What is the ELCM practice regarding Benevolence?
We have no apportioned Benevolence ! That s right, you heard it clearly, there is NO APPORTIONED BENEVOLENCE. The Congregations freely choose to send funds to the central treasury for support of basic expenses. Since our Officers and staff are not salaried this keeps our expenses very minimal. The Ministerium and General Conference Executive Board recommend to General Conference and the The General Conference of ELCM recommends to the congregation’s various Missions and special Ministries that are deemed worthy of support. Each individual congregation then is free to choose which of the recommended missions and ministries it would give support. The Congregations send their Mission support directly to the Mission or Special Ministry rather than through a central treasurer. It is our view that this succeeds in keeping Mission and special Ministries very close to the people of the local congregations and to the local parish pastor s. It avoids power politics from developing around budget
