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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 380

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

380

FINANCE

our seminaries (collective operating budget of $33.4 million) as part
of the third stated objective of the Synod’s existence; and
Whereas, For comparison, the Office of International Missions
receives $31 million of the $60.9 million, the Office of National
Missions received $9.3 million, and the youth gathering received
$7.4 million in the 2013/2014 budget for its triennial gathering; and
Whereas, The Lutheran faith must be supported in the United
States as in all geographic corners of the world, yet “how are they to
hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless
they are sent?” And “so that we may obtain this faith, God instituted
the office of preaching”; and
Whereas, The noble efforts of the Joint Seminary Fund have not
sufficiently alleviated the financial burden upon our seminaries; and
Whereas, The seminaries of our Synod and their presidents must
spend significant time, energy, and resources for fund-raising to meet
the seminaries’ annual financial needs rather than devoting their
efforts more fully to recruiting and training pastors to be sent; and
Whereas, The students of our seminaries are often entering their
first congregations with significant undergraduate and seminary debt
that burdens the very congregations the Synod desires to aid and
encourage; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention call on the Synod
President’s 2017 budget to increase the Synod’s support of its seminaries by no less than 2 percent of the total annual Mission and
Ministry Operating Budget; and be it further
Resolved, That the congregations of the Synod prayerfully consider increasing their financial support of the Synod’s collective effort
to benefit our seminaries, future pastors, and the congregations they
will serve.
Circuit 5
Northern Illinois District
9-04

To Increase Funding of Seminaries
and Seminary Students
Whereas, One of the chief purposes of the Synod is to train pastors; and
Whereas, The training of pastors is based upon a seminary education; and
Whereas, The LCMS has a long history of quality four-year resident seminary education; and
Whereas, Graduates of LCMS seminaries normally go through
both four years of college and four years of seminary; and
Whereas, The costs of both college and seminary education have
risen dramatically; and
Whereas, Upon graduation from seminary, pastors can have substantial student debt; and
Whereas, Salaries for pastors entering the ministry are not in
keeping with other professions that require an equivalent education;
and
Whereas, Other church bodies have transitioned from resident
to distance seminary education in order to deal with increased costs
of training pastors; and
Whereas, While a transition to distance learning is a blessing
and benefit in special circumstances, to fully change from resident
to distance learning at the Synod’s seminaries could downgrade the
excellent level of current pastoral education, preparation, and training; therefore be it
2016 Convention Workbook

Resolved, That the 2015 Minnesota North District convention
memorialize the Synod to financially support seminary students more
than the current support; and be it further
Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention set the priority of
upgrading the financial support of its seminaries; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod encourage its districts to increase scholarship support for its seminary students; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod provide congregations with information
to aid them in financially supporting the Synod’s seminaries and individual seminary students and include material on education costs and
graduate debt loans; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod encourage congregations to have line
items in their budgets for seminaries and seminary students.
Minnesota North District
9-05

To Rely on Unrestricted Offerings
to Carry Out Mission of Synod
Whereas, We have a long-standing practice of congregations
sending a portion of their offerings to their district to support mission and ministry in their district, with an expectation that their district
will send a portion of those funds to the Synod to support mission
and ministry; and
Whereas, This model has never been officially reversed,
removed, or replaced; and
Whereas, We have seen a proliferation of appeals from all corners
of the Synod for funds, which has created an individualistic approach
to fund-raising rather than championing the biblical practice of tithing and unifying the work of the Synod; therefore be it
Resolved, That districts and the Synod be encouraged to rely on
unrestricted offerings from congregations to carry out the mission
of the church.
Michigan District
9-06

To Direct the Synod’s Board of Directors
to Address Budget Redistribution and Synod
Organization Better to Fund Seminaries, Global
Seminary Initiative, and Missionaries
Whereas, One objective for forming a Synod is to accomplish
what congregations are not able to do on their own, such as the training of men to be pastors and missionaries (Constitution Art. III 3); and
Whereas, The Synod allocates funds for many meetings (such as
the Council of Presidents) that could be spent on the support of our
seminaries and missionaries who are actually involved in conducting
Word and Sacrament ministry to people whom God desires to hear
the Gospel and come to salvation; and
Whereas, The Synod budget has been stymied over the past
two decades due to restricted giving, which has severely limited the
Synod’s funding of its seminaries and missionaries; and
Whereas, Financially supporting seminaries and missionaries
would be more Christ-centered and God-pleasing than funding “think
tank” endeavors; and
Whereas, Our seminaries and missionaries should not raise funds
to carry out the work which the Synod has called them to do; therefore be it