LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 246

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246 HUMAN CARE

6-04

To Encourage Adequate Financial Compensation
and Health Care for Educators

WuerEAS, Educators in Lutheran ministries nurture students of
all ages in congregations and schools affiliated with The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, LCMS congregations expect dedicated and skilled
educators to serve congregations and community through activities
that nurture believers and reach out to the inactive and unsaved;
and

WHEREAS, By the power of the Holy Spirit working through the
Word, educators positively influence the spiritual growth of con-
gregation members and students enrolled in Lutheran schools and
therefore are vital to the mission of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod; and

WHEREAS, More than 17,000 individual educators serve in var-
ious Lutheran ministries and are encouraged by the support of their
schools, congregations, Districts, and Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That congregations and schools affirm and celebrate
the work of educators in Lutheran ministries; and be it further

Resolved, That congregations and schools compensate their ed-
ucators adequately for living in the community served and gener-
ously provide health care, retirement, and potential disability; and
be it finally

Resolved, That governing boards of congregations and schools
adopt and implement personnel policies and board policies that are
consistent with Scriptures and compassionate in their treatment of
beloved servants.

Board of Directors
Texas District

6-05

To Provide for Transfer
of Worker Benefit Plans Benefits

WHEREAS, There are some pastors and professional church
workers who leave the synodical membership, for whatever rea-
son, and would experience financial Joss without their Worker Ben-
efit Plans (i.e., Pension Plan for Pastors and Teachers [PPPT]);
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board of Managers—Worker Benefit Plans,
in conjunction with the LCMS Board of Directors, be instructed to
provide for the transfer of any and all equities, as deposited in their
name, to these individuals.

Grace
Summerville, SC

6-06

To Change Concordia Plans Regulations for Retirees

WHEREAS, The current Concordia Plans regulations require re-
tiring church workers to retire at the level (A, B, C, D) they are at
when they retire; and

WHEREAS, The retiring church worker cannot under the current
regulations move up from the level held at retirement (a Plan D
worker could not move up to Plan A, but would have to remain
until death at Plan D); and

WHEREAS, This places retiring church workers at a distinct eco-
nomic disadvantage at a time when medical care is often much
more important and finances are tighter; and

WHEREAS, This inability to move up in the plans will cause
undue hardship for many of our Synod’s retiring church workers,
requiring tough choices between medical care and food in their
“golden years”; therefore be it ,

Resolved, That the Synod in convention require Concordia
Health Plans to allow retiring church workers to choose their level

of health care benefits (Plan A, B, C, or D), regardless of what level
they were at before they retired.

St. Paul
Waseca, MN

6-07

To, Provide for “Veterans of the Cross”

WHEREAS, Many LCMS workers who retired under the Pension
Plan for Pastors and Teachers are living in appalling poverty be-
cause of the inadequate pension provided for them; and

WHEREAS, Many of these faithful workers also earned a meager
salary during their working years, which did not allow for signifi-
cant retirement savings; and

Wuereas, LCMS Human Care Ministries has identified 45 of
these “veterans of the cross” living on as little as $200 a month,
and in some cases choosing between food and medication or pay-
ing heating bills on credit cards; and

WuereEas, Half of these veterans of the cross in need are age 85
or more, many of whom have outlived their own retirement sav-
ings; and

WuereEAS, Luke 10 teaches that pastors and teachers of the
Word of God should be paid for their service, “for the worker is
worthy of his wages” (v. 7 NKJV); and

WHEREAS, Many of these faithful veterans of the cross, because
of their commitment to the Gospel, will not burden the mission of
the church by asking for additional support that is deservedly theirs;
and

WHEREAS, The Synod bears the ultimate responsibility for the
care of its pastors and teachers, and must provide for their needs;
therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod ac-
knowledge its responsibility to the veterans of the cross by estab-
lishing a priority on providing them support for the basic necessi-
ties of life over all other ministries and programs; and be it further

Resolved, That LCMS Worker Benefit Plans review pension
records and identify those veterans of the cross who are receiving
monthly pensions below poverty level; and be it further

Resolved, That LCMS Human Care Ministries and Worker Ben-
efit Plans work cooperatively to determine if anyone receiving pen-
sions below poverty level have actual unmet needs (i.e., a total in-
come below poverty level or a personal budget deficit); and be it
further

Resolved, That LCMS Human Care Ministries provide imme-
diate additional support to any veterans of the cross who are newly
identified as having unmet needs (as above); and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod provide sustained supplemental pen-
sions to veterans of the cross in need that are sufficient to fill their
needs; and be it further ‘

Resolved, That the Synod budget include annual funding for
these supplemental pensions to guarantee our veterans of the cross
an income sufficient to provide the basic food, clothing, housing,
and health care due them; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod identify this funding need to the Dis-
tricts, Circuits, and individual congregations so that monetary sup-
port may be raised at every level; and be it further

Resolved, That “Veterans of the Cross Sunday” be annually ob-
served by LCMS congregations to increase support for this pro-
gram, and also to recognize those who have sacrificed themselves
for the benefit of the church and give thanks for them; and be it fi-
nally

Resolved, That the veterans of the cross be constantly remem-
bered before our Lord through prayers from our congregations and
from our Synod leaders.

Concordia
Oakwood, OH