9-08

To Amend Bylaws Exclusive to Lutheran Church Extension Fund to Clarify That It May Provide Real Estate Evaluation and Redevelopment Services in Support of Synod Mission and Ministry

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Official Workbook overture source text

Overture: 9-08

Workbook page: Contents page xi; overture page 467

Source pages: Contents page xi; overture page 467

Source status: source checked / public

9-08 
To Amend Bylaws Exclusive to Lutheran Church 
Extension Fund to Clarify That It May Provide 
Real Estate Evaluation and Redevelopment 
Services in Support of Synod Mission and Ministry 
Rationale 
Most congregations and ministries within the Synod are owners of 
real estate. Many of these ministries need assistance evaluating their 
property so they can steward their assets wisely. In some cases, they 
may not have need for some or all of their real estate. In many cases, 
sale of the real estate is the best option to raise funds for future 
operations or to wind up affairs in an orderly way. In other cases, 
ministries want to keep some of the real estate to continue 
operations and divest of other portions. Such divestiture may entail 
a sale or lease of the property to either raise funds for continued 
operations, maintain ministry activity in the divested property, or 
both. Redevelopment of the real estate may occur with retained or 
divested property. 
In most cases, ministries do not possess expertise in the evaluation, 
redevelopment, or re -purposing of real estate. Lutheran Church 
Extension Fund (LCEF) has decades of experience in assisting 
ministries in evaluating, acquiring, developing, and selling r eal 
estate through its church extension activities. LCEF has expanded 
this expertise in the last few years by hiring a team of individuals 
with extensive real estate consulting and redevelopment experience. 
LCEF can provide expanded real estate services that are of great 
value to the ministries of the Synod. 
The requested bylaw changes are exclusive to LCEF and are 
necessary to clarify that it is within LCEF’s purposes to provide 
such real estate services to ministries within the Synod.   
Therefore be it 
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.6.4 be amended as follows: 
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING 
The Lutheran Church Extension Fund— Missouri Synod 
3.6.4 The Lutheran Church Extension Fund— Missouri Synod, 
as established on June 15, 1978, as a corporate entity under the laws 
of the State of Missouri, is operated by its members and Board of 
Directors, in accordance with its Articles of Incorporation and 
corporate Bylaws, to further the objectives and duties of the church 
extension fund by providing provide financial, real estate, and other 
related resources and related services for ministry, witness, and 
outreach within the Synod and, as approved by the Synod Board of 
Directors, beyond the Synod: (1) to and within partner churches with 
which the Synod is in altar and pulpit fellowship; or (2) upon the 
recommendation of the President of Synod, to Lutheran entities 
formed and operating outside of the United States that assist in 
fulfilling the Synod’s ministry and mission objectives in foreign 
countries. 
and be it further 
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.6.4.4.1 be amended as follows: 
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING 
3.6.4.4.1 The assets of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund —
Missouri Synod shall be used exclusively to provide financing and 
services for the acquisition of sites, for the construction of facilities, 
for the purchase of buildings and equipment, for operating expenses, 
for professional church worker education, for the residential housing 
needs of professional church workers, for promoting strategic 
ministry planning and assisting in capital campaigns , for the 
evaluation and redevelopment of real estate; and for other purposes 
2026 Convention Workbook
467STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION

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