Ad Hoc Commission report to be released
From the office of President Mark Schroeder
The Ad Hoc Commission—established by the 2007 convention to analyze the synod's problems and potential—is completing work on its Preliminary Report and Recommendations. As they do so, they deserve our deepest thanks. Commission members have volunteered hundreds of hours discussing practical ways to improve our synod's ability to carry out its mission.
The initial report will be distributed to the members of the Synodical Council and the Conference of Presidents early in the week of May 11. By the middle of that week, the report will be posted in a downloadable format on the synod's Web site at www.wels.net/jump/rttd and e-mailed to all called workers. A link to the report will be provided in our next edition of "Together" on May 19. A hard copy version will be distributed to district convention delegates by the third week of May.
The report will be discussed at all district conventions this summer. The Ad Hoc Commission is looking for reaction and feedback from those discussions. Since this is a preliminary report, the commission will consider district reactions before bringing its final report and recommendations to the synod convention in 2009.
How are our ministerial education schools doing?
This month is an exciting time for our synod and for our ministerial education schools. May is the time when graduates of Martin Luther College and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary receive their first calls to serve in the public ministry as pastors, teachers, or staff ministers. We will join in thanking God for these gifts to his church and in asking God to bless their service.
It's likely that you've heard the news about the financial blessings that our synod is experiencing and the surplus that we are anticipating when the current fiscal year ends on June 30. Many have asked how our schools are doing financially.
In general, the financial news from our schools is good. Mission advancement efforts are being blessed, and most of our schools are working to keep their expenditures lower than what was budgeted. But the task is not yet completed.
For example, at Martin Luther College (MLC), the school planned to use about $2 million in reserve funds to support the operating budget. It also planned to receive about $1.2 million in gifts through mission advancement efforts. As of the end of March, MLC had received about $825,000 of the $1.2 million needed. This means that their mission advancement gifts were on track. But it also means that they will need to raise $375,000 by the end of June. In other words, we want to encourage those who are minded to support MLC to continue to do so; their goal is attainable, but only if people continue to remember the school with their gifts. In addition, MLC will be especially pleased if the gifts received exceed the $1.2 million target. Additional gifts mean that MLC would not need to draw down its reserve funds as much as had been planned. Gifts for scholarships and financial assistance are also much needed.
Similar situations exist at the other ministerial education schools. Rev. Peter Kruschel, administrator of the Board for Ministerial Education, reported to the Synodical Council that the schools should be able to complete the year with no additional synodical subsidy needed, although there may need to be some shifting of funds within the Ministerial Education budget.
Serving in Christ,
Mark Schroeder
Filed Under: Ad Hoc Commission, BME, Convention, education, Ministerial Education, MLC
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