To Affirm Concordia Plans and To Amend Bylaws to Require Annual ERISA-Comparable Transparency to Participants

Official Workbook overture source text

8-03 
To Affirm Concordia Plans and  
To Amend Bylaws to Require Annual ERISA-
Comparable Transparency to Participants 
WHEREAS, “The s ynodwide trust entities of The Lutheran 
Church—Missouri Synod are collectively known as the Concordia 
Plans” (Bylaw 3.7.1) and provide essential retirement, health, 
disability, and related benefits for church workers and retirees; and 
WHEREAS, “Concordia Plan Services is a controlled entity of The 
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod created to manage the 
Concordia Plans,” and “the Concordia Plans, while operating under 
the supervision of the Synod Board of Directors, are trust agencies 
whose assets are not the property of corporate Synod” (Bylaw 
1.2.1[d–e]); and 
W
HEREAS, The Synod’s Bylaws establish an expectation of 
transparency to member congregations, stating: “The Synod and 
each of its agencies shall fully disclose their financial books and 
records to any member congregation of the Synod” (Bylaw 1.5.4); 
and 
WHEREAS, Church plans are generally exempt from many 
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) 
reporting and disclosure requirements, and therefore participants 
may not automatically receive standardized, year -to-year 
comparable disclosures that are common in ERISA-governed plans; 
and 
WHEREAS, Church workers, retirees, and congregations benefit 
from clear, consistent disclosures so they may understand promised 
benefits and plan changes, plan responsibly, and maintain 
confidence through transparent communication; and 
WHEREAS, As Christ’s church, we should not aim to have  less 
transparency than secular institutions when stewarding promised 
benefits for those who serve the Gospel, but rather seek standards 
that meet or exceed widely recognized best practices; therefore be 
it 
Resolved, That Synod in convention thank God for the hard work 
and dedication of the board members and staff of Concordia Plan  
Services (CPS) for the proper management of the plans; and be it 
further 
2026 Convention Workbook
438 FINANCE