LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 230

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230 HUMAN CARE

efit Plans to implement policies and procedures which conform to
the highest standard of courtesy, respect, and compassion when
dealing with the workers in Christ’s church.

English District

6-14

To Authorize Independent Evaluation
of Worker Benefit Plans

WHEREAS, The faithful men and women who presently serve in
various worker positions in The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod are truly gifts of God; and

WHEREAS, People are the greatest physical resource we have in
the church; and

WHEREAS, It is only proper and right in light of God’s Word that
we see to the physical and financial needs of our church workers as
best as we are able; and

WHEREAS, Those who have retired from worker positions in our
Synod after faithfully serving the church should be properly cared
for during their retirement years as well as their spouses; and

WuereaS, There is serious concern over the way that the
Worker Benefit Plans of the Synod are managed and administered;
and

WHEREAS, The present Worker Benefit system has proven to be
both a financial burden to the congregations and individual workers
(both active and retired) in the Synod; and

WHEREAS, The present Worker Benefits system also places
undue physical and mental stress on church workers (both active
and retired) and their families by the poor way the program is man-
aged, how health-care claims are processed, and communications
and relations handled between all parties involved; and

WHEREAS, Synod desires a Worker Benefits program which
provides maximum benefits and minimum problems in an afford-
able way; and

WHEREAS, It is believed that if there are to be real improvements
in the Worker Benefit Plans, it must come from input and direction
outside the system; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Synod be given the
authority to retain the services of an independent consulting group
(or several groups as the board deems necessary), to review the en-
tire benefits package available to active and retired workers of the
Synod; and be it further ;

Resolved, That the independent consultants also examine the
administration of the Worker Benefit Plans, including the organi-
zation, personnel, and policies in place both within the Synod as
well as in the management groups contracted by Worker Benefit
Plans; and be it further

Resolved, That the independent consultants present their find-
ings along with detailed recommendations to the Board of Direc-
tors of the Synod for implementation in the most expeditious and
beneficial way possible.

St. Paul
Lockport, IL

6-15

To Restructure and Modernize LCMS Retirement Plan

WHEREAS, Pastors, teachers, and other professional workers in
God’s kingdom render good and faithful service to Him and His
flock during their years of active and productive ministry; and

WHEREAS, These good and faithful servants also bear a holy re-
sponsibility to themselves and their families to make provisions for
the years of retirement—a responsibility in which the church cor-
porate maintains a share; and

WHEREAS, The combined realities of longer average life span,
increasing costs of living, and the changes in American culture
from a barter-rich rural environment to a currency-based urban one
have materially changed the way in which His servants can main-

tain reasonable expectations of meeting these family security re-
sponsibilities; and

WHEREAS, The current LCMS Retirement Plan appears to be
based on premises that do not fully leverage the realities of con-
temporary investment markets and practices and, by so doing, ham-
per full and successful achievement of individual family security
responsibilities by professional church workers; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Southeastern District sponsor and promote
an overture to the 1998 synodical convention of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod to restructure and modernize the LCMS
Retirement Plan to

1. reflect contemporary retirement program investment prac-
tices;

2. provide for more flexible participation by individual profes-
sional church workers;

3. provide optional increased participation by individual pro-
fessional church workers; and be it further

Resolved, That the above overture recommend the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America Pension and Other Benefits Program
be used as a model for the restructure of the LCMS retirement pro-
gram.

Southeastern District

6-16

To Grant Incremental Pension Increases for Retirees

Resolved, That the South Wisconsin District—LCMS in con-
vention, June 8-10, 1997, memorialize Synod in convention, 1998,
to include annual increases for all retirees and widows/widowers
under both plans; and be it further

Resolved, That these annual increases match, at least, the cost of
living; and be it further

Resolved, That additional increases be granted by a formula de-
termined by the officers of the pension plans which includes in-
dexing increases to the growth of the plans in its investment re-
turns; and be it finally

Resolved, That these increases begin with the synodical con-
vention in 1998 after completion of an actuarial study.

South Wisconsin District

6-17

To Respond to Worldwide Persecution of Christians

WHEREAS, God continually reminds His church through His
Scriptures to be ready to suffer for following Christ; and

WHEREAS, God enjoins upon His church to “Remember those
in prison as if you were also prisoners, and those who are mis-
treated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Heb. 13:3; Prov. 3:27;
1 Cor. 12:26; Gal. 6:2; etc.); and

WHEREAS, Today also vast numbers of Christians in various
parts of the world suffer human rights abuse, persecution, torture,
and martyrdom, in particular in Communist dominated nations such
as China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, and Laos, and in Muslim
dominated nations such as Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Al-
geria, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Egypt; and

WHEREAS, Research suggests that Christians endure discrimina-
tion and persecution in some 60 countries and the respected Inter-
national Bulletin of Mission Research (January 1997) estimates that
some 160,000 Christians were martyred in 1996; and

WHEREAS, “Most Americans are not aware of the widespread
violations of Christians’ human rights in many parts of the world”
(Jeane Kirkpatrick, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations)
at the same time North Americans enjoy unparalleled religious
freedom; and

WuereEas, As Christians, we should also remember other reli-

gious minorities who suffer similar atrocities under regimes, there-
fore be it