Fiedler to begin second five-year term as Foundation president

David Fiedler addresses attendees at Concordia Historical Institute’s 42nd annual awards banquet in 2016. Fiedler is beginning his second five-year term as president of the LCMS Foundation, which provides planned-giving and investment-management services to LCMS entities and congregation members. (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

David Fiedler was appointed to his second five-year term as president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Foundation by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees at its Nov. 16 meeting in New Orleans. Fiedler began serving in the post in 2013.

The LCMS Foundation provides planned-giving and investment-management services to LCMS entities and congregation members. Fiedler leads a staff of 50 professional church workers, 20 of whom work directly to provide gift-planning services for LCMS donors across the country.

“The Foundation has been richly blessed in its service to the church during Dave’s time,” said Russ Harms, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Our organization continues to increase its ability and effectiveness in helping donors make the very best gifts to family and ministry and the expertise we can offer will — with the Lord’s help — produce even more significant funding resources to LCMS ministries over the long term.”

Fiedler said “it has been such a joy to serve in this role over the past five years. We are richly blessed by the partnerships we have with congregations, universities and the seminaries to provide gift planning, which allows even more LCMS members to be served by our counselors.”

During the 2017 fiscal year, the LCMS Foundation distributed nearly $37 million in gifts to Synod ministries — an increase of some 20 percent over past years.

In that same period, the Foundation also assisted LCMS congregation members in creating $178 million in future gifts that will provide direct funding to Synod churches, schools and other ministry organizations in the coming years.

“The incredible generosity of LCMS members and their joyful acts of giving in creating these gift plans are such an inspiration to us,” Fiedler said. “We take very seriously the responsibility we have in being entrusted with the management of these gifts.”

In its investment program, the Foundation oversees approximately $800 million in assets, including both donor trust assets and investments placed by more than 400 LCMS organizations.

LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison called Fiedler “a person I’m proud to know and honored to serve with.”

He added that he wishes “everyone in the LCMS — all 2 million of them — could come spend a bit of time with [the Foundation], who serve them so selflessly and faithfully.”

The Foundation provides its services to all ministries of the LCMS. For more information about the Foundation and partnership opportunities in planned giving and endowment investing, call 800-325-7912, or visit lcmsfoundation.org.

Posted Dec. 26, 2017