LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 210

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210 PROGRAM AND FINANCE

WHEREAS, Res. 1-02 required as a reminder of the primacy the
Great Commission that all resolutions passed by the Synod in con-
vention contain the following statement: “Resolved, That all action
taken in this resolution shall be used to help carry out ‘The Great
Commission’ and shall not in any way detract or distract from the
primary mission of God’s kingdom here on earth. We will remem-
ber 1-02!”; and

Wuereas, LCMS World Mission in December 2002 announced
the elimination of 28 overseas missionary positions (one-fourth of
its career-missionary force) and the elimination of 17 positions
from the LCMS World Mission staff (a reduction of one-third)
(“LCMS mission board cuts staff, plans to lay off missionaries,”
LCMS News, no. 73, Dec. 5, 2002; and “Mission board cuts 28
overseas positions,” LCMS News, no. 80, Dec. 26, 2002); and

WHEREAS, LCMS World Mission in November 2003 eliminated
six full-time and three part-time area directors and three vacant po-
sitions (“Missions cut director posts from 12 to four,” Lutheran
Witness, January 2004, p. 14); and

WHEREAS, The elimination of LCMS World Mission career
missionary and staff positions contradicts the Missouri Synod’s ex-
pressed commitment to the continuation of its outreach emphasis
and its commitment to be “passionate for Great Commission”;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS remember to make mission emphasis
and the Great Commission the Synod’s number one financial pri-
ority, consistent with Res. 1-01 and 1-02.

St. John
Hattiesburg, MS

4-10

To Restructure Support of Missions and Training
of Church Workers

Wuereas, The Synod has now been forced to reduce the num-
ber of missionaries it supports and cut its missions budget; and

WHEREAS, The second and third objectives of the Synod ac-
cording to its Constitution are missions and the recruiting of pas-
tors, teachers, and other church workers (Art. HI 2, 3); and

WHEREAS, Due to budget constraints the Synod no longer pro-
vides any direct subsidy to its colleges, universities, and seminaries
for the training of pastors, teachers, and other church workers; and

Whereas, Our Lord’s mandate to extend the Gospel witness to
all the world (Mark 16:15; Art. HI 2) requires missionaries and the
training of pastors, teachers, and other church workers; and

WHEREAS, Congregations do not join a District of the Synod,
but join the Synod directly, which then is divided by the Synod it-
self into Districts (Art. V, XII); therefore be it

Resolved, That congregations be urged to contribute at least 10
percent of their total budget to the Synod to support the mission
work of the entire Synod and the training of pastors, teachers, and
other church workers; and be it further

Resolved, That the several Districts shall be required to con-
tribute to the Synod a minimum of 20 percent of all funds con-
tributed to them by congregations, and that such funds shall be des-
ignated solely for the support of missions; and be it further

Resolved, That the several Districts shall be required to pass on
to the Synod an additional 20 percent of all funds contributed to
them by congregations, that these funds shall be designated solely
for the support of training pastors, teachers, and other church work-
ers at the colleges, universities, and seminaries of the Synod, and
that these funds be distributed according to a fair and equitable for-
mula developed by the Synod’s Board for Higher Education; and
be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod may expend no more than five per-

cent of the funds it receives for these two purposes on administra-
tive responsibilities related to the dispersal of these funds.

Shepherd by the Lakes, Syracuse, IN; St. John, Columbia
City, IN

4-11

To Financially Support Missions and Training
of Church Workers

WHEREAS, The second and third Objectives of the Synod, ac-
cording to its Constitution, are missions and the recruiting of pas-
tors, teachers, and other church workers (Art. III 2 and 3); and

WHEREAS, Due to budget constraints the Synod has reduced the
number of missionaries it supports and cut its missions budget; and

WHEREAS, Due to budget constraints the Synod no longer pro-
vides any subsidy to its colleges, universities, and seminaries for
the training of pastors, teachers, and other church workers; and

WHEREAS, Our Lord’s mandate to extend the Gospel witness to
all the world (Mark 16:15; Art. III 2) requires missionaries and the
training of pastors, teachers, and other church workers; and

WHEREAS, Congregations do not join a District of the Synod,
but join the Synod directly, which then is divided into Districts
(Art. V and XID; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Districts shall be required to contribute to
the Synod 20 percent of all funds contributed to them by congre-
gations and such funds shall be designated solely for the support
of missions; and be it further

Resolved, That the Districts shall be required to contribute to
the Synod an additional 20 percent of all funds contributed by to
them by congregations and such funds shall be designated solely
for the support of training pastors, teachers, and other church work-
ers at the colleges, universities, and seminaries of the Synod and
that these funds be distributed according to a fair and equitable for-
mula developed by the Synod’s Board for Higher Education; and
be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod may expend no more than 5 percent
of the funds it receives for these two purposes on administrative
responsibilities related to the dispersal of these funds.

St. Peter, Snyder, NE; Immanuel, Dodge, NE

4-12

To Request Financial Support for Seminaries

WHEREAS, The Constitution of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod includes the following objectives in Art. III:

_ “The Synod, under Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions,
shall—

3. Recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other professional
church workers and provide opportunity for their continuing
growth;

5. Aid congregations to develop processes of thorough Christian
education and nurture and to establish agencies of Christian edu-
cation such as elementary and secondary schools and to support
synodical colleges, universities, and seminaries”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Indiana District in convention petition the
LCMS in convention to mandate that a portion of the Synod’s un-
restricted income be designated for 10 percent of the operating
budgets of the Synod’s two seminaries beginning in 2005.

Indiana District

4-13

To Increase Financial Support for Seminaries

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, founded on
the unity of its confession, sought to provide for the training of its
pastors and teachers through the establishment of its own seminar-
ies and colleges (Articles of Incorporation II a, b, d and Art. III 2, 3,
5, 6, 7 of the LCMS Constitution); and

WHEREAS, The LCMS commonly understands a method of sup-
porting the operation of these institutions to be through the dis-
semination of its Sunday offerings; therefore be it