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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 233

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

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the Office of
International Mission to reconsider the current plan of missionary
self-funding; and be it further
Resolved, That the Office of International Mission develop a funding model that equitably balances self-funding with more traditional
models of funding through district and Synod offerings; and be it
finally
Resolved, That congregations of the Synod be encouraged to
exercise due diligence in determining how and where they can financially support individual career, short-term, and GEO missionaries
creatively.
Pacific Circuit 9, Northwest District; St. Peters, Cornelius, OR
6-10

To Pay Foreign and Domestic Missionary Salaries
Whereas, One of the objectives of the LCMS is to “Strengthen
congregations and their members in giving bold witness by word and
deed to the love and work of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and extend that Gospel witness into all the world” (Art. III 2); and
Whereas, Another of the objectives of the LCMS is to “Provide
evangelical supervision, counsel, and care for pastors, teachers, and
other professional church workers of the Synod in the performance
of their official duties” (Art. III 8); and
Whereas, When full-time LCMS domestic and international missionaries have to raise their own funds to support themselves during
their assignments, it takes away time these missionaries could spend
on the mission field; and
Whereas, The LCMS is now paying the salaries and benefits of
three full-time mission executives (Chief Mission Officer, Executive
Director of International Missions, Executive Director of National
Missions); and
Whereas, Most LCMS districts are now paying the salaries and
benefits of one or more mission executives; and
Whereas, “The time has come for the gifts of God’s people
to support the core purposes of Synod—seminaries, church-work
programs at our colleges, and missions … mission offerings must
directly support ordained Word and Sacrament missionaries at home
and abroad” (Daniel L. Gard, The Lutheran Witness, June 2010, p.
20); and
Whereas, “When seminaries and missions are financial priorities, proper stewardship is exercised and giving will increase” (Gard,
p. 20); therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2013 LCMS convention direct the national
Board of Directors to develop a plan that will make fully funding
national and international missionary salaries a priority, perhaps with
a combination of unrestricted and restricted funds raised for this purpose; and be it further
Resolved, That the aforementioned plan include recommendations
for districts to make funding national and international missionary
salaries a priority; and be it finally
Resolved, That the aforementioned plan be presented to the 2016
national convention for scrutiny and possible approval.
Holy Cross
Kansas City, MO

233

6-11

To Make Available International Center Salaries
and Benefits
Whereas, The preponderance of the monies made available to the
Synod are provided by the stewardship of its members; and
Whereas, The membership of the Synod has a right and stewardship obligation to have a voice in the administration of such funds; and
Whereas, The representative of the Synod to the Iowa District
East convention has stated that salary and benefits information, except
for a few of the top officers of the Synod, will not be disclosed to the
membership; and
Whereas, The Synod has experienced severe budgetary shortfalls necessitating stringent budget cuts that affect the mission and
ministry of the Synod; and
Whereas, We understand that overtures to the 2013 LCMS convention may come from district conventions; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Iowa District East in convention petition the
2013 LCMS convention to direct that the salaries and benefits of the
elected, appointed, contracted, and hired employees at the Synod’s
International Center be made available to the general membership
of the Synod.
Iowa District East
6-12

To Address Board of Directors Budget
and Management Responsibilities
(Bylaw 3.3.4.5.)
Rationale
Following the 2010 LCMS convention, it was recognized that
restructuring decisions had resulted in lack of clarity and even contradictions in the Handbook of the Synod that would require additional
attention by the 2013 convention. These concerns were discussed during a daylong November 2, 2012, joint meeting of the Commission
on Constitutional Matters, the Commission on Handbook, the Chief
Administrative Officer, the Chief Mission Officer, and a member
of the President’s Office staff. The commission offers the following
proposed amendments to the 2013 convention of the Synod to satisfy a number of these concerns in the 2010 Handbook of the Synod.
Questions have been raised during the triennium related to distribution of budget dollars from the corporate Synod budget. The
questions arise due to the wording change from “program board” to
“mission board” in Bylaw 3.3.4.5 as a result of the structure changes
made at the 2010 convention. The additional changes to Bylaw 3.3.4
recommended below are intended to reorganize the content of this
section and provide clarity.
Resolved, That in order to clarify the role of the Board of Directors
regarding the corporate Synod budget and Board of Directors management, the 2013 LCMS convention adopt the following bylaw changes:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.3.4.5 (c) The Board of Directors shall be responsible for
providing operating and capital funds to carry out the work
of the Synod.
(a) The Board of Directors shall allocate available funds to the mission
boards, commissions, councils, offices, and departments of corporate Synod and hold them responsible therefor. (a) To the extent of
its responsibilities relative to the general management and supervision of the business and legal affairs of the Synod:

2013 Convention Workbook