Monday, May 6, 2013

Someone Should Do Some Research on These Figures - How Thrivent Spends Lutheran Money

I read the Thrivent figures to Mrs. Ichabod and said, "Look at how they are spending your Lutheran money."
Mrs. I said, "Those aren't my Lutherans."

The LCMS, WELS, and ELS have no idea how little their votes mean about Thrivent leaving the Lutheran fold. That horse was out of the barn years ago.

First, get yourself a Guidestar account, so you can open and save the PDFs that I will discuss.

Guidestar gathers the forms that charities must fill out for the IRS if they have a 501c. Not all the forms are published at Guidestar, but many are up to date, as of the 2011 filings.

Concordia Publishing House files are there. In 2011, it showed Bruce Kintz earning $290,000 and Paul McCain drawing $190,000 in total compensation.

CPH had almost $48 million in assets at the end of 2011.

Herman Otten's Lutheran News is listed. They ended 2011 with about $460,000 in assets minus liabilities.

Thrivent

Form 990 Minneapolis, 2011.

Many congregations and ELCA area synods (districts) get $10,000 grants.

Habitat for Humanity received $10 million. That is $10,000,000.

The Fox Valley Humane organization and the Fox Valley Orchestra both got grants, about $5,000.

US Venture Open got $25,000 for a golf outting-charity thing, which sounds like the current St. Peter in Freedom golfing fest.

Appleton Education Foundation, $29,000.

Rebuilding Together Fox Valley - $53,000.

Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce - a worthy charity! - $12, 635.

Minnesota Orchestra - $33,000.

Minneapolis Council of Churches - $6,000.

Twin Cities United Way -  $10,260.

Salvation Army - $126,000.

ELCA Youth Ministry - $30,207.

Lutheran Educational Conference - $113,000.

Lutheran World Relief - $653,000.

Lutheran Theological Seminary - $42,000. ELCA?

Gettysburg Seminary - ELCA - 45,000. ELCA.

Wisconsin Lutheran College - WELS - $30,000.

Thiel College - ELCA - $24,000.

Wittenberg University - $24,000. ELCA. They just canned 20% of their faculty.

Orphan Grain Train - $424,000. Plus many smaller grants that total another $100,000 or more.

Time of Grace - New Age - $21,000.

Capital University - ELCA - $36,000.

Building Hope in the City - $23,000.

Valparaiso University - ELCA - $122,000.

Wee Creations Pre-school - $6,000.

Augustana College - $56,000. ELCA. There are two Augies, both of them ELCA.

Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago - ELCA. $24,000.

Lutheran Services in America - $246,000.

Adult Lutherans Organized for Action. ELCA/LCMS. $94,000.

Carthage College, ELCA. $39,000.

Lutheran Social Services of Michigan - ELCA. $47,000.

Michigan Lutheran Seminary - WELS. $17,000.

Compensation is listed.

Mark Jeske - New Age - $57,333 for 10 hours of work per week.

Many Thrivent executives earn between $1 and 2 million per year.