LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 191

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

PROGRAM AND FINANCE 191

fit payments, and a $12.5 million administrative budget), increas-
ingly complex decisions are required that affect investments, em-
ployee benefit design, and financial oversight. In addition, general
corporate governance has changed in recent years as a result of fi-
nancial problems in the corporate world, requiring greater finan-
cial oversight by audit committees of boards, resulting in the es-
tablishment of specific requirements for financial literacy for
membership on audit committees; and

WHEREAS, The current structure with seven laypersons with spe-
cialized capabilities no longer provides adequate resources for the
input and review needed from the board members, especially in
committee sessions where much board work is accomplished and
where the specialized capabilities are split between committees that
meet concurrently. When board members’ schedules force them to
miss a meeting, multi-million dotlar benefit or investment decisions
end up being made in committee sessions by possibly only two
members of the board; and

WuereEAas, Concordia Plan Services and Worker Benefit Plans
believe that adding more laypersons with specialized benefit, in-
vestment, and finance/audit experience would greatly enhance its
board’s ability to function more effectively; and

WHEREAS, At its September 2006 meeting, a resolution was
adopted to request the 2007 LCMS convention to amend paragraph
3.7.1.2 of the Bylaws to add three additional laypersons to the mem-
bership of the board, such laypersons to be appointed by the Board of
Directors of the Synod (as are all other board members); and

WHEREAS, This change would necessitate amendments to the
LCMS Bylaws and various Concordia Plans and Pension Plan for
Pastors and Teachers documents, a resolution was proposed by the
Board of Directors—Concordia Plan Services and Board of Man-
agers—Worker Benefit Plans to obtain the support of the Board of
Directors of the Synod for the change; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS Board of Directors at its November 2006
meeting adopted a resolution supporting the Board of Directors of
Concordia Plan Services’ and the Board of Managers of Worker
Benefit Plans’ request to have the 2007 LCMS convention to
amend paragraph 3.7.1.2 of the Bylaws to add three additional
laypersons to the membership of the board, such laypersons to be
appointed by the Board of Directors of the Synod (as are all other
board members); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention amend Bylaw 3.7.1.2
of the Handbook as follows

3.7.1.2 The Board of Menegere Directors of Werker-Beneht
PlansConcordia Plan Services shall consist of 40-13 voting members
appointed by the Board of Directors of the Synod and the Vice-Presi-
dent-Finance—Treasurer of the Synod as a nonvoting member. The +0
13 voting members shall include:
1. Two parish pastors
2. One teacher
3. Seven Ten laypersons, at least areefour of whom shall be expe-
rienced in the design of employee benefit plans, at least four of
whom shall be and-the-ethersinexperienced in the management
of benefit plan investments, and at least one of whom shall have
ignifi fi iaV/aud

it experience.
Commission on Structure

4-03

To Refine Funding the Mission Report
re Church Growth and Stewardship

Whereas, The Blue Ribbon Task Force for Funding the Mis-
sion has submitted its report as called for by Res. 4-07 of the 2004
convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, It is obvious that the task force has spent much time
on formulating this document, and

WHEREAS, The document “Report of the Blue Ribbon Task
Force for Funding the Mission” has certain theological reflections
on stewardship that are seemingly contradictory, such as Part C,
Item 5, which indicates that giving is a discipline, while Part C,
Item 9, indicates that giving is based on emotions; and

WHEREAS, There is some confusion as to what our task is,
namely in Part C, task force Recommendation 2 regarding evange-
lism states, “It is time to grow this Church.” Yet we also maintain
that the conversion of sinners into saints is the work of the Holy
Spirit as He pleases (cf. AC V, XIII; 1 Cor. 12:3b) through the
preaching of the Word and the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, so that
the growth of the Church is in the hands of the Holy Spirit; and

WHEREAS, In spite of the command of Jesus to “love one an-
other as I have loved you” (John 13:34), and our Synod’s mission
statement that states, “...the mission of the LCMS is vigorously to
make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our
churches...,” individuals and congregations within our Synod have
been battling internally, wasting resources that could have been
better used to spread the Good News, thereby giving poor witness
in deed to what we have been saying; and

WHEREAS, The report recommends in Part E, Recommendations
8-11, implementing even more fund-raising strategies when what
is really needed is a return to solid biblical stewardship of life prin-
ciples; and :

WHEREAS, The recommendation to assess fees to RSO organi-
zations and congregations is a turn toward legalistic assessment
principles, and would result in increased fund-raising efforts by
RSOs and higher costs for operating schools and districts, which
will be by necessity passed on to the parishioners-in-the-pew, who
are struggling with generally rising costs, including energy costs,
Concordia Plans, and salaries, or which may result in further re-
ductions of unrestricted support of the Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the South Dakota Dis-
trict of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod thank the Task
Force on Funding the Mission for its work; and be it further

Resolved, That the document “Funding the Mission” be sent
back to the task force for further work refining the language re-
garding the work of the Holy Spirit in the efforts to “grow the
Church”; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force be advised to focus its energies on
the development of a plan for the education of every member in
sound biblical, whole-life stewardship; and be it finally

Resolved, That the recommendations for fees for RSO organi-
zations and congregations be entirely rejected as an incursion into
business methods, entirely out of place in a church body that is
focused on spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Board of Directors
South Dakota District

4-04

To Clarify Status of Seminaries in “Funding
the Mission” Proposal

WHEREAS, The report of the Blue Ribbon Task Force for “Funding
the Mission” has called for each Synod corporate entity to contribute
an unspecified portion of its annual budget to the unrestricted fund
budget of the Synod (pp. 18-19), and for each Recognized Service
Organization to be assessed a “partnership fee” based on its annual
budget to support the unrestricted budget of the Synod (pp. 19-20),
and for each congregation that does not meet unspecified financial
expectations through its voluntary offerings to eventually be assessed
an unspecified “fee for services” (p. 21); and

WHEREAS, The report clearly indicates that the colleges and uni-
versities of the Concordia University System shall be expected to
remit an unspecified*Portion of their budget to the unrestricted fund
budget of the Synod (pp. 18-19), but does not specifically indicate
how the seminaries of the Synod fit into this scheme since they are
not members of the CUS, nor are they the Synod’s corporate enti-
ties, RSOs, or congregations; and

WuerEas, In recent years, the Synod’s unrestricted budget has
provided 1 to 2 percent of the budget of the seminaries; and

WHEREAS, At previous Synod conventions, overtures have been
offered to encourage the Synod to restore a substantial subsidiza-
tion of the seminaries’ budgets; and