District Offices Bleed Synod Dry
By Rev. Jack Cascione

 

The June 2002 LCMS "Reporter" announced a drastic cut of 9 million dollars in the LCMS budget. The Synod now has an unrestricted budget of 25.6 million. The cut is taking place when giving to congregations by their members now exceeds a record 1.25 billion and giving to the districts now exceeds a record 127 million dollars.

Facts show that giving more money will not solve the problem. What is really needed is what the lay people don't want to give: namely, their attention to the problems now facing the Synod. Years of neglect have resulted in years of abuse.

Since 1969, LCMS district budgets have increased nearly six times to 54 million dollars. At the same time, the districts' support to the Synod has been virtually flat for more than 30 years.

According to the LCMS "1969 Statistical Year Book" the Synodical budget was $24,059,781 (Page 273).

In 1969 the LCMS districts in the 50 states took in $49,402,590 and gave $23,555,365 to the Synod (page 287). The districts spent $9,565,745 on their own budgets (page 304) and $13,901,911 on local missions (page 303).

In 2000 the LCMS districts took in $127,554,235 and they sent $25,312,219 to the Synod. During that time, the district budgets increased to $53,486,974 in 2000, nearly 600% over 1969. (2002 Lutheran Annual page 462)

The districts also spent more than another $50,000,000 on what could be called "at home missions," but this information is no longer listed in the Lutheran Annual. All together, in 2000, the districts spent more than a $103,000,000. They sent less than one dollar out every five dollars they collected to the Synod.

In another 30 years, at the current rate of decline, the Synod will no longer exist and each district will each be its own synod.

The first fulltime district president was Dr. Harry Krieger of the Michigan District circa 1960. Since that time, the number of fulltime District Presidents, executives, secretaries, etc., has skyrocketed into the hundreds, a bureaucracy far exceeding the number of workers for the Synod in St. Louis. The assessed evaluation and maintenance of district office buildings and facilities also exceeds the Synodical headquarters.

What has a 600% increase in district spending gotten the lay people in the last 30 years?

While district office expenses have increased from 9 to 54 million dollars between 1969 and 2000, baptized membership has declined by more than 320,000 to 2,553,971 souls. While total giving to the Districts over the past 30 years has exceeded inflation, the lay people are giving a lot more but are getting a lot less for their money.

Somehow, the Synod managed to grow to nearly 2.9 million baptized members in 1969 with virtually no district office bureaucracy to manage or take credit for the growth with a program here or a "leader" there.

At the same time, the much-maligned Wisconsin Synod that broke away from the LCMS in 1962 has no full-time district presidents and has not shrunk like the LCMS.

District politics have grown with the increased district cash flow. All too often district presidents are more concerned about which pastors are going to vote for him. Many pastors in turn seek the favor of district presidents who will put them on the right call lists. A word to the wise LCMS pastor: Take care of the district office and it will take care of you.

"Leadership" and not "doctrine" is now the Synodical buzzword. The lay people have bought themselves a well-paid, self-serving clergy clique.

Just as in the government, the courts, the public school system, or Americana corporations lay people will have to learn that simply trusting their money to the church without demanding accountability is more temptation than the clergy can resist.

Luther understood that the clergy are incapable of policing themselves. Why should it be any different today or do LCMS Lutherans only believe that Catholic Bishops commit sin?


Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

July 2, 2002