GUIDELINES FOR THE

BOARD FOR HOME MISSIONS

ARTICLE I:  MEMBERSHIP AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD MEMBERS

1. The Board for Home Missions shall consist of seven members, at least three of whom, and not more than four, must be clergymen. The term of office shall be three years. Two members shall be elected each year and three members each third year.
2. The board shall elect from its members a chairman, vice chairman, secretary, recording treasurer, and other officers or assistants as deemed necessary.
3. Duties of Officers
1. The chairman shall call and preside over all the meetings of the board. He shall prepare the agenda for each meeting. (see also Article II.H.)
2. The vice chairman shall preside in the absence of the chairman.
3. The duties of the secretary are defined in General Synodical Rules and Regulations, Article  III.C.
4. The recording treasurer shall secure from the treasurer of the synod for the meetings of the board a report on all home mission monies received and expended. He shall prepare a financial statement of the home mission funds and have it available for the convention committee. He shall prepare an estimate of the financial needs of home missions for the fiscal year under consideration and present it to the board for ratification.
4. Specific duties for the office of Missions Counselor are contained in the internal guidelines prepared by the board. (cf. Guidelines for the Office of Missions Counselor)

ARTICLE II:  DUTIES OF THE BOARD

1. In general it shall be the duty of the board to locate promising mission fields and establish congregations in agreement with the confession of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and to support such congregations and/or parishes with such assistance and guidance as the board can render.
   
2. In keeping with the Great Commission (Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV), the board shall have the responsibility to call qualified men from the Evangelical Lutheran Synod or from its wider fellowship to serve mission stations. When a mission station has been organized as a congregation and is proceeding to call a pastor, the visitor of the circuit shall be informed and shall normally conduct the call meeting unless other arrangements are made by the president of the synod in consultation with the board and the circuit visitor. A call issued by a mission congregation must also be signed by a designated representative of the board.
   
3. The board shall counsel with, support and pray for the workers, mission stations and congregations under its jurisdiction and encourage them to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God.
   
4. In the event of a vacancy in a mission congregation, the board, along with the circuit visitor, shall make arrangements for the mission congregation to be served during that vacancy.
   
5. The mission congregation, when seeking candidates to call as a permanent pastor, shall consult with the board, the circuit visitor and the president of the synod. The call shall be signed jointly by the congregation and by a designated representative of the board.
   
6. The board shall arrange for financial aid from synodically budgeted home mission funds to subsidize congregations, parishes or mission stations that the Gospel ministry in their midst may be properly maintained. It shall encourage good stewardship in these congregations that they may strive to become self-supporting.
   
7. The board shall recommend a salary scale and benefit package for its missionaries in keeping with the current economy and include its recommendations in its report to the synod.
   
8. All expenditures authorized by the board shall be presented in voucher form to the treasurer of the synod over the signature of the chairman or the Missions Counselor.
   
9. The board shall prepare a budget and present it to the Planning and Coordinating Committee annually.
   

ARTICLE III: MISSIONS COUNSELOR

1. The purpose of the office of Missions Counselor is to increase the effectiveness of the Board for Home Missions by:
   
1. Assisting in planning and conducting the gospel outreach program.
   
2. Assisting the missionaries and the congregations that they serve.
3. Promoting commitment to mission work by the synod's congregations.
   
2. The Missions Counselor will serve as staff to the Board for Home Missions. Duties for the office are contained in internal guidelines prepared by the board.
   
3. The Missions Counselor will be accountable to the board. He will not be a voting member of the board.
4. The salary and benefits of the Missions Counselor will be set and monitored by the Board of Trustees. Operational expenses will be budgeted for and monitored by the Board for Home Missions. Fuding for this position will be borne within the budget of the Board for Home Missions.

ARTICLE IV:  THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD FOR HOME MISSIONS AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

(cf. Rules and Regulations for the Board of Trustees, Article VI)

1. The Board for Home Missions, after thorough investigation, shall make known to the Board of Trustees any planning or progress in mission establishment where the synod’s resources for capital expenditures may be needed. The Board for Home Missions shall include this information in its quarterly report to the Board of Trustees.
   
