Risk Management Issue: Sexual Misconduct Hopefully your church will never have to face the financial and emotional devastation of sexual misconduct. Instead of relying on hope and trust, there are a number of proactive steps every church can implement to prevent this activity from ever occurring. As you implement a preventive program, remember that the main objective is to provide a safe and secure environment for the children. In the meantime, you will be reducing the legal risk and liability exposure.
Christian Ministry Resources has an excellent resource available called "Reducing the Risk II" (Making Your Church Safe From Child Sexual Abuse). This material was first published in 1993, and the new resource kit now offers expanded resources that can be used to assist your training efforts. More...view the entire atricle Available in Adobe Acrobat "PDF" format. Get the FREE Acrobat Reader.
For other articles and sample policy and procedures for the prevention of child abuse, contact the District Office. Also, check out the following web sites: Christian Ministry Resources: Church Law Today or Reducing The Risk or Screen Church Staff Church Mutual Insurance, click on Risk Management Help GuideOne Insurance, click on Preventing Sexual Misconduct Resources Screen Now for details about Employment Background Screening and HR Services Protecting God’s Children, The National Catholic Risk Retention Group
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

LCMS Eastern District Offers Financial Assistance for Students Preparing for Church Careers

The Eastern District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod offers educational grants-in-aid to college students. Awards will be issued based on financial need, not scholastic achievement or merit; however, a student is expected to maintain a grade point average of at least a "C". While awards are normally granted for a full academic year, applications for college quarters or semesters may be considered on an individual basis.

Eligibility Requirements

Minimum eligibility requires that a student:

• Be a member of an LCMS Eastern District congregation
• Be enrolled as full-time student in a college or seminary program and, upon graduation, be prepared to serve in a full-time church profession (Pastor, Teacher, Director of Christian Education, Director of Evangelism, Deaconess, Parish Assistant, Lay Minister).
• Apply for aid on a year-by-year basis for a single, specific academic year

Requests for further information and completed applications should be addressed to:

Scholarship and Student Aid
LCMS Eastern District
5111 Main Street
Williamsville, NY 14221
Phone: (716) 634-5111
Fax: (716) 634-5452
E-Mail: Diane.Will@lcmsed.org

Download and Open the Salary Planning calculator (Microsoft Excel).

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

A salary committee has prepared these guidelines that we believe you will find helpful as you begin the salary planning process. This salary planning tool has been revised and upgraded, making it much more effective than previous versions you may have seen.

While guidelines are never prescriptive, they can be suggestive of an approach that can be used to review the compensation you are providing your professional workers. We hope that these guidelines will assist congregations in providing the proper level of financial and personal support to all of the professional church workers in the Eastern District, so that:

•  God will be glorified
  
  
•  The ministries of the congregation will be empowered
  
  
•  A sense of appreciation and fulfillment will be conveyed
  

A professional church worker is called by God to be a servant, leader, counselor, caregiver, proclaimer, teacher, listener, evangelist, and steward to the congregation and the total Church. Your congregation is called to respond to these benefits and blessings. The response in part is demonstrated as a congregation provides its workers with equitable salary, housing, supplemental benefits, vacation time, financial assistance for spiritual and professional growth. Truly these laborers are a special gift from God deserving of our love, support and care.

The approach taken by these guidelines is intended to provide adequate compensation to professional church workers. Adequate compensation is viewed as a level of compensation that provides for the physical and spiritual well being of the worker and the worker’s family. It is intended that this level of compensation will release the worker from undue financial concern, thus allowing the worker to give full devotion and attention to the ministries assigned.

Congregations are encouraged to develop a ministry description for each professional church worker that includes a listing of the worker’s responsibilities and expected levels of performance. As a minimum there should be open communication regarding the ministries within a congregation and regular feedback regarding effectiveness. An annual performance review, whether formal or informal, is strongly encouraged. The worker and the congregation are best served when expectations are commonly known and regular communication is the norm rather than the exception.

SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES

As your congregation considers the compensation it provides for its professional church workers, congregational leaders must review the nature of the office of ministry and the Scriptural references and principles of that office.

