LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 125

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4. Program and Finance
To Adopt Biblical Stewardship Principles
RESOLUTION 4-01
Overture 4-01 (CW, p. 199); Appendix I (CW, pp.
293–96)
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in its
1995 convention (Res. 4-07A) resolved that the Department
of Stewardship articulate the biblical principles of stewardship, which should guide all of our stewardship and appeal efforts, and disseminate these to all synodical entities,
agencies, and auxiliaries prior to the 1998 convention; and
WHEREAS, The Synod in convention resolved that the
Synod’s entities, agencies, and auxiliaries approach any solicitation on the basis of these biblical principles of financial
stewardship, instead of a worldly, legalistic approach;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention adopt the draft
of biblical stewardship principles articulated by the Department of Stewardship of the Board for Congregational
Services with considerable input from rostered workers and
representatives of the congregations, entities, agencies, and
auxiliaries of the Synod as found in the 1998 Convention
Workbook; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage all
members of congregations, entities, agencies, and auxiliaries to study carefully these articulated biblical stewardship principles and use them as guidelines for all stewardship education and fund-raising activities.

Committee 4 Chairman Timothy Sims

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
acknowledge and give thanks to God for the abundant resources realized from restricted gifts by individuals, endowments, foundations and fraternal benefit societies; and
be it further
Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
encourage itself, individuals, congregations, and Districts
to not become overly dependent upon restricted gifts, but
to seek and maintain a proper balance between restricted
and unrestricted funding of its mission and ministry; and
be it finally
Resolved, That individuals, congregations, and Districts
be encouraged to exercise appropriate joyful biblical stewardship of God-given resources especially through unrestricted giving, that God may be honored, His kingdom
might grow, and that the mission and ministry of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod might continue to aggressively meet the challenges which God has placed before
us.

Action: Adopted (2)
(The resolution was adopted after delegates declined to add
and that the seminaries emphasize these in pastoral training at
the end of the second resolve. They also declined to refer it to the
committee to incorporate the idea of stewardship responsibility
of everyone, Christian or not.)

To Encourage Unrestricted and
Restricted Giving in a Balanced Manner
RESOLUTION 4-02
Report R4-01 (CW, pp. 66–67)
WHEREAS, God has richly blessed the individual members and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod with an abundance of financial resources; and
WHEREAS, Over the past several years restricted gifts
from individuals, endowments, foundations, and other
sources have grown to the extent that they now are greater
in volume than the unrestricted gifts of God’s people to the
work of the Synod through their congregational and District giving; and
WHEREAS, The doors of mission opportunity have been
and continue to be wide open with challenges of Gospel
communication to the world in which we live; therefore be
it
Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
give thanks to almighty God for His blessings and express
appreciation to individuals, congregations, and Districts for
the unrestricted gifts that are so vital to the ministry of the
Synod; and be it further

Action: Adopted (4)
(An amendment calling for deleting the words especially
through unrestricted giving in the final resolve was declined as
was the addition of the word Synod in the first line of that resolve.)

To Endorse and Implement Report
of Financial Aid Task Force
RESOLUTION 4-03
Report R4-06 (CW, pp. 74–78); Overtures 5-06, 5-16,
5-18 (CW, pp. 211–12, 214–15)
WHEREAS, The Financial Aid Task Force has documented both the inadequate funding of retirement benefits
for individuals under the Synod’s old Pension Plan for Pastors and Teachers (PPPT) and the increasing level of debt of

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