LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 233

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HUMAN CARE 233

1 Tim. 5:17, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well
are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preach-
ing and teaching”; and

WHEREAS, Many pastors and church workers upon reaching re-
tirement age cannot afford the cost of health insurance, due to some
congregations’ inability to pay more in wages, meaning less in re-
tirement from both the retirement plan and Social Security; and

WHEREAS, These same pastors and church workers have not had
the money or opportunity to purchase a house to retire in, causing,
sometimes, great financial strain on themselves and their spouses;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in its 2001 convention try to find
ways to provide free health care coverage for any retired, vested
members of the Synod.

Pilgrim, West Bend, WI; Zion, Tomball, TX; St. Paul,
Magnolia, TX; The South Wisconsin District

6-10

To Provide Unemployment Insurance for Pastors

WHEREAS, Nearly 30 percent of all Christian ministers in the
United States have been involuntarily terminated or “forced out”
of their congregations; and

WHEREAS, The number of pastoral resignations is currently
occurring at a projected rate which, combined with retirements
and other factors, will result in a decrease of pastors from 5,230
in 1997 to 2,200 in 2017 (Reporter, January 2000, p. 1); and

WHEREAS, Those who have resigned are not eligible for
unemployment benefits and often have no provisions for
severance pay; and

WHEREAS, The Constitution of the LCMS states that it is an
objective of the Synod to provide “for the welfare of pastors”
(Art. III 8-10); therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS consider the feasibility of an
unemployment insurance for pastors of the Synod; and be it
further

Resolved, That if it is found feasible that the LCMS establish a
program for pastoral unemployment insurance; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod establish an unemployment
insurance for al] pastors in the LCMS and all church workers
ineligible for unemployment compensation.

St. John
Midland, MI

6-11

To Establish Guidelines for Care
of Spouses of Church Workers

Whereas, The Christian faith calls us to be light and salt in our
witness of concern for all of God’s children, “especially those of
the family of believers” (Gal. 6:10); and

WHEREAS, The Pastoral Epistles commend the care of widows
and orphans as a priority in the body of Christ; and

WHEREAS, The care given to widows and widowers in the Ohio
District has varied widely; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Ohio District encourages all congregations to
have the following as a minimal standard of support for widows
and widowers of full-time LCMS church workers who die in of-
fice:

a. The spouse be paid the full salary (including housing and util-
ities) his/her wife/husband was making (excluding travel expenses)
for the month in which the husband/wife dies, plus the full salary
that the husband/wife would have earned for the next two months.

b. That the congregation provide a knowledgeable individual to

explain in detail all financial aspects (insurance, retirement, Con-
cordia Plans, etc.) to the widow or widower in a timely manner.

c. That the congregation continue to allow the spouse remaining
in a church-owned home housing and utilities for a minimum of
six months.

d. That the widow/widower continue to be lifted up in the gen-
eral prayers of the worship service in the weeks that follow the
death; and be it further

Resolved, That the Ohio District petition the LCMS convention
to approve this resolution Synodwide.

Ohio District

6-12

To Require District Salary Guidelines

WHEREAS, Recent synodical studies have demonstrated that the
vast majority of ordained and commissioned ministers in the
LCMS are under-compensated for their services; and

WuereasS, The Clergy Shortage Study (CSS) states: “The fact is
that many pastors live in or near the poverty level. ... Financial
problems make all other challenges of ministry worse” (p. 62); and

WHEREAS, LCMS pastors have earned the academic equivalent
of a Ph.D., M.D.., or J.D.; and

WHEREAS, Low salaries contribute to the difficulty in recruiting
men and women to the ministry; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct each District to
establish a salary guideline that substantially exceeds the govern-
ment’s established poverty level; and be it further

Resolved, That Districts be encouraged to establish salary
guidelines that compare favorably to the local public school dis-
trict, with attention being given to the level of responsibility, years
of service, and educational level attained; and be it finally

Resolved, That congregations unwilling or unable to financially
support a full-time minister at an appropriate salary will be permit-
ted to use part-time or retired ministers.

Concordia, San Antonio, TX; Gloria Dei, Houston
(Nassau Bay), TX

6-13

To Encourage Participation in International Day
of Prayer for Persecuted Church

WHEREAS, Jesus said, “Remember the words I spoke to you:
‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they
will persecute you also” (John 15:20); and

WHEREAS, More Christians have died for their faith in the past
100 years than in all the previous centuries of Christendom com-
bined; and

WHEREAS, In more than 60 countries around the world, Chris-
tians each day face persecution, legal discrimination. and martyr-
dom for the crime of following Christ; their house churches are
broken into or declared illegal; their homes are ransacked and
burned; women are gang-raped and murdered, their children sold
into slavery; men are arrested, beaten, denied medical attention,
and left to die in squalid jails; and men, women, and children are
tortured in the most heinous ways or simply massacred, whole vil-
lages of them, in gangland-style executions; and

WHEREAS, Many in the western church are unaware of this on-
going persecution of the church; and

WHEREAS, One Sunday in November has been observed as an
annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church by
some 300,000 congregations worldwide, including more than
100,000 in the United States; and

WHEREAS, LCMS President A. L. Barry has written: “A day of
prayer for persecuted Christians is most appropriate, because prayer
is the single most important thing we can do for these people”;
therefore be it

2001 Convention Workbook