FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE LINCOLN FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN AND TRUST AGREEMENT (EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 1998)

                                                                   Exhibit 10(9)

                             FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE
                          LINCOLN FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK
                EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN AND TRUST AGREEMENT
                            (EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 1998)

         Pursuant to rights  reserved  under Section 9.1 of the Lincoln  Federal
Savings Bank Employee  Stock  Ownership  Plan and Trust  Agreement (the "Plan"),
Lincoln  Federal  Savings Bank (the "Bank")  amends the Plan,  effective July 1,
1998, as follows:

         1.       Section  1.37(a)(v) of the Plan is amended to provide,  in its
                  entirety, as follows:

                  (v)      amount  not  includible  into  income  by  reason  of
                           Section 125 or 401(k) of the Code;


         2.       The last sentence of Section 1.37 is deleted in its entirety.


         3.       Section 4.3(a)(ii) is amended to provide, in its entirety,  as
                  follows:

                  (ii)     thirty  thousand  dollars   ($30,000),   as  adjusted
                           pursuant to Section 415(d).



         This  First  Amendment  to the  Plan  has  been  executed  this  day of
17 day of August, 1999.

                                                 LINCOLN FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK


                                                 By: /s/ T. Xxx Xxxxx
                                                     ---------------------------
                                                     T. Xxx Xxxxx
                                                 Its: President/CEO
Attest:

By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxx
    ------------------------------
    Xxxx X. Xxxx
Its: CFO/Secretary/Treasurer