Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2004 · 62nd Convention, St. Louis › Page 208
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 208

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

208 PROGRAM AND FINANCE

Organizations, Social Ministry Organizations, etc.) and all its
sources for funding (congregational offerings, individual donations,
fees, sales, grants, bequests, endowment income, etc.); and be it
further

Resolved, That as part of this new system a Common Ministries
Fund be established that will enable the operations of the ecclesi-
astical, communications, and administrative activities currently re-
quired by the Synod, as well as payment of the Concordia Univer-
sity System debt until it is eliminated; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod’s new Common Ministries Fund be
designated to apply to the following common-good functions:

Administration
President’s Office
Vice President of Finance
Board of Directors—Chief Administrative Office
Office of Secretary
Historical Institute
Audit
Convention
Legal
Tax
Concordia University System National Debt

Ecclesiastical
Commission on Constitution Matters
Council of Presidents
Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support
Commission on Theology and Church Relations
Doctrinal Review
Structure
Worship
Dispute Resolution
Rosters and Statistics

Communications
Witness and REPORTER
Web
National Public Relations;

and be it further

Resolved, That these Common Ministries be funded by a fair-
share assessment from all synodical entities and agencies according
to a fair-share formula revised annually by the LCMS Board of Di-
rectors in consultation and mutual concurrence with the Council of
Presidents, and communicated at least six months in advance to all
synodical entities; and be it further

Resolved, The fair-share formula for congregational offerings
from Districts to the Synod be calculated by the number of voting del-
egates a District sends to the national convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the national program boards of Missions, Higher
Education, Human Care, Black Ministry, and District and Congre-
gational Services, as well as District activities and those of the sem-
inaries and universities (except for their national debt payments),
and all other synodical entities and agencies shall be funded from
the designated congregational and individual gifts, fees, grants, and
other sources after the common ministry fair-share needs of each
entity are met; and be it further

Resolved, That all agencies of the Synod disclose in their donor
solicitations and development activities that a portion of donor gifts
will go to the Common Ministry Fund of the Synod (unless granted
an exception by the LCMS Board of Directors); and be it further

Resolved, That the following schedule be used to fully imple-
ment this systemwide proposal:

BY JANUARY 2005

¢ Incorporate this proposal, including all necessary changes brought to
bear on all synodical entities, into our Handbook, with revisions made
through the Commission on Structure.

¢ Establish a Common Ministry Funding Task Force consisting of three
people appointed by the LCMS Board of Directors, three people by
the Council of Presidents, and a team leader appointed by the Synod
President to manage the implementation of this proposal.

* Have all Districts move towards full funding of their fair share, and
that those Districts contributing already above their fair-share assess-
ment be encouraged to designate some of these extra funds as they
deem appropriate to assist other Districts who cannot meet their fair-
share as quickly.

* Have the Districts and the LCMS Foundation together develop a com-
prehensive development plan to increase unrestricted and restricted
income from both congregations and individuals for key and/or strate-
gic ministry areas.

* Begin assessing Recognized Service Organizations/Social Ministry
Organizations for their annual fair-share fees.

BY 2007 CONVENTION

* The Common Ministry Funding team reports to the Synod with sug-
gestions for improvement or adjustment.

¢ The Board of Directors and Council of Presidents report to the con-
vention on the expected Common Ministry Fund needs of the Synod
for the next triennium;

and be it finally

Resolved, That this resolution be sent as a memorial to the 2004
LCMS convention.

Mid-South District

4-04

To Increase Percentage of Mission Funding

WHEREAS, The LCMS in its Confessions has been blessed with
purity and clarity regarding the Gospel of justification by grace
through faith in Christ Jesus and has sought to share this message
with the world, especially through North American and world mis-
sions; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS has historically been a leader in mission
work; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS has cut its support of world and North
American missions by millions of dollars in recent years with the
result that whole departments have been cut, missionaries recalled,
and significant staff reductions have been made; and

WHEREAS, There are increasing opportunities for mission work
in North America and the world; therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS, in convention, increase for the next
triennium, on a yearly basis, the percentage of its unrestricted
monies and gifts (given through Districts and by individuals) de-
voted to the planting of new missions and the revitalizing and rein-
stating of missions in North America and the world.

Board of Directors
English District

4-05

To Increase Percentage of District Receipts
Sent to Synod

Wuereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has experi-
enced large budget shortfalls in recent years, as evidenced by the
elimination of all subsidy for synodical colleges in 2002 and the
recalling of 28 missionaries from mission fields in 2003; and

Wuereas, The Synod has divided itself into Districts in order to
carry out its objectives more effectively; and

WHEREAS, The percentage of District receipts from congrega-
tions for missions which the Districts send on to the Synod has
been declining for decades; and

WHEREAS, The need to educate church workers and to send
them into mission fields is as great as ever, even as the synodical
funding for these ministries has been declining; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod request
all its Districts to increase the percentage of their unrestricted gifts
which they send to the Synod; and be it further