2. The report and any recommendation from the Board for Home Missions to the Board of Trustees shall include:
   
1. The present and projected membership of the congregation.
   
2. The plan for lots, church building, parsonage.
   
3. The cost.
   
4. The timing.
   
5. The sources of financing available from the congregation, from mission resources, and from other sources. The Board of Trustees shall make arrangements for any loan.
   
6. The potential repayment plan.
   
3. When these points have been discussed and agreed upon, a plan of implementation shall be agreed upon between the two boards for each individual project. This plan shall include an outline of the responsibilities of each board in each case.
   
4. The Board of Trustees has the responsibility and authority to make the final decision in all matters involving financial obligations. (cf. Constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod Chapter V, Paragraph 1; Articles of Incorporation of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Article VIII)
   

ARTICLE V:  LOANS FROM THE SYNOD FOR HOME MISSION PROJECTS

(cf. Rules and Regulations of the Board of Trustees, Article VII)
(amended 2008 Synod Report, page 98)

1. Land Purchase
   
1. The purchase of land will ordinarily be considered only when the congregation or mission station demonstrates to the Board for Home Missions its financial ability to support a loan. Operating subsidy will continue to decline according to the proposed schedule.
   
2. Interest for land purchases will be set at a rate to be determined by the Board of Trustees.
   
3. The synod will subsidize such loans for three years at the following rates: 100% of the interest for the first year, 75% of the interest for the second year, and 50% of the interest for the third year. Land loans are calculated on a 10 year amortization. Sample amortization schedules are available from the Board for Home Missions.
   
4. The Home Mission Board will be responsible for beginning the construction of a building for worship within four years.
   
5. The congregation will be responsible for obtaining tax exempt status on purchased land.
   
6. After the building is erected on the land, the remaining land debt will be combined with the building debt. All remaining debt will fall under the building purchase subsidy plan for permanent financing.
   
7. All payments are to be made in keeping with the agreed upon amortization schedule.
   
8. The Evangelical Lutheran Synod will ordinarily hold title to the land.
   
2. Construction Financing
   
1. The construction of a building will be considered only when the congregation demonstrates to the board its financial ability to support a loan for such construction. Operating subsidy will continue to decline according to the proposed schedule.
   
2. Construction money is loaned after permanent financing has been secured. There are no points or fees assessed to construction financing. Interest on short-term loans for construction will be set in accordance with Article III.D. of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Trustees and reset after 8 months. Interest is billed monthly and is to be paid accordingly. All moneys borrowed for construction are to be repaid soon after the building is occupied or the permanent financing is in place.
   
3. The Evangelical Lutheran Synod will ordinarily hold title to the property on which the construction is taking place.
   
3. Permanent Financing
   
1. The construction of a building, or the purchase of a building, will be considered only when the congregation demonstrates to the board its financial ability to support a loan for a building.
   
2. Operating subsidy will continue to decline according to the proposed schedule.
   
3. Interest for the permanent financing of a building will be set according to the lender’s rate at the time the loan is made. The length of these loans is ordinarily 15 years.
   
4. [deleted]
   
5. All payments are to be made in keeping with the agreed upon amortization schedule which will be furnished by the Board for Home Missions.
   
6. The Evangelical Lutheran Synod will ordinarily hold title to mission property. As long as the synod holds title to the property, the following requirements shall apply regarding property improvements:
   
1. If improvements are necessary or desirable, such improvements shall be undertaken in consultation with the Board for Home Missions and the Board of Trustees both of which boards will make the decision. No change in structure, exterior or interior, shall be made without the approval of both boards. If the congregation proceeds with an expenditure without the approval of both boards, the congregation is responsible for payment for the improvement. An exception will be made to the foregoing requirements when immediate action is required to protect or preserve the property.
   
2. The congregation will be responsible to provide adequate insurance coverage on the property and will provide the synod’s Board of Trustees with verification of such adequate insurance.
   
