At its November meeting, the Synodical Council reviewed plans and the resulting summary budgets for each area of ministry. The council confirmed the allocation percentages approved last spring, which earmarked 75 percent of the total operating budget to ministerial education and mission outreach.

To ensure a balanced budget, the council limited ministry plans to available funding. Plans for the operating budget show small increases in ministry support for each of the next four years. Significant ministry needs, however, are unfunded in these proposed budgets, including minimum support for mission work and tight funding for Parish Services, the Conference of Presidents, the Ministry of Christian Giving, and Communication Services.

Most challenging is the anticipated projected deficits at the ministerial education schools. Primarily because of lower enrollments, the schools are facing shortfalls of $2-$4 million in each of the next four years. To minimize the impact these shortfalls will have, the Synodical Council approved a special one-time grant to Ministerial Education of an additional $2.6 million for the next biennium (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2009). Ministerial Education is to return in February 2007 with a plan to manage the remainder of its budget shortfalls. That plan may have to include defunding Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, Mich., and only partially funding Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis., after the 2007-08 school year. In late February 2007, the council will give final approval of all ministry plans and budgets for the next biennium—including the ministerial education plan—and then submit the information for consideration at the 2007 synod convention.

The Lord, however, continues to provide great blessings to WELS. Home Missions is planning  to help with 150 ministry opportunities in the next two years. World Missions has added a friendly counselor to India and a mission professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis. Enrollments at the ministerial education schools continue to provide the workers WELS need for the harvest fields.

Says WELS President Karl Gurgel, “As we struggle with our human frailties, our eyes rise heavenward in thanksgiving and with trust that the Lord of the Church will bless our efforts for the salvation of many souls and the coming of his kingdom.”