There are many ways for synods to economize during the earthly ministry of Obamessiah:
Stop most meetings where travel, meals, and lodging eat up thousands of dollars. GoToMeeting is a cheap way to have the same meeting on the Net for almost nothing.
Stop printing materials. Printing and mailing is very expensive. Most content can be delivered on the Net in PDFs. In fact, Lulu can print and download for free. Anyone could take the synod reports and make them available for free on Lulu.com. The PDF would be free and the printed report could be made available at cost. Obviously no one reads them, or there would be heads on spikes by now.
Stop all the money laundering. The worst excesses are caused by money traveling around through various agencies, groups, so that no one knows who gave what to whom. That is how Church and Change was funded with WELS offering dollars.
Give Thrivent, Schwan, and the foundations the Left Foot of Fellowship. The big donations (with strings, ropes, and chains attached) are the reason giving is so miserly. Why would someone give $50 when Schwan gives $15 million at a time and the pastoral director gets $400,000+ in salary?
Thrivent is essentially an ELCA operation with Missouri/WELS money. The customers are conservative but the thrust of the company is apostate. That is the easiest way to work. Thrivent has created a pan-Lutheran synod with its branches, donations, and stipulations. Synodical officials grovel at their feet when real giving might come from the actual members. Why add the widow's mite when Thrivent has so much to offer - and free napkins for the coffee hour?
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Economize During the Second Great Depression of Ob...":
That's a great idea. Have you tried suggesting it?
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GJ - I am sure that a suggestion with my name on it would sail through the Watchful Dragons at The Love Shack. "Here's a great idea, Boss. Let's implement it tomorrow."
I mentioned that anyone could start a mission church with broadband and a $75 web camera. People look at me the way a cow looks at a newly painted fence. Of course, that was my reaction to the idea, too.