3. In the event that a congregation has purchased a building for renovation into a church building, the congregation is to seek tax exempt status as soon as possible.
   
4. Until such time as the congregation takes title to the property (pays the debt), and if it is found necessary to sell all or part of the property, and there has been a significant fluctuation in the value of the property, proper regard for each other will be shown by both the Board of Trustees and the congregation.
   

ARTICLE VI:  DEFINITIONS

A.    Target Area.  A target area is seen as a future location for mission development and a mission congregation. Work done in such an area is under the supervision and control of the board.
B.    Preaching Station.  A preaching station is comprised of a group of concerned Christians established and supported entirely by themselves or a nearby congregation, in which the full range of pastoral activities is not required or possible.
C.    Subsidized Non-Mission Congregation.  A subsidized non-mission congregation is an established congregation which for special reasons requires financial aid from the board for a period of time. (cf. Article II.F.)
D.    Home Mission Congregation.  A home mission congregation is a subsidized congregation under the full jurisdiction of the board and receiving mission support as stated in the guidelines. (cf. Article II.F.)
E.    Exploratory Mission.  An exploratory mission is an unincorporated group served by a missionary who is wholly supported by the board while it is investigating the viability of a particular mission field.


ARTICLE VII:  MISSION EVALUATION

It is the prayer and expectation of the synod that each mission that it starts will eventually become self-supporting in a reasonable amount of time. The board shall maintain guidelines that will enable it to review the progress annually and the potential of each mission field under its direction and, if necessary, to withdraw subsidy. In the event that the board decides to withdraw subsidy, it shall do all within its power to arrange for the spiritual needs of the individuals affected.


ARTICLE VIII:  MEETINGS

Ordinarily the board shall meet quarterly. Special meetings as well as conference calls shall be arranged by the chairman.


ARTICLE IX:  DISBURSEMENTS OF THE PARTNERS IN THE GOSPEL FUND

1. Those who may be considered as recipients of this fund are:
   
1. Home mission congregations.
   
2. Established congregations through which the board desires to carry out synodical mission work in their geographical areas.
   
3. The board for the purpose of mission development and expansion.
   
2. The board shall determine the eligibility for use of these funds:
   
1. Disbursing, at its own discretion, all the interest money generated and made available each year.
   
2. Recommending to the Board of Trustees of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod disbursement of the capital fund for loans.
   
3. All loans from the capital fund shall be negotiated with the Board of Trustees with the understanding that loans to mission congregations shall be made in accordance with the synod guidelines entitled “Loans to Mission Congregations of the Synod.” (cf. Rules and Regulations of the Board of Trustees, Article VIII)
   

ARTICLE X:  DISCIPLINE IN CASES UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE BOARD

(cf. Synodical Discipline and Appeals, Article II)

1. In cases of discipline involving missionaries, teachers and mission stations under the jurisdiction of the board, the board shall exercise original jurisdiction. It shall hear the case and render a decision on the basis of Scripture.
   
2. If, after due admonition, the board’s decision is not accepted it shall arrange for a review together with the circuit visitor and the party(ies) concerned and shall render a decision on the basis of Scripture.
   
3. If after due admonition by the board and the circuit visitor the decision is not accepted, they shall report the case to the president of the synod. The president shall arrange for a review with the board, the visitor and the party(ies) concerned.
   
4. If the president finds the decision of the board and the visitor to be in keeping with Scripture, he shall urge acceptance of said decision.
   
5. In special and urgent cases where no resolution is reached, the president shall exercise the power of suspension from synodical membership. He shall report his action to the convention.
   
6. The suspended party has the right to appeal the decision. This appeal shall be addressed to the convention through its president. In the case of a congregation, the same procedure shall be followed.
   
7. Whenever a mission station becomes self supporting, the procedure under Guidelines for Synodical Discipline, Article I: General Cases shall apply.
   

ARTICLE XI:  RIGHT OF APPEAL

The board remains responsible to the synod for any actions taken during the year. Should a mission congregation be dissatisfied with any board decision or action, it has the right to appeal to the synod. A pastor who is serving under the board has the same right.