ministerial education

The 60th biennial convention ended Friday with a final encouragement to delegates from WELS President Mark Schroeder. "Our work here at this convention may be done, but it is just beginning. . . . Please go back to the people you know and just give them a little taste of what you've experienced here. Just a little taste of what God has done for us in these days together. Do everything you can to help them focus on the same cross, the same love, and on the same mission that he has given us to do."

About 370 voting delegates spent five days in fellowship, committee work, and formulating and voting on resolutions that will shape ministry for the next biennium. "The delegates seemed to be serious in thinking about the decisions that had to be made . . . and yet there was an overriding sense of joy in the mission that we have together in spite of the challenges," says Schroeder.

Some of the decisions made included

• passing a balanced budget for 2009-11;
• changing the first vice president position to part-time;
• electing Rev. James Huebner as first vice president, Rev. Joel Voss as second vice president, and Rev. Robert Pasbrig as secretary;
• restructuring the Board for Parish Services and placing it under the Conference of Presidents; and
• encouraging continuing education for WELS called workers.

Delegates passed the $30 million budget—a budget cut from $38 million or 20 percent—after more than two hours of debate. The budget approved by the convention differs from two budget options brought to the convention by the Synodical Council (SC). The SC's options—and the convention-approved budget—all reflected $8 million in needed cuts across all areas of ministry. The SC was giving the convention the option of deciding whether $1 million of the cuts should come from missions or ministerial education. In the proposal approved by the convention, that $1 million comes from technology, financial services, communications, Parish Services, mission counselors, and travel.

Schroeder finds blessings even though cuts needed to be made. "We have confidence that God is going to get us through this," he says. "Whatever he has in store he is going to use it to bless his church."

This was Schroeder's first convention as WELS president. "The synod convention doesn't sound very exciting. It sounds just like a lot of reports and votes and motions and paper shuffling, but I would really wish that everyone in the synod could have been a part of this convention," he says. "It refocused our attention on both the reason for our joy and on the mission that we are privileged to carry out."

That joy and mission is reflected in the new synod theme, "Christ's Love, Our Calling," a theme that was introduced at the convention. Schroeder hopes this theme is used widely throughout congregations.

"Everything we do is focused on Christ's love and his cross and then trying to instill a sense of what our calling is—we have this calling to be God's people; we have this calling to be faithful to his Word; we have the calling to share the message," says Schroeder.

Delegates have adopted a resolution of the Finance and Budget Floor Committee for the 2009-11 biennium, which provides enough funding for Ministerial Education to retain WELS' present three-tier, four-school system as contained in the Synodical Council's proposed budget Option A.

The resolution also keeps funding for the Boards for Home and World Missions at the same level as the proposed budget Option B so that no further missionary cuts are needed.

Instead, the budgets of Communications, Financial Services, Technology, the Congregational Resource Team within Parish Services, Mission Counselors, and corporate travel expenses will be cut by a total of $1 million.

By the end of this week, meetings will have been held in nearly every district of the synod to discuss the important issues that will be considered at the synod convention later this summer. In some districts, those meetings have been full district conventions involving pastors, teachers, staff ministers, and lay representatives. In other districts, districtwide pastor-teacher conferences have been taking place. In still other districts, regional conferences have been held.

These meetings are an attempt to keep the grassroots members—called workers and lay leaders alike—fully informed and to give them an opportunity to provide additional input and direction for the delegates to the synod convention. The two primary topics of discussion were the recommendations contained in the report of the Ad Hoc Commission and the budget proposed by the Synodical Council.

As the scope and impact of the budget reductions become clearer, questions are being voiced: "What can we do to reduce the scope and impact of these reductions on our mission fields and on our ministerial schools? Are there other options available that can be considered?" Ideas and suggestions were in plentiful supply, and many of these will likely be forwarded to the convention for consideration.

Regardless of what the final convention's decisions may be, any mission program of the synod will be supported primarily by Congregation Mission Offerings (CMO). Congregations have already made commitments for the year, and the proposed budget is built on those commitments. For that reason it is absolutely essential that all congregations meet or exceed the commitments they've made. Since Congregation Mission Offerings are the foundation of our synod's financial support, a shortfall in CMO could result in even more extensive reductions in our mission efforts.

