LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 45

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SYNOD REPORTS
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Through our international ministry centers, provide improved and contextualized Bible information courses to those who wish to learn more
about the Christian faith.
Integrate Gospel outreach resources developed in foreign ministry
centers for use in North American congregations to reach out to ethnically diverse groups, immigrants, and refugee communities.

In Conclusion
God has blessed His Church at large through the use of various
media and technology tools for outreach as employed by Lutheran
Hour Ministries. The ministry has also provided valuable resources
and services to the congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod and Lutheran Church—Canada. Those services may be as simple as providing The Lutheran Hour sermons and daily devotions
for shut-ins and the homebound. They may include training for outreach and evangelism, topical booklets for addressing daily problems
or witnessing, Christian outreach tools and resources on the Internet,
Bible study information and devotions, or opportunities for hands-on
service projects in a foreign country. They may include solid doctrinal media programming and the truth of the unchanging message of
the Gospel that help associate listeners in your area with your own
local Lutheran churches.
But Lutheran Hour Ministries is much more. Not only do these
media tools help grow and nurture faithful Christians by the power of
the Holy Spirit, but they also allow the Gospel message to penetrate
the expanse of distance, the barriers of prison walls, and the lines of
civil unrest or hostile political regimes. They bring a message of forgiveness, love, and hope found only in Jesus Christ to a world that is
hurting and hungry for the one thing that is sorely needed.
Lutheran Hour Ministries pledges to continue as a leader in
sharing the Gospel through whatever communications, media, and
technology means are most effective to touch lives for Christ. We will
continue to support congregations by offering training and outreach
tools for local volunteer evangelism efforts. And we will strive to be
a leading resource for sound Lutheran programming to support our
churches and pastors in their outreach efforts, not only in the United
States but throughout the world.
Kurt Buchholz, Chairman
Bruce Wurdeman, Executive Director
R2-01

Board of Trustees—Concordia Plans
Board of Directors—Concordia Plan Services
Description and Background of Concordia Plan Services
For nearly fifty years Concordia Plan Services (CPS)—formerly
Worker Benefit Plans—has been entrusted with the responsibility
of administering the Concordia Plans for the workers of the LCMS
and their families. Today, CPS is the benefits provider of choice for
approximately 6,000 LCMS congregations, schools, universities,
seminaries, and other organizations in the United States and in mission fields worldwide. Through these participating organizations,
more than 31,300 active workers along with approximately 57,800
dependents are covered by the various benefits of the Concordia Plans.
In addition to serving active workers, CPS is providing pension
benefits to 18,417 retirees, health benefits to 342 seminary students
and their 332 dependents, as well as offering continued health coverage for qualifying retirees. As of December 31, 2012, the value
of the assets of Plans within CPS was in excess of $3,300,000,000.

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Founding Principle

Established by the LCMS in Convention, CPS was created to support the LCMS in fulfilling the directive found in Article III, Objective
10 of its constitution: “Aid in providing for the welfare of pastors,
teachers, and other church workers and their families in the event of
illness, disability, retirement, or death.” CPS exists solely for the purpose of providing comprehensive benefits for workers of the LCMS.
Serving the Workers and the Work of the Church
The Church’s Plan: Our Most Comprehensive Benefits Package

Introduced in 2006, The Church’s Plan (TCP) provides a comprehensive package of benefits designed specifically to meet the needs
of full-time workers of the LCMS during all stages of life.
The Church’s Plan bundles all of the Plans—Concordia Retirement
Plan (CRP), Concordia Retirement Savings Plan (CRSP), Concordia
Disability and Survivor Plan (CDSP), and Concordia Health Plan
(CHP)—in one package. In addition, TCP includes an additional benefit within the CRP, the Retiree Medical Supplement.
Participation levels among employers (3,932) and workers
(23,717) attest to the popularity of this comprehensive plan.
The Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP)

The Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP) provides workers with
retirement income benefits, proudly offering a comprehensive
retirement package to assist workers with their retirement planning. Workers who are employed by an eligible LCMS employer
that has adopted the CRP, and who are hired to work more than 20
hours a week and more than five consecutive months, are eligible
for membership.
The CRP was amended in 2012 to consist of two options:
1. The Traditional Option (comprised of the following benefits):
• The Primary Retirement Benefit,
• The Supplemental Retirement Account, and
• The Retiree Medical Supplement (for workers of employers participating in The Church’s Plan benefit package).
2. The Account Option* (comprised of the following benefits):
The Retirement Cash Account, and
The Retiree Medical Supplement (for workers of employers participating in The Church’s Plan benefit package).

*The new Account Option with the Retirement Cash Account—only
available for non-rostered church workers—was introduced in 2012
to meet the needs expressed by LCMS employers who experience a
high turnover rate of lay workers. Ministries were seeking a solution that would allow them to con­tinue to provide retirement benefits but could also offer some budget relief for a growing population
of workers who do not spend their careers serving the church.
Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP) Participation

Active Members

Traditional

Account Option

29,852

252

18,417

0

10,936

0

Retirees and Survivors of Retirees
Terminated Vested Workers and
Survivors of Terminated Vested
Workers

The large and growing number of retirees, plus the increase in life
expectancy, is reflected in the retirement benefits provided to these
servants over the past three years.

2013 Convention Workbook