Advising His disciples about their service, Jesus said,

"Stay in that house and eat and drink whatever they have, since a worker earns his pay." [Luke 10:7]

Paul wrote,

"Let spiritual leaders who lead well be considered worthy of double honor, especially if their work is preaching and teaching, because the Scripture says: ‘When the ox is treading out the grain, do not muzzle him’ and ‘a worker deserves his pay’ " [1 Timothy 5:17-18]

In the Small Catechism Luther included a section called "Table of Duties". Under the heading, "What Hearers owe their Pastors", Luther cites, in addition to the two Scripture references listed above, these additional references:

"In the same way the Lord has commanded that those who preach the Gospel should receive their living from the Gospel." [1 Corinthians 9:14]

"Let the person who is taught the Word share all good things with his teacher. Make no mistake about this; you cannot fool God. For whatever a person sows he will also reap." [Galatians 6:6-7]

"We ask you fellow Christians, to appreciate those who work with you and who lead you in the Lord and who warn you. Love them and think very highly of them on account of the work they are doing. Live in peace with one another." [1 Thessalonians 5:12-13]

BENCHMARK COMPARISONS

In addition to the methodology presented in these guidelines, there are several other ways to benchmark the level of compensation offered to professional church workers. These benchmarks can be used to validate the salary and benefits offered through this guideline, or form the basis for adjustment(s) based on local considerations.

•  One benchmarking method compares compensation with other relevant occupations in the local community. For example, a Pastor is usually benchmarked with a teacher in the local public school system having similar education and experience.
  
  
•  The average salary of the Church’s leadership can also be a useful benchmark.
  
  
•  The average salary of other professional church workers in the area can also be used as a benchmark. Worker Benefit Plans can also provide salary range and averages for various ministry positions within the Eastern District.
  

USING THE SALARY PLANNING PROCESS

•  Download and Open the Salary Guidelines (Microsoft Excel).
  
  
•  If a dialog window appears regarding macros, click on "Enable Macros".
  
  
•  If you wish to save the calculator workbook, click "File" on the menu bar in your browser window, then select "Save As". Select a location to save the file and click on "Save". You can access the worksheet in your browser window or by opening the saved Excel file.
  
  
•  Select the tab labeled "Worksheet"; instructions are in the red box at the top of the sheet.
  
  
•  Input the salary/benefits variables for each worker, giving consideration to the comments under "Benchmarks" above. You may use the TAB key to navigate between fields, or click on the yellow input fields using your pointing device (mouse).
  
  
•  Please read the informational comments for important information and assistance with input: Certain input fields have a red tab in the upper right corner. Place your cursor over the field to reveal the comment box.
  
  
•  Confirm that inputted variables are correct -- they are used to calculate the guideline results.
  
  
•  Click on the "Publish Report" button in upper right area of the page to print the Salary Calculation Report.
  
  
•  To repeat the salary calculation process for another worker, click on the reset button to clear the worksheet and complete the process again.
  
  
•  Write a paragraph of narrative for each worker.
  
  
•  Develop supporting examples.
  
  
•  Review the entire plan with the senior Pastor of the congregation.
  

Conduct an individual salary review with each worker.

Congregational Treasurer’s Manual

All district congregations should acquire and maintain the most current edition of the Congregational Treasurer’s Manual, which is written and published by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, St. Louis, MO.

Treasurers are encouraged to take the time to familiarize themselves with the contents of the manual because the answers to many of your questions are clearly spelled out and easily accessible. Please use this reference manual when faced with questions involving:

• Employment issues
• Federal and state tax matters
• Congregational organization and administration
• Accounting and finance
• LCMS support organizations/materials

Topics that have generated many commonly asked questions from congregational staff members and treasurers are addressed clearly and concisely. Some of these subjects are:

• Ministers of the Gospel (Section 1: Chapter 1)
• Housing (Parsonage) Allowance (Section 1: Chapter 2)
• Concordia Plans (Section 1: Chapter 4)
• Tax Exempt Status (Section 2: Chapter 8)
  

If your congregation does not have a current version of the Congregational Treasurer’s Manual, please contact:

Barbara Sigafoos
LCMS-Eastern District
5111 Main Street
Williamsville, NY 14221
Phone: (716) 634-5111
Fax: (716) 634-5452
Barb.Sigafoos@lcmsed.org

Congregational Treasurer’s Resources

"But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grave of giving."
2 Corinthians 8:7

As your congregation considers the various ministries of the Eastern District in their giving a description of some of the different ministry funds are provided in PDF format in order to assist your treasurer in completing the process of forwarding your contributions to the Eastern District for distribution.

Also provided in PDF format is the Remittance Form for the Church Treasurer's which can be downloaded and submitted with your remittance.

View the Eastern District Fund Descriptions

View the Remittance Form for Church Treasurer's

ModifiedMay 23, 2007dDate -->