Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2023 · 68th Convention, Milwaukee › Page 359
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 359

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

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
Resolved, That once completed, the COH forward these new
bylaws to the Synod Board of Directors for approval and
implementation; and be it finally
Resolved, That upon ratification, this resolution be passed on to
the 68th Regular Convention of the Synod for deliberation by the
entire Synod.
South Wisconsin District
Ov. 7-18

To Protect People’s Offerings
Given to Concordia University Schools
WHEREAS, Since the founding of the Addison Teachers
Seminary (now, Concordia University Chicago) in 1864, the people
of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) have
generously supported the Synod’s collegiate and university
institutions of higher education with their donations and bequests;
and
WHEREAS, As a result of the closure of Concordia University,
Portland, endowment funds that were donated to that school by
LCMS congregations and their members are currently at risk; they
are subject to potential claims of creditors and to potential claims
by the Oregon Department of Justice (according to media reports);
in each case, such claims could result in the funds being diverted
from their intended purpose—support for Lutheran higher
education—and diverted to pay creditors, settle lawsuits and pay
legal fees, and/or be seized by the state; and
WHEREAS, The Board of Regents of Concordia University Texas
has declared independence from the governance of Synod, leaving
the status of endowment funds at that institution unsettled with
respect to the training of church workers for the Synod; and
WHEREAS, It would be tragic for millions of dollars in
endowment funds given by God’s people to be lost or wasted if
other Concordia University System (CUS) schools encounter
financial difficulties; and
WHEREAS, The Synod has formed The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod Foundation to act as an independent fiduciary and
trust company, and the primary provider of charitable expertise for
the LCMS; the LCMS Foundation has decades of charitable
expertise, helping to ensure that families are provided for and
beloved ministries are supported; the LCMS Foundation serves our
Lord and our Church by providing trained professionals to assist
individuals and ministry congregations in practicing biblical,
Christ-centered stewardship; and
WHEREAS, The LCMS Foundation currently holds and manages
numerous endowments for the benefit of the CUS schools; the
income is distributed to the intended beneficiary institutions, but the
principal is invested and safeguarded by the LCMS Foundation in
trust, both protected from claims of creditors of the institutions and
preserved for use in accordance with the direction of the original
donors; and
WHEREAS, Transferring all CUS endowment funds to the LCMS
Foundation would result in optimal stewardship by:
• ensuring that such funds remain available to the CUS schools
as intended by the donors, protecting donor intentions with
no change in the distribution of funds so long as the CUS
schools remain in operation and part of the Synod;

359

reducing the overhead costs of managing funds, and
spreading risk across a broader investment base, meaning a
higher return on investment for the schools; and
• safeguarding such funds from creditors and/or state seizure
if a school were to become insolvent and/or leave affiliation
with the Synod;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention to direct all CUS schools
to transfer their endowment funds, whether held directly or
indirectly, to the LCMS Foundation in trust, to be held consistent
with the donor-intended purposes and distributed to such CUS
schools consistent with current practices so long as the CUS schools
operate as agencies of the Synod, and otherwise to be used for
LCMS higher education, by Dec. 31, 2023.
•

St. Paul
Brookfield, IL
Ov. 7-19

To Encourage and Provide Support for Currently
Non-rostered Lutheran School Educators
to Receive Colloquy
WHEREAS, Proverbs 9:9 (NIV) teaches, “Instruct the wise and
they will be wiser still; teach the righteous, and they will add to their
learning”; and
WHEREAS, Dedicated non-rostered Christian educators are
currently serving in our Lutheran schools; and
WHEREAS, Many non-rostered educators live full lives and
would not otherwise be able to attend our Concordia University
System in person; and
WHEREAS, We seek to support non-rostered educators as they,
alongside rostered workers, pastors, deacons, and lay leaders,
minister to the children and their families as we seek to do our
Father’s will in kingdom work; and
WHEREAS, We recognize the mission field is at our door in our
Lutheran schools; and
WHEREAS, We support our currently rostered educators and do
not seek to replace them, but recognize the smaller number of
rostered educators and so seek to support them by building in
number, through colloquy, the amount of Synod trained educators;
and
WHEREAS, Our Synod trained educators tend toward
intentionally raising up future leaders in the Church by proclaiming
to individual students the call of the Holy Spirit on their lives to
become pastors, educators, youth workers, and other church
workers; and
WHEREAS, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”
(Matt. 9:37); therefore be it
Resolved, That the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
encourage currently rostered educators and Lutheran schools,
through regular communication, to support non-rostered educators
and to intentionally recognize and encourage those faithful workers
to prayerfully consider the colloquy program; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod recognize the gifts that non-rostered
educators bring to the work of the kingdom through regular
communication; and be it further

2023 Convention Workbook