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