BOD 15 2015/2016
MINUTES
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
INTERNATIONAL LUTHERAN LAYMEN'S LEAGUE
Online Friday, January 15, 2016
In Attendance: Chairman Philip Krauss II; Vice Chairman Phillip Johnson; Treasurer Paul Pettit;
Secretary Janice Wendorf; Londa Borer-Skov; Jack Ficken; Richard Gast; Gretchen Jameson;
Kay Meyer; Leonard Pranschke; Andreas Schwabe; Weldon Schwiebert; Richard Sindlinger;
William Snow; LHM President & CEO Kurt Buchholz, Ex Officio; LCMS Liaison Rev.
Timothy Scharr, Advisory; and LCC Liaison Mathew Block Advisory.
Absent: Pastoral Advisor Rev. Timothy Klinkenberg and LLL Canada Managing Director
Stephen Klinck, Advisory.
Staff of Lutheran Hour Ministries attended portions of the meeting at the request of the President
& CEO.
01 Philip Krauss II, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 9:08 a.m. CST.
02 Chairman Krauss read an entry from the Maxwell Leadership Bible on Ezekiel for the
opening devotion.
03 Chairman Krauss shared opening comments.
Chairman Krauss reminded Board members to read the book, Boards that Make a
Difference, before the April meeting. Gretchen Jameson will lead the Board in a
discussion on the book and its application to Board roles.
Chairman Krauss reported that he had sent letters to LCMS President Harrison, LCC
President Bugbee, and their respective Boards of Directors, as requested by the Board in
the October 2015 meeting. It was clarified by the Board that the request had been to
address the letters to each Board of Directors, copying President Harrison and President
Bugbee.
04 Kurt Buchholz, President & CEO, read a letter dated January 6, 2016, from Rev. Timothy
Klinkenberg resigning from his role as Pastoral Adviser to the Board, due to increased
commitments at his home congregation. He pledged his continued enthusiasm for and
support of LHM, and recommend that the Board consider Rev. Bill Tucker to succeed him.
M 2015/16-33 Motion was made to approve the consent agenda including: approval of
meeting agenda; approval of October 2015 meeting minutes; and resolution to elect
subcorporation officers.
Motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
05 Jack Ficken, Chair of the Compensation and Evaluation Committee, reported that the
committee met via phone conference to review documents detailing the performance of the
BOD 16 2015/2016
President & CEO. A recommendation for salary will be presented in executive session.
Policy Based Governance describes the performance of the President & CEO to be the same
as the performance of the organization as a whole, so this will be the criterion for future
evaluations and salary recommendations.
06 Janice Wendorf, Secretary and Chair of the Board Development Committee, gave the report
for the committee, drawing attention to the committee minutes from their December 7, 2015
conference call.
M2015/16-34 Board Development Committee moved that the Board accept Appendix L:
Board Monitoring Guidelines.
Motion carried by voice vote.
07 President & CEO Buchholz reported on the work of the Task Force: Policy Manual
Consultant. Information was given describing the process used to compile the document,
which aims to create a manual that is clearer, less redundant, more navigable, and more
closely aligned with policy-based governance. The Board will receive the proposed revised
document electronically after the meeting and should review it prior to the April meeting,
where time will be allotted for full Board discussion. In addition, Board members are
encouraged to ask questions of any of the task force members (President & CEO Buchholz,
Jameson, Leonard Pranschke, and Secretary Wendorf) prior to the meeting.
08 Chairman Krauss reported on behalf of the Executive Committee, pointing to Motion
2015/16-32, which was approved by the Executive Committee in their meeting on December
11, 2015. The motion approved Resolution: Housing Allowance Designation, which set Tina
Kassebaum’s housing allowance at 60%. Minutes from the meeting were part of the docket
for this meeting.
09 Paul Pettit, Treasurer and Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, presented the updated
financial report for LHM.
Motion 2015/16-35 Budget and Finance Committee moved that the November 2015
Financial Report be accepted and filed for audit.
Motion carried by voice vote.
10 William Snow, Chair of the Audit Committee, reported that the committee did not meet.
They will have a proposal for the Board to consider at the April meeting.
11 Secretary Wendorf, Chair of the Election Committee, reported that the committee also
includes Jameson and Pranschke and two staff members to be assigned. The committee will
meet via phone conference call by June 15 to confirm the results of the vote.
12 Phil Johnson, Vice Chairman and Chair of the Fund Development Committee, reported that
the committee had nothing new to report.
BOD 17 2015/2016
13 Dick Gast, Chair of the Nominations Committee, reported that the committee met November
19, 2015. Minutes from the meeting were part of the docket for this meeting. The proposed
slate of candidates will be presented in executive session.
Motion 2015/16-36 Motion was made to go into Executive Session.
Motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
Staff and the liaisons from LCMS and LCC were released from the meeting, and invited to return
when the meeting reconvened in the afternoon.
Motion 2015/16-37 Motion was made to go out of Executive Session.
Motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
14 Londa Borer-Skov offered a closing prayer.
15 The Board went into recess.
16 The meeting reconvened at 1:00 p.m. CST.
17 Ficken offered the session opening prayer.
Motion 2015/16-38 Nominations Committee moved to approve the slate of candidates for
the Spring 2016 Election for Members of the Board of Directors as presented: Chairman:
Phillip Johnson and Philip Kraus II; Directors: Londa Borer-Skov, Paul Martin, Michael
“Mick” Onnen, Gene Partlow, Paul Pettit, Richard Sindlinger, and William Snow.