Throughout the synod, prayers have been offered for the faithful missionaries, pastors, professors, and lay workers whose positions have been eliminated. On a positive note, we are happy to report that five world and home missionaries have received calls to congregations. In some home missions, creative ways are being considered to retain pastors whose funding from the synod has been reduced or withdrawn. Commendably, some home mission pastors have indicated they would find a way to stay with their congregations even without full salaries provided by synodical funding. A number of world missionaries have also chosen to remain in their fields of service beyond the time when funding for their positions has ended. Thank God for these faithful and committed workers!

We also continue to pray for the unassigned graduates of Martin Luther College and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. We are pleased that several unassigned candidates from both schools have recently been assigned and that several more assignments are in the process of being made.

It has also been gratifying to see that the district discussions are characterized by sincere concern for the work of the synod and a desire to find solutions to our difficult challenges. There has been anguish and heartache over the painful choices before us, to be sure, but there has been no anger. The people of our synod, it seems, have been led by God to look to him in faith in this difficult time and to work more closely with each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. In this time, we are reminded again that God has promised that he will use all things to work for the good of those who love him and that he will allow nothing in this world to prevent his Word from accomplishing his purpose. Those promises, not human resolve or solutions, will continue to be the source of our hope and confidence in the weeks and months ahead.

Serving in Christ,
Mark Schroeder

Many across synod have been raising questions now that the impact of the budget cuts proposed by the Synodical Council is beginning to be felt. Some reductions in missions, at our synodical schools, and here at the Synod Administration Building have already begun. Call days were held at Martin Luther College and at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, with 21 unassigned candidates at MLC and 11 at the seminary. Here's what we know at the present time about the most common concerns:

Why does the proposed budget require $8 million in reductions? The Synodical Council is required by the constitution to submit a balanced budget. The reduced budget was necessary because the total financial support from all sources is estimated to be $8 million less than the current budget.

Why did the Synodical Council propose a budget with two options? Shouldn't they have proposed one budget? After making significant reductions in all areas of the synod's budget, the Synodical Council was aware that the issue of maintaining two prep schools would be before the convention. The SC concluded that it could best equip the convention to make difficult decisions by preparing two options—one that provides for two prep schools and one that would provide for only one—and providing all the necessary information to make an informed decision.

Do these two options pit missions against ministerial education? Any budget choices will involve difficult decisions about where to place our precious and limited resources, so in a sense any prioritization of budget dollars involves making choices favoring one area over others. Both missions and ministerial education are vitally important, but the final decision will come down to where the convention decides to allocate the available resources.

Will these reductions cause irreparable damage to our missions and schools? All reductions will have a serious impact on the scope and nature of the work we do both in missions and in schools. We pray that wherever the reductions take place, God will provide ways to limit the damage and to enable us to restore and rebuild our efforts in those places.

How were the priorities of reductions determined? The level of funding for each areas of ministry was determined by the Synodical Council after discussion of the impact of reductions. Within each area of ministry, administrators were responsible for developing their own prioritized list of reductions, based on their knowledge of their area and with input from people working in those areas.

Why are reductions taking place before the budget is approved by the convention? The convention does not meet until the end of July, one month after the new budget year actually begins. The convention will make the final decisions on budget allocations, but with reductions of $8 million, significant cuts across all areas of ministry are unavoidable. When positions or calls are eliminated, the synod provides three months of salary to those affected. If cuts in missionary and faculty positions are not made until after the convention, the budget would need to include four months of support for those positions. This would require eliminating even more positions. Beginning to make some reductions now will spare us from having to make even more later on.

Some calls have already been terminated in all areas of ministry. What is being done to help those faithful workers? The Conference of Presidents is using the names of those workers on call lists. There are also plans to form a task force that will explore all possible ways to help these workers when they are without a call and to explore options for them to serve in temporary calls.

