LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 378

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378 STEWARDSHIP AND FINANCE

ing more sophisticated, it is becoming increasingly difficult
to carry out this task effectively in the face of budget re-
strictions.

5. Fall Congregational Stewardship Emphasis

One of the traditional programs of the department is that
of helping congregations annually confront their member-
ship in a meaningful way with the challenges of the steward-
ship life and the privilege of generous support of the church’s
mission. The Every-Member Stewardship Visits program
with its variations is the backbone of this program. With
data derived from the NAIS indicating that this approach
is highly effective, intensified efforts need to be made in
helping congregations carry out better EMSV programs.

6. Synod-District Work Program Promotion

In order to provide the necessary information to congre-
gations so that they can make God-pleasing decisions in the
corporate allocation of budget funds for their work through
District-Synod, Synod’s Stewardship Department provides
both a strategy and materials. The strategy is an annual
visit by District leaders to every congregation in which the
“decision makers” are confronted at budget time with the
challenging story of their work through District-Synod.
Where Districts have taken the time and made the effort to
conduct such an every-congregation visit with regularity,
congregations have responded in a positive way. District
leaders are also confronted annually during budget time with
Synod work program information. This information pro-
vided by stewardship staff personnel makes possible a fuller
understanding of the total work, the critical challenge of
the work at that level also, and thus a more appropriate al-
location of District funds.

7. Special Projects

a. Project People Catalog

The Project People Catalog program initiated 3 years ago
provides opportunity for individuals and small groups (Bi-
ble classes, circles, etc.) to support specific synodical projects
of mission and ministry already included in the annual
budget. The program has only generated a modest $200,000.
Many donors and donor groups have apparently found little
appeal in contributing to projects already funded through
the regular budgets. Rather they have indicated a desire to
participate in a program where they can earmark their
gifts for specific projects which are not included in the
annual budget but are still necessary to the church's mission.

b. Children’s Mission Project

Mission projects are offered periodically to congregations
in order to involve the children of the day school and Sun-
day school in mission through their Synod. During the past
biennium the children of the church have made possible
mission cars and classrooms for the Argentina District to-
gether with scholarships, literature, and other necessary
supplies for Central America. They not only have provided
extra budget funds for these needs, but they have learned
to become a real part of Christ’s mission through their Synod
in far away places.

c. Armed Forces Offering

For more than 15 years the Armed Forces Commission
has been dependent upon a special Synodwide offering on
Mother’s Day to meet the annual cost of carrying out a
ministry away from home to our men and women in the
military. It has been the privilege of the Stewardship De-
partment to promote this offering for the past 8 years. Be-
cause the annual proceeds have not been sufficient to meet
the needs of the commission’s program, it has been neces-
sary to dip into reserve funds. With these reserve funds de-
pleted, other arrangements will have to be made if the pro-
gram is to continue at the same level of operation.

IV. Summary Conclusion

The activities and programs listed above are a record of
the efforts expended by the Stewardship Board and its staff
as it has been attempting to meet the specific needs of the
Synod as outlined in the first section of this report. The fact
still stands, however, that the primary problem still exists
and appears to be getting worse, namely: The mission of the
church is suffering because there is a continued erosion in

personal giving at a time when God is providing increased
prosperity! The facts are clear! If the members of the
LCMS had given the same proportion to the church in 1972
which they gave in 1961 the per-communicant all-purpose
giving average would have been $195 per communicant in-
stead of the actual figure of $138. This would have per-
mitted a $50 million budget instead of the actual $27 mil-
lion and still allowed a 37 percent increase to be shared be-
tween congregations and the Districts. The Synod’s in-
ability to move in on the mission challenges of the 70s as
fully as it might has not been due to a lack of monetary re-
sources which God has placed into the hands of His people.
The church's mission has been hindered by the failure of His
people to release these resources in adequate and sufficient
amounts to carry out the work.

What it will take to motivate the Synod’s constituency in
exercising a more joyous and liberal sharing of their wealth
in carrying out Christ’s mission through their congregations
and the Synod is a question which has weighed heavily
on the Stewardship Board. And certainly the current strate-
gies and programs offered by the department as well as
others still on the drawing board will help and ought to be
energetically pursued by every congregation. However, if
the Synod really believes that effective mission is possible
only where there is dynamic stewardship, then the need for
a “stewardship revival” is a concern which must be given
top priority by the entire church.

Board or STEWARDSHIP
Charles Bosma, Chairman
A. Lorenz Grumm, Stewardship Counselor

12-03

Report of Board of Managers
for Concordia Retirement Plan,
Concordia Survivor Plan,
Concordia Welfare Plan

“Thank God for the Concordia Plans!” Over and over
again this exclamation of gratitude to the Synod reaches
us through correspondence, over the telephone, and by word
of mouth.

The Board of Managers continues to be keenly aware
of its responsibility to administer the Concordia Plans in
a fashion which best meets the Plans’ objective of “the main-
taining of a reasonable degree of economic stability for
full-time workers in the Synod and their families through
financial assistance in the event of interruption or discon-
tinuance of income due to illness, disability, retirement, or
death.” A program of constant evaluation is maintained to
keep these Plans among the best available for church
workers.

An annual report of the Plans’ operations is mailed to
every member. In the following paragraphs we share with
you the activities of the Board of Managers during the
1971—72 biennium.

Administration

Since the last synodical convention the terms of four
members of the original Board of Managers expired — Rev.
E. H. Fastenau, Rev. Henry E. Gaertner, Mr. Herman F.
Feucht, and Mr. Herbert P. Haschke. To these men we ex-
press deep appreciation for their long and dedicated service.
We welcome to the board the new appointees of the Board
of Directors, Rev. Carl H. Bensene, em., former president
of the Northwest District; Mr. Richard A. Meyer, president,
Anheuser Busch, Inc., St.Louis; Rev. Walter E. Lichtsinn,
pastor of Trinity, Menasha, Wis., and past chairman of the
Board of Pensions and Support; and Mr. Fred A. Heisler,
Manager of Internal Operations (retired), Parke-Davis Co.,
Chicago, and past member of the Board of Pensions and
Support.

Mr. Wesley E. Jones, formerly of the insurance depart-
ment of the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation, St. Louis, has
been engaged as assistant benefit manager. We welcome
him to the administrative staff.

Quarterly meetings were held during both years. During
1972 these were joint meetings with the Board of Pensions
and Support as a transition period for the complete phasing