Michael Schottey has left a new comment on your post "Walther, Valleskey, Brenner, and Propositional The...":
The WELS passed a four part resolution this morning
1) Acceptance of "Option C"--cuts will be made in administration, travel and in para-ministries that can be easily replaced at a later time.
2) Encouragement of synodical entities to use the WELS VEBA Holiday refund by remitting it back to synod in the newly established ministry support fund
3) Mandate to the Synodical Council that if, in the second year of the biennium, cuts need to be made, Salary Furloughs are utilized first rather than cuts.
4) We as a synod place emphasis and understand that it is God who blesses us and thank him for these gifts.
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From WELS:
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.
Look for more details to follow.
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An observer wrote:
"An interesting conclusion might be drawn from the vote (paper ballots) on the first budget resolution that kept Missions and Education at the higher levels and moved the cuts elsewhere. The vote was, as I recall, 261 to 65, give or take a few, the ayes being 80%. That seems to say those favoring the schools were 80%, while those against them were 20%, of those present. That might be an indication of the ratio against the C&C gang. Maybe that is not a sound conclusion, but I thought the ratio looked good."
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Convention Thread for Thursday":
Why couldn't the SC come up with this as well? They could not come up with something like this "Option C"?
261 to 65? Convincing vote.
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GJ - I think SP Schroeder showed wisdom in allowing the convention to decide on options rather than forcing one solution through. Inventing a crisis and forcing the purchase of a failed Roman Catholic school led WELS into Prairie due Chien, which is now a prison, and losing a prep in New Ulm, where WELS members are especially dense. The density of WELS members in that area moved them to spend oodles on their own Area Lutheran High School, removing a large number of potential students from Prairie.
Someone wrote earlier about $22 million in debt. Institutions and individuals always have debt. The report showed the debt being reducing by about 1/3 while the economy was in meltdown. That is impressive.
Schroeder has led the synod well, with The Love Shack throwing in more obstacles than one finds in The Pilgrim's Progress. Now it is up to members and pastors to consistently follow through, first by studying the Confessions, second by applying them in all situations.
