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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 89

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
contributions received by congregations year after year continues to increase (Lutheran Annual information). For fiscal year
2019, the amount received by Synod from congregations, passed
through districts, will be just under 1 percent of the total contributions received by congregations. This is the biggest concern
that I, as Synod Treasurer, face.
Why am I concerned? Congregational support provides
district and Synod mission and ministry plans with the most
flexibility to respond to opportunities and events that may arise
during the course of each fiscal year. It also provides funding
for certain vital support functions that underpin the work of
our program areas.

In 1976, Total Contributions to Congregations were
$351,619,466. Of that amount, 16.65 percent, or $58,542,200,
was used for “Work-at-Large” by our congregations (this includes support for District and Synod mission and ministries,
and other mission and ministry work outside congregations).
Of the Work-at-Large amount, 6.13 percent, or $21,556,309,
was received by Synod to support its worldwide mission and
ministries.
In 2016, Total Contributions to Congregations were
$1,431,379,355. Of that amount, 8.84 percent, or $126,563,332,
was used for “Work-at-Large” by our congregations (this includes support for district and Synod mission and ministries,
and other mission and ministry work outside congregations).
Of the Work-at-Large amount, 1.03 percent, or $14,703,651,
was received by Synod to support its worldwide mission and
ministries.
So, from 1976 to 2016, total contributions received by congregations grew by more than 300 percent, while Work-at-Large
budgets grew by about 116 percent; but congregational support
of Synod (through districts) has actually decreased about 32
percent.
In the face of continued declining unrestricted revenues,
Synod, Inc. has been working to become more efficient through
adopting newer technologies; reviewing and reassigning duties,
where possible, as positions become vacant; and evaluating the
need to continue or discontinue certain programs, especially
whenever new needs for mission and ministry are identified.
Each of the units that support our program areas has been
reviewed for ways to operate more efficiently and effectively,
including the units that report to me. In some cases, positions
were eliminated and tasks redistributed among continuing employees. In other cases, better ways to accomplish our daily
tasks have been developed, while in another case, an entire function has been reassigned to another organization.
Our continuing goal is to support the program areas of Syn-

od in as efficient a way as possible, so that the maximum amount
of available resources may be used in those program areas.
The Accounting Department serves Synod by accurately
recording the receipt and expenditure of restricted and unrestricted resources entrusted to us by congregation members, districts, and other donors. This involves oversight of the annual
budget preparation for the Board of Directors and preparation
of monthly financial statements. The department provides various accounting and payroll services for multiple LCMS entities.
The Congregational Treasurer’s Manual is a resource that is updated annually; it provides important guidance in the areas of
accounting; payroll for both rostered and non-rostered church
workers; federal and state tax matters; incorporating, administering and dissolving congregations; receiving donations and
disbursing them; financial reporting; and risk and insurance
matters. This document is provided to each district for distribution to local congregations.
The Internal Audit Department serves Synod’s boards,
commissions, service departments, and agencies as requested by
their governing boards or as directed by the Synod’s Board of
Directors. The Internal Audit Department (1) performs financial statement audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; (2) helps to reduce overall audit costs
by assisting external auditors who perform financial statement
audits of the various synodical corporate and trust entities; (3)
examines and evaluates corporate and individual compliance
with LCMS Board of Directors policies and recommends ways
to improve internal controls, operations, and organizational
structures to make them more effective and efficient; and (4) investigates allegations of suspected financial and organizational
misconduct in accordance with Synod policy.
The Risk Management and Insurance Department serves
Synod by analyzing the risk exposures of each entity/agency,
marketing and procuring the appropriate insurance policies,
negotiating sufficient policy limits to address exposures, administering and settling claims, and assisting Synod entities with
procedural policies, disaster recovery, and disaster/emergency
response plans. Further, the department assists each entity/
agency of the Synod with contractual review as well as state
and federal compliance requirements. The department utilizes
various risk management methods to treat, reduce, or address
risk exposure, including self-insurance, risk retention, and risksharing arrangements such as large deductible plans and Loss
Funds (if cost effective and warranted), contractual risk transfer, and insurance. Exposures of the Synod entities/agencies are
continually monitored to ensure any of the risk management
methods are appropriate and are modified to conform to changing markets and operations. The department promotes risk
awareness through continual education, communication, and
recommendations for actions to protect the people and assets
of the LCMS and its related entities. The department provides
training and recommendations to Synod’s boards, commissions,
service departments, and any Synod entity/agency in the areas
of risk management, insurance policy analysis, loss control and
safety compliance, and employment issues through consultation, numerous quarterly and annual reports, reference materi2019 Convention Workbook