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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 101

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

101

By managing assets collectively for the church, the Foundation
offers access to Synod congregations and ministry organizations to
a sophisticated, diversified investment model at a low cost. A variety of investment options are available to help meet ministry needs
relating to investment timeline and risk tolerance, and to best help
those ministries accomplish their long-term goals.

R19

Leadership and Organization

Concordia Plan Services (CPS) manages benefits that improve
and support the health and financial wellness of workers at ministries of the Synod so that they can focus on spreading the Word of
God. Approximately 6,000 ministries, 29,000 workers, 45,000 retirees and beneficiaries, and 49,000 covered family members count
on CPS to help them be well.

Mr. David Fiedler has served as president of the LCMS Foundation since 2013. Currently, 68 full-time employees serve the Foundation in various capacities.

Governance
Direct oversight of the Foundation is provided by its board of
trustees, which meets quarterly to review and monitor the performance and activity of the organization and to provide strategic
direction. The Foundation board is made up of 13 trustees, 8 of
whom are elected by the Synod member organizations described
below. Two other trustees are elected by the Synod in convention.
The remaining two trustees are the Synod President or his representative, and the chairman of the Board for National Mission or
his representative. The Chief Financial Officer of the Synod is an
exofficio nonvoting member of the board.
The LCMS Foundation is also responsible to 55 member organizations, which represent, directly or indirectly, all the ministries
of the church served by the Foundation. These member organizations include the 35 LCMS districts, the member institutions of the
Concordia University System, our two seminaries, and auxiliaries
such as the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. Once a year
delegates from this group meet to elect trustees and vote on other
official actions at the Foundation’s annual meeting.

Strategic Plan
As the Foundation looks to the future, we seek to grow our impact on the Lutheran Church and its ability to share the Gospel. We
continually review the needs of the Church and our Lutheran donors to determine how we can better serve the people and organizations of the Synod. We gather input from our board, our leadership
team, our staff, and outside experts to identify areas where we can
improve our work in this support of ministry. Thus, we have identified six key areas of focus over the next three years:
•

Improve message clarity and understanding.

•

Increase awareness of, and preference for, the Foundation’s
abilities to support ministries.

•

Increase retention and realization of revocable gifts.

•

Expand the ability of organizations and individuals to use
our products and services.

•

Lead collaboration across Synod entities.

•

Maintain infrastructure vigilance to ensure a balance of purposeful growth and high standards of service.

As we enter the next triennium, the servants at the LCMS Foundation rejoice with the Church in the enormous blessings the Lord
has bestowed upon the Synod and its ministries through these efforts. We look forward confidently by God’s grace to carrying on
our service to the individuals and organizations of the Synod in the
future as well.
David Fiedler, President

Board of Trustees—Concordia Plans;
Board of Directors—Concordia Plan
Services

A. Responding to Church Worker Needs
A.1. Strengthening Retirement
The Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP) provides eligible workers with a monthly pension income benefit in retirement. On Jan.
1, 2027, the last of three annual CRP contribution increases will
become effective. The prior two years of higher contributions have
produced the desired impact of improving the CRP’s funding,
which is on track to reach 100 percent funded status.
In addition, for the year ending Dec. 31, 2025, CRP investments
returned 14.6 percent, more than double the CRP’s long-term expected rate of return of 7.25 percent. Over the trailing 10-year period, the CRP has returned 9.6 percent, outperforming its investment
benchmarks. This outperformance has resulted in more than $180
million in additional gains above benchmark returns.

A.2. Focus on Worker Wellness
At CPS our mission is “Serve ministries … care for workers …
so that the Word of God spreads,” and we’re pleased to collaborate
with others in the Synod with those same priorities. At the 2023
Synod convention, Resolution 1-06A was adopted, directing districts and the Council of Presidents to establish strategic plans to
care for workers and their families. This resolution directed districts
to utilize CPS resources, so we have partnered with 12 districts to
do an in-depth analysis of their worker wellness metrics and learn
about their district culture and available resources. Through this
collaborative effort we’ve created a customized wellness plan for
each partner district.

A.3. Expanded Mental Health Resources
The mental health of our church workers is a significant concern
that has only been amplified in recent years. At the 2023 Synod
convention, Res. 1-07 was adopted, which encourages rostered
church workers to utilize the resources available through CPS.
Those resources include an enhanced Employee Assistance
Program (EAP). Through the EAP, Concordia Health Plan (CHP)
members have access to expanded mental health care solutions, in
person or digitally, to address challenges. In 2025 more than 6,100
EAP sessions helped CHP members as they addressed their mental
health challenges.

B. Serving the Synod and Synod Ministries
Our staff continually looks for new and better ways to serve and
support ministries and workers. Examples include the following:
•

LCMS churches and schools are facing challenges with
property and casualty insurance coverage renewals. To help
meet these challenges, in 2024 CPS began exploring the cre2026 Convention Workbook