Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2001 · 61st Convention › Page 235
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 235

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

HUMAN CARE 235

America are a sign of the gracious presence of God and a neces-
sary fruit that grows out of the faith given by God in Christ; and

WHEREAS, Such joint human care ministries give witness to that
faith; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS and ELCA acknowledge that feeding the
hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, and caring
for the sick are work donc to and for the Son of Man whom we
confess as Lord and Savior (Matt. 25:3146); and

WHEREAS, “Kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship”
(Proverbs 14:31); and

Wuereas, Through their joint human care ministries, the LCMS
and ELCA confess that who we are and what we give come from
God and are to be used for others (2 Cor. 9:1—15); and

WHEREAS, Since the early church the work of caring for the
needy has been acknowledged as a work shared by all who confess
that name of Christ; and

WHEREAS, The intentional, institutional absence of LCMS
clergy at services of dedication, installation, and celebration may
contribute to the idea that joint human care ministries are the work
only of the ELCA rather than joint ministries shared by the two in-
stitutions; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS and ELCA recognize the need to ask
God’s blessing on their joint human care ministries; and

WHEREAS. The LCMS and ELCA recognize that their joint
human care ministries give glory and praise to God; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2001 convention of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod encourage the participation of LCMS clergy in ser-
vices of installation, dedication, and celebration associated with
joint LCMS/ELCA human care ministries.

Grace
Naples, FL

6-17

To Assist Trinity Congregation of Dresden, Germany

WHEREAS, The roots of the LCMS can be traced back to Dres-
den, Germany, in the early 1800s; and

Wuereas, The church building of Trinity Lutheran Church of
Dresden, Germany, a congregation in fellowship with the LCMS,
was destroyed in the 1945 bombing of Dresden, where an estimated
100,000 were killed; and

Whereas. Trinity Church courageously confessed the faith for
40 years under Communism: and

Wuereas, There are now few-Christians in the Lutheran heart-
land; and

WHEREAS, Trinity-Dresden is asking congregations of the
LCMS for help in building a new church; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2001 convention commend this project to
the congregations of the LCMS.

Note: The December 25, 2000, Christian News published the
pamphlet and letter that Trinity Church sent to congregations of the
LCMS.

Trinity, New Haven, MO; Concordia, Fair Haven, MN;
Redeemer, John Day, OR

6-18

To Establish Synodwide Compensation Guidelines

WHEREAS. Two Synodwide salary studies have been conducted,
one of parish pastors and one of professional church workers, that
demonstrated that neither group is paid at a level competitive with
the career market in which they work or at a level that is represen-
tative of the value they bring; and

WHEREAS, The Study on Church Worker Shortage commis-
sioned by the Board for Higher Education included clergy income
as a problem to be overcome in order to improve the recruitment
and retention of clergy; and

WHEREAS, There would be tremendous value if the Synod were
proactive in addressing the compensation of our professional
church workers, so that as a Synod these valued instruments would
be lifted high and an example would be set for others regarding the
importance of these laborers in the vineyard; and

WHEREAS, The President of the Synod has indicated the impor-
tance of attracting and retaining professional church workers for
the future of our Synod through his action of appointing an action
group to address the recruitment and retention of parish pastors;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Council of Presidents be tasked with the re-
sponsibility of establishing national compensation guidelines that
will provide no less than fair compensation for our professional
church workers; and be it further

Resolved, That these guidelines be presented to the church at
large no later than at the 2004 synodical convention; and be it fur-
ther

Resolved, That a study to determine the make-up of total com-
pensation be conducted and the results be provided to the District
Presidents to enable them to accomplish the task within this reso-
lution; and be it further

Resolved, That such compensation guidelines be determined
after comparing national and local compensation in other denomi-
nations and the public school systems, with the goal of setting an
example for others to follow regarding the value of professional
church workers; and be it further

Resolved, That the placement officers of higher education insti-
tutions and the District Presidents be discouraged from allowing
placements which do not meet the minimum compensation guide-
lines; and be it finally

Resolved, That all congregations be encouraged, through active
participation by Districts, to abide by these compensation guide-
lines when calls are extended in order to lift high the value of our
professional church workers.

LCMS Board of Directors

2001 Convention Workbook