Motion carried by voice vote.
18 President & CEO Buchholz gave his report.
Jay DeBeir, Vice President of Strategic Alignment, introduced himself to the Board,
sharing his work experience and background.
Andrew Fitzgerald, Director of Digital Ministries, reported on updates and developments
in the area and requested prayer support for the work.
President & CEO Buchholz guided the Board through a document outlining how the
proposed Bylaws changes will be presented to the membership for approval.
President & CEO Buchholz shared the timeline for the 2016 election process.
President & CEO Buchholz reported that due to a requirement by the bank with whom
LHM banks in Uganda, all Board members are required to provide color scans of their
passports and state issued driver’s licenses with residential address on them. Staff will
provide guidelines of what is needed after the meeting. These files are to be submitted to
LHM staff by January 22, 2016, in order to comply with the bank’s deadline.
Motion 2015/16-39 Motion was made to approve the account resolutions for Fifth Third
Bank and Commerce Bank as submitted.
BOD 18 2015/2016
Motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
19 Mathew Block, LCC Liaison, brought greetings from LCC President Bugbee and reported
the church body has been mandated by the districts to restructure the entire church body,
presenting this to the 2017 LCC Convention in early October 2017. He requested prayer
support for LCC and those working to fulfill this mandate.
20 Rev. Timothy Scharr, LCMS Liaison, brought greetings from President Harrison and shared
some of the issues presented to the Council of Presidents that will be affecting LCMS
churches, schools, seminaries, and institutions. The convention of the LCMS in July 2016
will have 18 floor committees appointed.
Motion 2015/16-40 Following a detailed review of performance for LHM’s President &
CEO by the Board’s Compensation and Evaluation Committee, and in an effort to move
the salary of this position closer to the midpoint of the salary range for comparable
Lutheran organizations, the committee moved an increase in salary for the 2016-2017 fiscal
year of 9.319%, beginning June 1, 2016.
Motion carried by voice vote.
Motion 2015/16-41 Motion was made to approve the Rev. Bill Tucker of San Antonio,
Texas, as Pastoral Advisor for the Board, subject to his agreement to serve.
Motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
21 Future Board Meetings:
April 14-16, 2016; St. Louis, MO (arrive April 14). Seminary banquet held April 15.
Committees should meet via phone or web conference prior to the meeting.
July 7-8, 2016; Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, WI. Prior to the LCMS
convention being held in Milwaukee, WI.
October 20-23, 2016; Union Station, St. Louis, MO. 100th Anniversary Celebration and
2016 Int’l LLL Convention.
January 20, 2017; online.
April 20-22, 2017; St. Louis, MO.
July 20-22, 2017; St. Louis, MO.
October 19-21, 2017; St. Louis, MO.
22 Secretary Wendorf reported on behalf of the Board Development Committee that the Board
self-evaluation tool will be sent to Board members following the meeting. The evaluation is
to be completed by March 1. Results will be shared with the Board in the April meeting.
23 Chairman Krauss led the Board in an informal meeting evaluation.
24 Kay Meyer offered the closing prayer.
BOD 19 2015/2016
Motion 2015/16-42 Motion was made to adjourn the meeting.
Motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
25 Meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by,
Janice Wendorf, Secretary
BOD A-50 2015/2016
BOD A-51 2015/2016
BOD A-52 2015/2016
Resolution to Elect Subcorporation Officers
Whereas the Board of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League and its President & CEO also
serve as the Governing Board Membership of the sub-corporations Envoy Productions, Inc.;
Envoy Entertainment, Inc.; and Lutheran Television, Inc.;
Be it resolved that the following officers of said corporations be elected:
Lutheran Television, Inc.
President: Kurt Buchholz
Secretary: Larry Pritchett
Envoy Productions, Inc.
President: Kurt Buchholz
Envoy Entertainment, Inc.
President: Kurt Buchholz
Secretary: Larry Pritchett
All other officers and directors shall remain as elected in July 2015.
BOD A-53 2015/2016
BOD A-54 2015/2016
BOD A-55 2015/2016
RESOLUTION
HOUSING ALLOWANCE DESIGNATION
Whereas, section 107 of the Internal Revenue Code permits a minister of the Gospel to
exclude from gross income (in computing federal income taxes) a housing allowance paid to
him or her as part of his or her compensation to the extent used by him or her for actual
expenses in owning or renting a home; and
Whereas, Tina Kassebaum is compensated by the Int’l Lutheran Laymen’s League
exclusively for services as a commissioned minister of the Gospel; and
Whereas, International Lutheran Laymen’s League does not provide a parsonage; therefore,
it is hereby
Resolved, that 60% of the total compensation paid for the remaining portion of the calendar
year 2015 to Tina Kassebaum as a commissioned minister of the Gospel is hereby designated
to be a housing allowance pursuant to section 107 of the Internal Revenue Code.
BOD A-56 2015/2016
BOD A-57 2015/2016
BOD A-58 2015/2016
BOD A-59 2015/2016
BOD A-60 2015/2016