LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 192

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To Commend Start-up of the Lutheran Federal
Credit Union and Promote Its Ongoing Work

To Encourage Individuals, Congregations, and
Districts in Cheerful and Voluntary Giving

RESOLUTION 10-02

RESOLUTION 10-03

Report R16 (CW, pp. 88–90); President’s Report, Part 2 (TB,
pp. 21–31)

Report R6 (CW, pp. 32, 62–63); President’s Report, Part 2 (TB,
pp. 21–31)

Whereas, One of the objectives of the Synod is to promote biblical stewardship and fiscal responsibility; and

Whereas, Our triune God is the creator and owner of all His
creation (Gen. 1; Ps. 26:1; Job 41:11b) who provides us with the
resources He knows we will need to accomplish His purpose here
on earth; and

Whereas, Lutheran Federal Credit Union (LFCU) was granted
a nationwide charter by regulators at the National Credit Union
Administration to serve exclusively The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) community in all 50 states; and
Whereas, This charter was the first faith-based nationwide
charter granted in the past 15 years; and
Whereas, LFCU was an initiative started and supported by
the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) after many years of
consideration and execution through the process steps of charter
approval by federal regulatory agencies; and
Whereas, On May 1, 2015, LFCU began initial operations in
a silent phase; and
Whereas, At the LCEF Fall Conference on November 22, 2015,
LFCU announced that it was opening its operations to the entire
LCMS community nationwide; and
Whereas, LFCU utilizes the newest technology to deliver an
exceptional transactional banking experience for its members; and
Whereas, LFCU is a ministry-based replacement for secular
providers of daily household financial products and congregation
business accounts; and
Whereas, LFCU is a way to connect our LCMS together in a
common bond of biblical stewardship and daily household financial management, with a special appeal to younger members who
enjoy the convenience of our products and the intent of our mission; and
Whereas, LFCU is in ministry partnership with the LCEF to
provide advantageous home loans to support rostered church workers in all 50 states; and
Whereas, LFCU will be a source of sponsorship and grants
exclusively for LCMS ministries; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage individual
members of LCMS communities, rostered church workers, congregations, agencies, and auxiliaries of the LCMS to use the products
and services offered by LFCU; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention give thanks to God for
the successful start-up of the LFCU and encourage wide support of
this new ministry tool, with encouragement and prayers that God
would bless the LFCU and those it serves.
Action: Adopted (7)
(The assembly, agreeing to proceed to vote without discussion,
by voice vote adopted Res. 10-02 as presented.)
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U P O N T H I S R O C K • Resolutions

Whereas, Our triune God loves a cheerful giver, firstfruits giving, and even arguably unrestricted sacrificial giving (1 Cor. 16:2;
2 Cor. 9:6–8; Matt. 5:45); and
Whereas, The share of the Sunday morning offering that supports the Synod’s budget has decreased from 4.34 percent in 1984
to 1.12 percent in 2014; and
Whereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS)
has faced difficult financial times in the past decade, the details of
which were publicly disclosed as early as the 2007 convention in
the State of the Synod report presented by the Chief Financial Officer of the LCMS; and
Whereas, In light of the Synod’s continually declining share
of the Sunday morning offering, the LCMS Board of Directors has
been required to make difficult decisions regarding allocating limited funds for unlimited potential ministries of the Synod; and
Whereas, The New Testament encourages Christians to provide financial support for the ministry voluntarily and cheerfully,
from our firstfruits, and in proportion to our income (that is, a percentage) (1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6–8); and
Whereas, A congregation is an assembly of individual Christians; and
Whereas, The Synod is the assembly of individual congregations which has subdivided itself into districts; therefore be it
Resolved, That each individual of our congregations is hereby
encouraged to set aside a generous firstfruits proportion (percentage) of his/her income and cheerfully and voluntarily (1 Cor. 16:2;
2 Cor. 9:6–8) remit it to his local congregation’s general ministry
fund; and be it further
Resolved, That each congregation is hereby encouraged to set
aside a generous firstfruits proportion (percentage) of its income,
and cheerfully and voluntarily remit it to its district’s general fund;
and be it finally
Resolved, That each district is hereby encouraged to set aside
a generous firstfruits proportion (percentage) of its income, and
cheerfully and voluntarily remit it to the Synod’s general ministry fund.
Action: Adopted (7)
(The assembly agreed by voice vote to proceed to a vote on the
resolution without discussion, and by voice vote Res. 10-03 was
adopted as presented.)
“10. Stewardship: Funding the Mission”