LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 79

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 79

Board has sought to clarify the identity of its PARTNERS in min-
istry and to improve relationships with them.

PERFORMANCE As a servant/steward, the Board has worked
to install measures of ministry that promote faithfulness to task, ef-
ficiency, and effective witness to the glory of God. Measurement of
ministry helps ensure that the Synod’s resources are used prudently
to accomplish the mission of the church.

PEOPLE The Board strives to create an atmosphere in which
its PARTNERS in ministry are well-served and in which PEOPLE
can flourish in their Christian faith and life under the Gospel. The
Board desires that PEOPLE (1) be equipped and encouraged for
service; (2) joyfully agree on boundaries for faith and action in
Christian freedom; (3) have openness toward and respect for others;
and (4) focus on issues rather than on personalities.

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Improving relationships with PARTNERS has included regu-
lar, rotational discussions between the Board and members of the
Synod’s program boards, commissions, task forces, Worker Bene-
fit Plans, Foundation, Lutheran Church Extension Fund, Concor-
dia Publishing House, Concordia Historical Institute, Council of
Presidents, and other groups.

* Issues such as policies for raising and allocating funds,
new mission and ministry initiatives, changes in organiza-
tional structure, church worker shortages, and expectations
concerning the Board’s oversight responsibilities have
been mutually addressed.

New PERFORMANCE measures have been established as a re-
sult of program boards presenting to the Board their annual strate-
gic and spending plans. Responding to the dynamic change in fund-
ing during these last decades from unrestricted to restricted giving,
the Board has adjusted its funding policies. For example, in the
1980s the Synod’s corporate budget was funded with two-thirds
undesignated dollars and one-third designated dollars. Today the
reverse is true. The total giving in dollars is more than a decade
ago, so for that we praise the Lord and thank our people. However,
the Board now allocates a much lesser percentage of the total dol-
lars through its corporate budget process. Another example for
funding adjustments pertains to the corporate Synod’s subsidy to
its seminaries and universities. While the subsidy has been declin-
ing these past years, the actual dollars these institutions have re-
ceived through other giving have risen substantially. For some to
say the Synod no longer supports these institutions as in the past
reflects only upon the allocation from the corporate budget (which
is much smaller percentage-wise), not upon the Synod with its gen-
erous congregations and people.

* Firm guidelines governing administrative expenses for
fundraising have been set in place. The Board has sought a
more unified development of funding for the Board for
Human Care. The aggregate debt of the Synod has been
put into an amortization plan that returns fiscal viability to
the corporate Synod. Ongoing efforts include new policies
for synodical income management, planning processes,
risk assessment and insurances, debt ceilings, and alloca-
tion of resources.

The Board's emphasis on PEOPLE has yielded both routine and
exceptional results. Routinely, appointments to boards, task forces,
and commissions have been made under the Synod’s Bylaws. Ex-
ternal auditors, legal counsel, and insurers have been engaged for
the Synod. The Board has both funded and given oversight to new
information and data systems in order that the productivity and ser-
vice of PEOPLE might be enhanced.

* The Board has provided new measurements for salaries of
full-time workers, funded new human resources and ac-
counting software, increased supplemental income for Vet-
erans of the Cross and their spouses where needed, af-

firmed the move of housing assistance loans to rostered
church workers to the Lutheran Church Extension Fund,
and approved multiple changes to the Synod’s health and
retirement plans.
Exceptional actions by the Board included
* the appointment of the Synod’s new Chief Administrative Offi-
cer, Brad Hewitt
* the appointment of the Synod’s new Vice-President Finance/Trea-
surer, Paul Middeke
* appointing a Commission on Structure
* appointing a Task Force on Changing the Name of the Synod
* approving the composition of the Task Force for National/Dis-
trict Relations
* giving full support to the President for a special committee to in-
vestigate losses in 1998 by the Foundation
* active involvement in the establishment of the Concordia Inter-
national School in Shanghai, China.
The minutes of Board meetings are always available, and we
intend to put the agenda for meetings on the Synod’s Web page.
The Board wishes to express its thanks to the Synod, its many
entities, and all of its people for the privilege of serving the Lord,
His church, and the LCMS.
Donald K. Muchow, Chairman

R7-04-01
Department of General Services

General Services, a joint operation of the four corporate and
trust entities housed in the LCMS International Center buildings,
operates under the authority of the Facilities and Services Manage-
ment Board and is charged with “developing and administering
building, office, information and electronic support services to the
entities of the LCMS International Center properties and other cor-
porate organizations of the church in their support of the LCMS
mission and ministry objectives.” General Services is currently
comprised of the following units: Building Operations, Travel and
Meeting Planning, Purchasing, Editorial Services, Rosters and Sta-
tistics, IC Food Service, and the Central Library.

The Synod’s International Center consists of two buildings. The
original building, located at 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood,
MO, houses the offices and operations of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod and Worker Benefit Plans. The second building,
located at 10733 Sunset Office Drive. Sunset Hills, MO, houses the
offices of the LCMS Foundation and the Lutheran Church Exten-
sion Fund.

Building Operations provides support services within the In-
ternational Center. These services include reproduction work, mail
distribution, shipping and receiving, maintenance services, floor-
plan arrangements, phone service, voice mail, and overall building
and grounds maintenance. In addition, this staff schedules and
maintains the Video Conference and Technology Center and pro-
vides audio-visual equipment to the IC.

Travel and Meeting Planning provides event-planning ser-
vices, including travel, housing, transportation and conference
needs, for LCMS-IC organizations. These services are provided for
events across the country including the synodical convention. In
2000, this department planned or assisted with over 350 events ac-
commodating 70,000 people. In addition, Travel and Meeting co-
ordinates the dozens of weekly meetings and activities planned in
the International Center buildings.

The Rosters and Statistics unit maintains the rosters of LCMS
congregations, professional church workers, congregational lay
leaders, and a list of LCMS high school youth. It also maintains

2001 Convention Workbook