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LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 185

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

RESOLUTIONS
9

Finance
To Give Thanks to God for Increase
in Sunday Offerings and Encourage
Walking Together as Synod

To Assure Uniformity of Relationship and Asset
Disposition Language in Governing Documents
of Corporate Agencies of the Synod

RESOLUTION 9-01A

RESOLUTION 9-02A

Overture 9-05 (CW, p. 380)

Overture 9-07 (CW, p. 381)

Whereas, God has blessed The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod (LCMS) congregations with total Sunday offerings which
have increased more than 250 percent since 1981; and

Rationale

Whereas, One of the objectives of the Synod is to accomplish
on behalf of its member congregations those ministries that can be
accomplished more effectively in association with other member
congregations through the Synod (Bylaw 1.1.1 [b]); and
Whereas, We have a long-standing practice of congregations joining together as a Synod by combining a portion of their
offerings with other congregations to advance God’s mission and
ministry through their districts with the expectation that their districts will join together by combining a portion of those offerings
to advance God’s mission and ministry through the Synod; and
Whereas, Our combined offerings for the advancement of
God’s work through districts and the Synod have been essentially
flat since 1981; and
Whereas, The 2013 LCMS convention approved over 60 new
resolutions requiring spending of resources without identifying
the source of those resources; therefore be it

As the various corporations of the Synod were established,
different reversionary language was used to make clear that all
property of its agencies is the “Property of the Synod” (with the
exception of assets held by the Lutheran Church Extension Fund—
Missouri Synod and by any agency in a fiduciary capacity such as
administered by Concordia Plan Services or certain funds held by
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Foundation; see Bylaw
1.2.1 [q]). Such variety led the 1981 LCMS convention to adopt Res.
5-07 to provide “definite procedures and policies for the establishment of additional corporations within the Synod.”
More recently, legal counsel advised that it would be helpful for
the unity and interests of the Synod if clear and consistent relationship and property reversionary language be included in the Articles
of Incorporation of all corporate agencies, new and old. This interest resulted in the adoption by the 2004 LCMS convention of Res.
4-11, requiring the inclusion of “clear relational and property reversionary provisions in the Articles of Incorporation of all corporate

Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention thank God for this
bountiful increase in Sunday offerings; and be it further
Resolved, That congregations and districts be encouraged to
walk together as members of the Synod by increasing their unrestricted offerings to advance God’s mission and ministry through
the Synod.
Action: Adopted (7)
(Without discussion and with no objection from the assembly,
the convention voted immediately and Res. 9‑01A was adopted as
presented [Yes: 908; No: 39].)

Committee 9 Chairman Daniel May
“9. Finance”

U P O N T H I S R O C K • Resolutions

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