LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 143

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ADMINISTRATION 143

FF. New Guinea Land Leases. The board decided to take
the necessary steps to transfer to Wabag Lutheran Church
the majority ownership of the stock in the corporation that
controls the land leases.

GG. Foreign Exchange Loss. Lutheran Brotherhood gra-
ciously offered a gift of $125,000 to cover most of the net loss of
$134,799.06 for 1973 in foreign exchange.

HH. Lake Chabot. The board resolved that the Board for
Higher Education declare the Lake Chabot property in Cali-
fornia surplus, unless that board had other use for it, in order
that negotiations for its sale may be started by the Treasurer.

II. Medical Missions. A committee was called into being to
make a study of the whole matter of medical mission work.

JJ. Deaths. Among the many devoted servants who entered
into.eternal rest during the biennium the board noted especially
the death of Vice-President W. Harry Krieger and Dr. Walter
C. Birkner, former Secretary of the Synod.

KK. Faculty Housing. The board reiterated its policy that
synodically owned housing should be used by faculty members
before boards of control make other housing arrangements for
members of the faculty.

LL. Ownership of Colleges and Seminaries. The board re-
solved that real estate held in the name of the Synod and used
by seminaries and colleges should have agreements setting
forth all pertinent rights and responsibilities concerning the
ownership and use of such real estate. It also adopted certain
requirements for college and seminary foundations.

MM. Meeting of Asian Church Presidents. It was decided to
provide funds for a meeting of the seven presidents of the
churches in Asia to discuss with them ways of making the work
of missions more effective.

NN. Doctrinal Statements. As a result of the meetings with
representatives of ELIM the Board decided to concur in the
recommendations of the Commission on Constitutional Matters
and the Commission on Theology and Church Relations that
a special committee be appointed to study the development
and status of doctrinal statements.

OO. Use of Name. The Board formally requested Seminex
to cease using the name “Concordia Seminary.”

PP. “Freedom Is.’ Permission was granted to initiate this
children’s television project for our national bicentennial.

QQ. Hong Kong. The board offered assistance in coping with
the problems of the Hong Kong mission.

RR. Theological Convocation. It agreed to cosponsor this
additional effort to resolve the Synod’s internal difficulties.

SS. Convention Budget. The board adopted an Anaheim
convention budget of $410,114 and resolved that contributions
by Districts at future conventions be increased and that the
individual delegate registration fee be raised to at least $50.

TT. SELC Merger. The convention of the SELC District
requested, as provided for in the original agreement, that the
final steps toward merger be postponed to 1977 (SELC action)
and 1979 (LCMS action), with effective date of such amalgama-
tion to be Jan. 1, 1980. The board resolved to approve this re-
quest.

UU. Television Ministry. The board appointed a committee
to explore the possible transfer of the television ministry to the
LLL. See attached appendix.

VV. Other Items. The board thanked Ernst & Ernst for
having marked “paid”’ a bill in the amount of $5,381 for services
rendered in connection with the nominating process for Presi-
dent and First Vice-President for the New Orleans convention:
extended a cash gift of $25,000 to Dr. and Mrs. Oliver Harms
in lieu of the privilege of their living in the synodical house in
St. Louis until both have died: selected the Board of Parish
Education and the Board of Youth Ministry as trial depart-
ments for applying PPBS procedures: approved a Church
Extension loan of $12,000 for the construction of four classrooms
in Montevideo, Uruguay, and another loan to permit purchase
of land in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, as well as other loans de-
signed to expand the worldwide mission of the church: granted
the request of the Lutheran Television Board to approach 13
districts of the LWML for financial assistance in providing
Spanish-version episodes of “This Is the Life’: acknowledged
a loss on the second mortgage on the Commerce Building in
excess of $400,000 while at the same time noting that the Synod

had been losing $125,000 per year just in owning the building:
acknowledged the constitutional opinion that the policy of man-
datory modified service at the age of 65 was contrary to present
Handbook regulations.

The board also authorized construction of additional build-
ings on the Selma campus: made arrangements to assist the
Hong Kong International School in its efforts to secure additional
financing: provided financial support for the black caucus up
to $15,000 during 1973: gave further assistance to the Oberursel
seminary in Germany to secure a mortgage for the construction
of a new building: asked the Board of Control of Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis, to determine the involvement of staff
members in the creation of the Fund for Lutheran Theological
Education (F LUTE): requested the Board for Higher Education
to determine the propriety of faculty members organizing a
faculty federation or union: received the report that ‘Stamps
for Missions" had now been transferred to a building owned by
the Lutheran Medical Center in South St. Louis: authorized
St. Paul's, Concordia, Missouri, in line with an earlier commit-
ment, to proceed with the construction of its swimming pool
but also urged the Board of Control to give serious reconsidera-
tion to the matter: resolved to hold in abeyance all further
capital expenditures at our campuses until the survey of the
Task Force on Higher Education is completed and therefore also
declined the Texas District request to solicit funds from neigh-
boring Districts for such a project: sold residences formerly
oecupied by the President, former President, First Vice-Presi-
dent of the Synod, and several faculty members of Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis.

The board resolved to eliminate District subsidies from the
1975 budgets in lieu of incorporating the concept of grants to
Districts where programs can demonstrate need for funds
above normal income: assisted in the development of a church
building fund for New Guinea whereby 25% would be raised in
advance by the mission or congregation, 25% be granted by the
Wabag Lutheran Church, and 50% be in the form of a loan from
the Wabag Lutheran Church Extension Fund: approved a
2-year cooperative project of ministry to Vietnam-era veterans:
suggested that the President refrain from filling the vacancies
on the Commission on Mission and Ministry in the Church, which
he normally would fill, in view of the fact that the commission
itself had suggested that its membership should be reduced in
number: decided to decline synodical participation in Religion
in American Life: again encouraged greater support for the
American Bible Society: granted permission to the Board for
Evangelism to secure from outside sources a grant of $20,000
to assist terminal schools in providing field experience in
evangelism: resolved to transfer titles to real estate of deaf
congregations to the respective Districts of the Synod: ap-
proved the new missionary salary and support structure pro-
posed by the Board for Missions: adopted many additional
policies during the past biennium: approved the continuation
for a 2-year period of the position of project director — volunteer
services of the Board of Youth Ministry: appointed the Director
of Personnel as the Affirmative Action Officer: classified the
Lutheran Medical Mission Association as an affiliated agency of
the Synod for the purposes of the Concordia Plans.

The board urged the Board of Stewardship to make special
approaches to Districts lagging in their contributions to the
Synod: concurred in the recommendation of the Board of
Trustees of the Foundation not to initiate a Southern District
Foundation at this time: decided that as funds become available
for Keys for Christ the Treasurer make every effort to handle
these funds through black institutions: requested the Treasurer
to liquidate all mortgages, loans, and contracts for deeds and
where this is impossible to negotiate a more realistic rate of
interest: accepted with thanks a bust of Dr. J. W. Behnken
presented by the Aid Association for Lutherans: resolved to
provide press releases for the chairmen and pastors of all con-
gregations in order to improve communications: registered its
deep regret over the disservice rendered the church by the
Lutheran Medical Mission Association through an issue of its
Cross and Caduceus dealing with the controversies in the Synod:
expressed concern over the use of the name “Concordia” by
faculty members who had organized their own theological
education venture (‘‘Seminex’’}: resolved to consider the present
efforts of the Board for Higher Education as fulfilling the request
of the Texas District for the support of Hispanic ministries:
passed certain stipulations regarding support of the National
Indian Lutheran Board: granted an additional $20,000 for