LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1962, Sheet 147

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PENSIONS 147

Lord also when they must retire or become unable to
continue their work; and

Wuereas, The fathers of the church in the goodness
of their hearts provided housing for the workers of the
church which might otherwise not have been attainable
by the pioneer workers of the Lord in the church but
which intended kindness may now be of doubtful value
to the workers of the church because of the changed
conditions in modern times; and

Wuereas, Congregations and employing agencies now
frequently point out that by providing housing in terms
of parsonages, teacherages, and other official residences,
which in turn are counted as salary, the worker is left
without housing or reasonable equity in the same at any
given stage in his career in the church and certainly
at the time of retirement; and

Wuereas, No equity can be accumulated from this
portion of salary designated as “free rent,” thus causing
immediate hardship on the widow and family of a
worker not attaining retirement age; and

Wuereas, The full-time worker of the church, espe-
cially within the congregation, occupies facilities which
are for the convenience of the congregation; and

Wuereas, In many cases the worker, when beginning
his tenure of office, is “provided with housing,” the up-
keep of which is implied in his call by the phrase “pro-
vided housing,” but which in fact frequently falls short
of that designation or implication since the provided
home is permitted to deteriorate, to the discomfort of
the occupants and to the discredit of both the church
and the occupants before the public; and

Wuereas, These difficulties create unwarranted but
understandable considerations in the acceptance or re-
jection of divine calls, or create undue hazards as and
when workers move from and to congregations that
have various housing programs; therefore be it

Resolved, That a synodical Housing Plan Study Com-
mittee be appointed by the President of the Synod to
explore what is now being done throughout the Synod
regarding housing for workers of the church; and be
it further

Resolved, That this Housing Plan Study Committee
shall interpret these facts and shall set up guidelines
for the consideration (through District Presidents) of
congregations and District boards and agencies and
(through the appropriate synodical boards and officials)
for all other synodical employees and synodical agencies
(as soon as this committee can complete such a study),
for the purpose of working toward a better understand-
ing of housing needs on the synodical, District, and con-
gregational levels; and be it finally

Resolved, That this Housing Plan Study Committee
shall execute the study with all reasonable dispatch and
shall present this study, which should include the in-
formation collected, guidelines developed, and reactions
from the District Presidents and the appropriate synod-
ical boards and officials, at the 46th regular synodical
convention.

Action: This resolution was adopted.

Fourth Vice-President Arthur C. Nitz led in the wreath-laying
ceremony at the grave of Rev. Frederick C. D. Wyneken, sec-
ond President of the Synod and for many years pastor of
Cleveland’s Trinity Church. Present at Cleveland Lutheran
Cemetery were (left to right) Milton Carpenter, Jay Pfoten-
hauver, Dr. Nitz, Rev. Clarence T. Schuknecht, Dr. John W.
Behnken, Clarence Amling, Rev. Lawrence Wyneken, Dr. Roland
Wiederaenders, Dr. George Kuechle (partly hidden), Rev.
August Suelflow, and Otis Wyneken.

Report of the Board of Support
and Pensions to Have Congregations
Assume 12% Pension Payment

RESOLUTION 10-06

Report 808 and Memorial 813, pp. 340—344, 349,
Reports and Memorials

WHEREAS, Recommendation 1 (Report 808, pp. 343,
344, Reports and Memorials) was presented contingent
on the action by this convention on Report 810
(pp. 345 ff., Reports and Memorials); and

Wuereas, Action on Report 810 was affirmative, thus
negating the necessity of action on this Recommenda-
tion 1; and

Wuereas, There is a definite trend in the fields of
secular employment that the employer assumes the en-
tire cost for participants in pension programs; and

Wuereas, The Board of Support and Pensions in its
report (Recommendation 2, Report 808, p.344, Reports
and Memorials) has recommended that congregations
and employing boards and organizations within the
Synod who are participants in the Pension Fund assume
payments of the entire cost involved, the present total
rate being 12% of the salary basis; and

Wuereas, Memorial 813 (p.349, Reports and Me-
morials) requests substantially the same consideration;
therefore be it

Resolved, That Recommendation 1 in Report 808 be
declined; and be it further

Resolved, That congregations and all other employ-
ing agencies of the Synod who are participants in the
Pension Fund be encouraged to assume payments of the
entire cost (12%) involved; and be it finally

Resolved, That this convention receive the Report of
the Board of Support and Pensions with thanks and in-