What about graduates of Martin Luther College and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary who did not receive calls? The Conference of Presidents will assign these graduates on a continuing basis as requests for graduates are received. They will also be looking for ways in which these graduates can serve in temporary calls.

We hear a lot about budget reductions and cuts in programs and staffing. What is being done to encourage additional financial support from congregations and individuals? The Conference of Presidents will be encouraging all congregations to be sure to meet or exceed their Congregation Mission Offering (CMO) subscriptions and to submit them in a timely way. Since CMO is the foundation on which our budget is built, and since CMO provides the most dependable source of ongoing support, it remains the most important part of our funding. Some WELS members are encouraging special offerings from individuals and congregations. These efforts will certainly help in the short term and may provide some immediate relief; those efforts are certainly appreciated and may prove to be a special blessing.

Can the convention make changes to the recommended budget? The proposed budget will be assigned to a floor committee. That committee will hold an open hearing early in the convention in order to answer questions and hear various viewpoints. The committee can either recommend the budget that has been proposed (with one of the two options) or it can make changes. It will then forward its recommendation to the convention, which will adopt a final synodical budget.

What can we do to prevent the kinds of reductions that the budget calls for? Increased offerings from congregations and individuals would certainly be a blessing in the short term. The potential benefit would depend on the total offerings received and on when they are given.

Is it possible that the reductions will need to be even greater than what has been described? The reality is that the budget, with all of its reductions, is based primarily on the Congregation Mission Offerings that have been promised. If congregations fall behind on those commitments or if their actual gifts to the synod are less than what they committed, we will likely be forced to make even more reductions than those already announced. This is why Congregation Mission Offerings are so vitally important.

What is being done to prevent this kind of situation from happening again? This situation came about very suddenly primarily because of a significant reduction in support from individuals and foundations. The Synodical Council has put a plan into place that will, in the future, enable us to spend these non-CMO dollars only in the year after they are received, not in the year in which they are expected. While this will not prevent future shortages, it will enable us to have real dollars on hand prior to our plans for their use, rather than making plans on the basis of expected financial support.

What can I do? Pray that God will bless our convention delegates with faith, courage, and wisdom as they make difficult decisions. Ask God to be with those whose calls have been terminated and who are waiting for a new place in which to serve him. Ask the leaders of your congregation to make these issues known to your members and to encourage generous and timely offerings even in these difficult financial times. Above all, trust that our gracious God will use this difficult situation to bless us according to his grace and wisdom and to enable our synod and all of our members to recommit ourselves to the mission that he has given us.

Serving in Christ,
Mark Schroeder

At Martin Luther College and at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, God is again demonstrating his love for his church by providing dozens of young people who are led by him to say, "Here am I; send me!"

Last week at Martin Luther College, 80 candidates for the teaching ministry were assigned to their field of service. As they received their calls, our entire synod was reminded of God's promises for the future. These newly minted teachers will enter elementary schools, early childhood programs, prep schools, and Lutheran high schools. They are well prepared to teach and to guide and to encourage. Most important, they are equipped to play a vital role in teaching future generations of God's people to know the love of Christ.

This week at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, vicars and graduates will be assigned. The vicars will spend the next year learning the practical aspects of the pastoral ministry before returning for their final year of seminary studies. Graduates will be assigned to their first year of service in the pastoral ministry. They, too, represent God's precious gifts to his church—young men who will continue to proclaim God's truth and to share the comfort of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When so many other church bodies are experiencing shortages of workers, we count it as a special blessing that we have been blessed with such a large number of young people willing to dedicate their lives to full-time service in the church.

At Martin Luther College, there were 21 candidates available for service anywhere who were not assigned on call day. We do not yet know if any seminary graduates will not be assigned later this week.

The assignment process for both pastors and teachers, however, does not end. Throughout the coming months, the Conference of Presidents will assign candidates as soon as they receive requests from congregations. Please keep all of our unassigned candidates and their families in your prayers. We will want to ask God to give them a strong faith rooted in his Word, joy that flows from the gospel, and a patient trust that comes from knowing that their times are in the hands of a gracious God.

