Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2019 · 67th Convention, Tampa › Page 518
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 518

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

518

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION

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 December
31, 2017; and
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policies governing trust funds” is obsolete and inaccurate with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. 1212; 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

2019 Convention Workbook

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, Concordia Health Plan, and Concordia Retirement
Savings Plan, and Pension Plan for Pastors and Teachers, each of
which is a separate trust operated under trust laws but collectively
known as the Concordia Plans.
(a) The “Concordia Retirement Plan for Ministers of Religion
and Lay Workers of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Its
Member Congregations, Controlled Organizations, and Affiliated
Agencies” is the retirement plan adopted by the Board of
Directors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod pursuant to
Res. 10-02 of the 45th convention of the Synod, as such plan has
been heretofore or may hereafter be amended. The text of the
plan, as amended from time to time, shall be published in booklet
form under the supervision of the Board of Trustees—Concordia
Plans.
(b) The “Concordia Health Plan for Ministers of Religion and
Lay Workers of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Its
Member Congregations, Controlled Organizations, and Affiliated
Agencies” is the health plan adopted by the Board of Directors of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod pursuant to Res. 10-02
of the 45th convention of the Synod, as such plan has been
heretofore or may hereafter be amended. The text of the plan, as
amended from time to time, shall be published in booklet form
under the supervision of the Board of Trustees—Concordia
Plans.
(c) The “Concordia Disability and Survivor Plan for Ministers of
Religion and Lay Workers of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod, Its Member Congregations, Controlled Organizations,
and Affiliated Agencies” is the plan adopted by the Board of
Directors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in accord
with directives adopted at a prior convention of the Synod (Res.
10-02 of the 45th convention) to provide for surviving widows
and children those benefits previously provided under the
Concordia Retirement Plan. This Plan also provides for disability
benefits for such workers. The text of the plan, as amended from
time to time, shall be published in booklet form under the
supervision of the Board of Trustees—Concordia Plans.
(d) The “Pension Plan for Pastors and Teachers of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod” is the pension plan established by the
Synod as of Oct. 1, 1937, as heretofore or hereafter amended. The
text of the plan, as amended from time to time, shall be published
in booklet form under the supervision of the Board of Trustees—
Concordia Plans.
(ed) The “Concordia Retirement Savings Plan” is the taxsheltered annuity retirement savings plan adopted by the Board
of Directors in August 2003, effective October 1, 2005, as such
plan has been heretofore or may hereafter be amended. The text
of the plan, as amended from time to time, shall be published in
booklet form under the supervision of the Board of Trustees—
Concordia Plans.
(fe) The lists of ordained and commissioned ministers appearing
on the official roster of the Synod shall be official lists for the
purpose of the Board of Trustees—Concordia Plans.
(gf) National inter-Lutheran entities will be eligible to be
“employers” under the Concordia Plans of the Synod unless the
policies of such a plan preclude such organization as an eligible
employer.

and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.7.1.3 be amended as follows: