The COP heard encouraging reports about the finances of the synod. For example, Congregation Mission Offerings (CMO) are up for the first three months of the new fiscal year about $650,000 over last year—as a result of the COP’s efforts last summer to respond to the financial difficulties facing us. Offerings from individuals in the Walking Together and Mission Partners efforts, and other gifts, were up by approximately $650,000. Additional dollars have been received due to investment results and a more favorable foreign exchange rate.
Because it is still early in the fiscal year, because some of the increases are due to earlier receipt of some gifts than last year, and because a multitude of factors could still impact our financial picture, we must be cautious about these results. Still, these are blessings for which we first thank God, and for which we also thank all of the members and congregations of the synod.
Download the complete report from WELS’ chief financial officer at www.wels.net/jump/financialreport.
Special debt retirement offering planned
The synod convention received reports on the synod’s capital debt of $22.4 million. The payments on this debt are budgeted at approximately $3 million per year—money which could be used to fund missions and other important synodical programs. For that reason, the convention authorized the Conference of Presidents to plan a synod-wide debt retirement offering.
The COP has now approved plans for this effort. It is our prayer that we will all join together to completely eliminate this debt by the time of the synod convention in 2009. All congregations and members of the synod will join together in the “WELS Year of Jubilee” offering. The effort will be planned and coordinated by the Ministry of Christian Giving without the use of an outside consultant.
The specifics of the offering will be presented to the district conventions next summer. Materials and worship resources will be provided to congregations at that time. The plan is that all congregations will participate in this celebration of God’s blessings, culminating in a month-long emphasis in late November and early December of 2008.
Congregations will be given a number of options for participation. Some may choose to carry out the celebration over a series of four weeks; others may choose a single day as an emphasis. Still other congregations will be given the option of beginning their efforts already in January 2008, using the entire year as a way to gather regular monthly offerings from their members. For congregations beginning the effort in November, members will be able to give one-time gifts or to spread their gifts over the following months. The offering will conclude with a celebration at the synod convention in 2009.
If God blesses us with the elimination of this debt, we will have $3 million annually to use for the expanded mission and ministry efforts approved by the convention. Please ask God to bless our efforts as we respond joyfully and with commitment to the many blessings he has showered on us and on our synod.
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Latest numbers show a change in prep school enrollment
The latest numbers from WELS’ two preparatory schools—Michigan Lutheran Seminary (MLS), Saginaw, Mich., and Luther Preparatory School (LPS), Watertown, Wis.—show a moderate decrease in enrollment from previous years. Two hundred thirty-four students are enrolled at MLS, down from 242 in 2006-07. LPS also experienced a decrease from 382 students in 2006-07 to this year’s 339.
“The enrollments in the prep system have decreased every year since 2001-02,” says Tim Dolan, director of recruitment at LPS. Much of this decline, he says, is a result of fewer available candidates and decreasing enrollments in WELS elementary schools.
Paul Prange, president of MLS, also cites tuition increases as a source of declining enrollment: “The trend is very clear. Since 2003, where we had the drastic lowering of subsidy and the significant increases in tuition, the enrollments of MLS, LPS, and Martin Luther College seem to be directly correlated to the tuition increases,” he says. “We’re all down.”
To combat these declining numbers, the prep schools are working to show families the value of a Christian education, as well as encouraging pastors and teachers at Lutheran elementary schools to “find their replacements” in the public ministry.
Peter Kruschel, administrator for WELS Ministerial Education, says that although prep school enrollment is down slightly, “I think that we’re probably at the low end and [enrollment numbers] should either remain stable or go up slightly.” Prange agrees: “We have a quality [ministerial education] system,” he says. “People are going to realize the value of it and say, ‘This is worthwhile . . . this is something I’m going to encourage my kids to do.’ That’s the kind of optimistic sense you get all around the synod, and that’s going to help enrollment.”
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GJ - The Laffer curve works with tuition, too. When tuition is too high, people do not want to mortgage the farm to pay for kids in high school, with college and possibly seminary in the future.
