LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 229

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HUMAN CARE 229

procedures of our present program be supplied by the Concordia
health-care staff.

Iowa District East
Board of Directors

6-09

To Encourage Congregations to Pay Health Care
Insurance Costs

WHEREAS, The salaries of our church workers often are sub-
standard; and .

WHEREAS, When congregations do not cover the cost of health
insurance for family members of church workers, that cost comes
out of the worker’s own pocket; therefore be it

Resolved, That the convention assembled encourage all congre-
gations within the Synod to study seriously the matter of covering
the health costs of both their church worker(s) and their church
worker’s family; and be it further

Resolved, That congregations do all within their power to offer
health coverage for their church worker(s) and family members.

Board of Directors
Minnesota South District

6-10

To Provide Adequate Health Care
for Retired Church Workers

WHEREAS, The unprinted memorials coming before the District
convention do not provide enough financial information to respon-
sibly act on them; and

WHEREAS, These unprinted memorials do raise an important
point about inadequate compensation for retired workers and their
surviving spouses; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Minnesota South District in convention
memorialize The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to review
health-care coverage for retired church workers and their spouses,
especially those under the Pension Plan for Pastors and Teachers
and who have completed more than forty (40) years of active min-
istry in the LCMS, with the possibility that they receive health care
at a reduced or no cost to the retired workers and their surviving
Spouses.

Minnesota South District

6-11

To Address Health Care Coverage
for Vicars and Other Professional
Church-Work Interns

WHEREAS, Vicars and other professional church-work interns
and their families need adequate health-care coverage during their
year of vicarage/internship; and

WHEREAS, Currently Concordia Health Plans are not able to
cover vicars and interns; and

WHEREAS, Vicars and other church-work interns are left to find
their own coverage for this short period of time; and

WHEREAS, Congregations struggle to find insurance coverage,
much less insurance coverage that is adequate; and

WHEREAS, Inadequate insurance coverage has created a great
deal of hardship for congregations, vicars, other interns and their
families; and

WHEREAS, Inadequate insurance coverage results in large finan-
cial burdens and debts for the vicars, interns, and their families
when serious health problems arise; therefore be it

Resolved, That the President of the Synod or another responsi-
ble entity investigate the feasibility of having the congregations of
the Synod contribute to a self-insurance fund that would provide

coverage for the Synod’s vicars and other interns, as well as pursu-
ing all other avenues that might provide the needed insurance cov-
erage; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod proceed with all haste to rectify this
problem of inadequate insurance by the end of the next triennium
so that vicars and other professional church-work interns and their
families would be adequately protected.

St. Paul
Waseca, MN

6-12

To Encourage Board of Managers of Worker
Benefit Plans to Consider Holistic Medicine

WHEREAS, The human body is fearfully and wonderfully made,
with tremendous capacity for self-healing; and

WHEREAS, Holistic medicine seeks to enhance and work with
these created endowments of the human body; and

WHEREAS, Holistic medicine uses many naturally occurring sub-
stances which help to maintain and improve health; and

WhereAS, Reliable and unbiased information is crucial to a
proper understanding and use of herbs, nutritional supplement, and
alternative therapies; and

WHEREAS, Many independent studies are being done which
prove the effectiveness of many natural therapies; and

WHEREAS, Preventative health care, the use of nutritional sup-
plements and herbs, and alternative medical treatments can, in
many instances, be very effective and economical supplements to
traditional medical practice; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board of Managers of the Concordia Worker
Benefit Plans study the possible benefits of covering the costs of
preventative measures (health club memberships, vitamins, nutri-
tional supplements, herbs, water filter systems, etc.), and alternative
therapies; and be it further

Resolved, That the Worker Benefit Plans establish a web site or
information resource and referral center in order to disseminate re-
liable and unbiased information on nutritional supplements, herbs,
and alternative treatments to Plan members.

St. John the Evangelist
Brooklyn, NY

6-13

To Require That Courtesy and Compassion
Be Exercised by Board of Managers
of Worker Benefit Plans

WHEREAS, The Rev. David R. Liefeld was pastor of Chapel of
the Cross Lutheran Church from May 1994 through September
1995 and has continued since then to be pastor emeritus; and

WHEREAS, The congregation has followed with great interest
and concem the way that Pastor Liefeld has been treated by the
Worker Benefit Plans of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,
from the initial, ill-considered rejection of his disability application
to the recent terse and unsympathetic rejection of manipulation
therapy for his painful and disabling Fibromyalgia; and

WHEREAS, The congregation believes strongly that it is the God-
given duty of both congregation and Synod to treat the workers in
full-time service to Christ’s church with dignity and respect, sym-
pathy and compassion; and

WHEREAS, The voters assembly of Chapel of the Cross protests
the obvious lack of people-centered policies and procedures of the
Concordia Plans when dealing with the concerns of suffering
church workers and has asked the English District to communicate
its dissatisfaction with the lack of courtesy and compassion to the
Board of Managers of the Worker Benefit Plans; therefore be it

Resolved, That the English District memorialize The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod in convention to direct the Worker Ben-