Serving Church Workers

“If one member suffers, all suffer together…” (I Cor. 12:26)

LCMS members care about pastors, teachers and other church workers who teach us about Jesus and dedicate their lives to sharing God’s love. To lend a hand to those servants when financial crises hit, LCMS World Relief and Human Care established two ministries, “Soldiers of the Cross” and “Veterans of the Cross.”

Veterans of the Cross (VOTC) provides small, periodic stipends and pastoral care for church work retirees (or their surviving spouses) who struggle to pay for basic living expenses, such as for medicine or utility bills. Administered by Concordia Plan Services, the fund relies on donations raised by WR-HC. Soldiers of the Cross (SOTC) assists current church workers with transitional or emergency financial needs, typically for one to three months, and offers pastoral care and case management. Employment and health challenges often trigger the need for SOTC, which depends solely on contributions through WR-HC.

Needs are growing for both ministries, especially during economically tough times when already modest pensions and salaries can be stretched thin by illness, layoffs and other financial crises. To learn more about these ministries and how you can help church workers and church work veterans, visit lcms.org/votc for Veterans of the Cross and lcms.org/sotc for Soldiers of the Cross.