LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 186

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9. STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
allowable major sections of the official conferences would
benefit their ordained and commissioned members.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 4.8.2 (b) be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
4.8.2
Official conferences for all ordained and
commissioned ministers on the respective rosters of the
Synod shall meet, if possible, in plenary sessions at least
once each year.
…
(b) Such conferences may meet more frequently in
major sections (not more than fourfive sections) whose
geographical boundaries shall be established by the
district in convention.
…

Action: Adopted as read (4)
Without discussion, the resolution was adopted [Yes: 937; No:
25].

To Amend Bylaw 3.7.1 to Clarify the
Commencement Date for Members of the
Board of Trustees—Concordia Plans/Board
of Directors—Concordia Plan Services and
Eliminate Obsolete Provisions
RESOLUTION 9-03
Overture 9-45 (CW, 517–19)

WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.7.1.3 does not specify when newly
appointed members of the Board of Trustees—Concordia
Plans (BOT—CP)/Board of Directors—Concordia Plan
Services (BOD—CPS) begin service, thereby creating
uncertainty, so such specificity should be added; and
WHEREAS, The Pension Plan for Pastors and Teachers
(PPPT) was established in 1937 by The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod (LCMS); and
WHEREAS, The Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP) began in
1965 as the then-new retirement plan established by the
Synod; and
WHEREAS, In 1965 the 46th Regular Convention of the
Synod resolved that the PPPT be integrated with the CRP if
permissible; and
WHEREAS, No new participants have entered the PPPT
since 1964; and
WHEREAS, The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act
was enacted in late 2015, which for the first time allowed
the merger of the PPPT into the CRP; and
WHEREAS, The Synod Board of Directors approved the
merger of the PPPT into the CRP, and this merger was
effective Dec. 31, 2017; and

186 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2019 (67TH) LCMS CONVENTION

WHEREAS, The merger of the PPPT into the CRP means
that legally the PPPT no longer exists, with the assets and
obligations of the PPPT being absorbed into the CRP; and
WHEREAS, Now-obsolete references to the PPPT in Bylaw
3.7.1 should be eliminated; and
WHEREAS, Requirements in Bylaw 3.7.1 that each of the
Concordia Plans are to be published “in booklet form” have
been made obsolete by technological advances; and
WHEREAS, Each of the Concordia Plans is available online
and Concordia Plan Services (CPS) will print copies of the
Concordia Plans upon request, but to produce significant
cost savings annually it is desired that the requirements to
publish the Concordia Plans “in booklet form” be
eliminated; and
WHEREAS, In Bylaw 3.7.1.4 (c) the reference to “Synod’s
policies governing trust funds” is obsolete and inaccurate
with respect to the Concordia Plans, as Resolution 12-12 of
the 1981 Synod convention eliminated the Board of Trustees
of Trust Funds (formerly responsible for drafting said
policies) and transferred its employee benefit plan
investment responsibilities to the Board of Managers—
Worker Benefit Plans, the predecessor to the BOT—
CP/BOD—CPS; and
WHEREAS, Such policies have not been maintained for, or
applicable to, the Concordia Plans, apparently as a result of
Res. 12-12; and
WHEREAS, Per Bylaw 3.7.1, the BOT—CP/BOD—CPS is
appointed by the Synod Board of Directors (BOD), and
includes the Chief Financial Officer of the Synod and
laypersons “experienced in the management of benefit plan
investments,” and is authorized to “make investment
decisions at its own discretion,” and has been so appointed,
comprised, and authorized since 1981; and
WHEREAS, Per applicable Bylaws, the BOT—CP/BOD—
CPS operates under the oversight of the Synod BOD and
CPS is accountable to the Synod for all of its actions,
negating the need for such policies and the reference to
such in Bylaw 3.7.1.4 (c); and
WHEREAS, The following proposed amendments to Bylaw
3.7.1 were reported to the Synod BOD at its November 2018
meeting, with input prior thereto from the Secretary of the
Synod; and
WHEREAS, At its November 2018 meeting, a resolution
was adopted by the BOT—CP/BOD—CPS to request the
2019 Synod convention to amend Bylaws 3.7.1.1–4 as
described hereafter; therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.7.1.1 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
The Concordia Plans
3.7.1.1
Concordia Plan Services is responsible for
managing the benefit plans/trusts of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, including the Concordia
Retirement Plan, Concordia Disability and Survivor Plan,
Resolutions