Proposed budget outlines impact of reductions

Last week the Synodical Council released additional details about the proposed synodical budget that will be considered by the synod convention this summer. With expected financial resources approximately $8 million less than needed, all areas of ministry are preparing to make significant cuts in their staffing and programs. Because of the extent and urgency of the budget reductions, some ministry positions are being eliminated immediately—you may be hearing about them from various sources. Waiting longer to begin those reductions would mean additional cuts later on.

The proposed budget includes two options. Option A calls for significant reductions in all areas of ministry but would enable the synod to maintain its two ministerial education prep schools. Option B would shift funds from Ministerial Education and provide $500,000 each to Home and World Missions; this shift would result in fewer reductions in mission programs at home and in various mission fields around the world. According to the Board for Ministerial Education, Option B would make it possible to operate only one synodical prep school after the coming year.

The Synodical Council chose to present two options because it recognized that there are clear differences of opinion on how best to allocate the synod's limited resources. Rather than choosing one of those options and recommending it, the Synodical Council determined that it could best serve the synod if it presented two clear choices and enabled the delegates at the convention to make an informed, prayerful decision.

Here is a brief summary of some of the reductions required by the proposed budget:

World Missions
Option A

• Overall 23.5 manpower positions are unfunded; of the 23 positions, 15 existing missionaries will be recalled from the field, 4 are vacant positions that will not be filled, and 4 were planned positions.
• All existing fields affected but still served at a reduced level; unable to enter 1 new field (Mozambique) as planned.

Option B

• Four missionary positions eliminated under Option A are able to be retained under Option B.

Home Missions
Option A

• 21 called positions (18 pastors and 3 staff ministers) likely cannot be maintained; 2 of these are currently vacant.
• 13 mission fields likely to be lost.

Option B

• Retains 7 of the 18 pastoral ministries listed above.
• Six of the 13 fields potentially lost under Option A would be retained.

Ministerial Education administration
Options A and B

• Allows for only a minimum level of program maintenance at the schools.
• Reduces financial assistance provided by the budget.
• Elimination of 1 clerical support staff.

Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary
Options A and B

• Maintains existing faculty strength.
• Several staff positions removed from the budget and funded from non-budgetary sources.
• All areas of operation reduced to the lowest possible level of funding.

Martin Luther College
Options A and B

• Reduction of 25 faculty and staff positions (of these 9.5 positions are vacant).
• Increased teaching loads required of faculty.

Luther Preparatory School
Options A and B

• Five faculty positions and 6 support staff positions eliminated.

Michigan Lutheran Seminary
Option A

• Eight faculty and 5 support staff positions eliminated.

Option B

• In the first year of the biennium, Michigan Lutheran Seminary is funded by a combination of reduced synod subsidy and Ministerial Education special funds.
• In the second year of the biennium, the school is not viable, and all remaining faculty and staff positions are eliminated.

Parish Services
Options A and B

• Position of the Parish Services administrator eliminated; 2 unit administrators and 4 support staff positions to be eliminated.
• Most ministry functions supported by special funds and fees.
• Retains Commissions for Parish Schools and Special Ministries as distinct entities with their own administrators; reconfigures remaining units of Parish Services into a new combined group (possibly called the Congregational Ministries Resource team) to carry out the functions of Adult Discipleship, Youth Discipleship, Worship, Evangelism, and Parish Assistance.

Ministry Support
Options A and B

• Reduces programs and budget overseen by the Conference of Presidents and the Synodical Council.
• Eliminates a total of 17 positions, reducing called and hired staffing from 72 to 57 within the areas of Facilities, Technology, Leadership, Christian Giving, Communication Services, and Financial Services.

The Book of Reports and Memorials will be posted online by the end of next week with detailed information regarding the proposed budget and the impact on the various areas of ministry. 

As you begin to grasp the reality of our situation, I know that you join me in the prayer that God will guide our discussion and decisions, and in the confidence that his gracious promises remain with us in these challenging times.

Serving in Christ,
Mark Schroeder