes
that a Council on Stewardship can best give the guidance
required. The council would be comprised of a District Presi-
dent and several pastors and laymen knowledgeable in the
theology of stewardship and active in stewardship education
and nurture activities. The unit executive of the department
and his associate responsible for stewardship education and
nurture together with one District stewardship executive would
serve in an advisory capacity. The council itself would be
advisory both to the Board of Directors and the Department of
Stewardship and Financial Support. The following bylaw
additions and changes are required to effect these
recommendations:

2.721 Council on Stewardship

a. There shall be a Council on Stewardship which
shall assist the Board of Directors and the Depart-
ment of Stewardship and Financial Support in devel-
oping and approving programs, materials, and
activities required in fulfilling their responsibilities
as outlined in Chapter VII of these Bylaws.

b. Membership. The Council on Stewardship shall
consist of one District President selected by the
Council of Presidents and two parish pastors and two
laypersons knowledgeable in stewardship selected by
the Board of Directors from a slate of candidates
proposed by the President after consultation with the
District Presidents. The unit executive of the De-
partment of Stewardship and Financia] Support and
his associate responsible for stewardship education
and nurture, as well as one District stewardship
executive selected by the Council of Presidents, shall
serve in an advisory capacity.

c. Functions. The Council on Stewardship shall—

1. review, evaluate, and recommend policies and