# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S2 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) vi FOREWORD The opening service on Monday afternoon, July 28, was in the nature of a memorial service honoring 151 pastors and 47 teachers and a number of prominent laymen whom the Lord had transferred to the Church Triumphant during the past triennium. Dr. Theo. Engelder served as liturgist, and Dr. J. H. C. Fritz de- jivered the address. . Three essays were gratefully received. They set forth God’s uninterrupted grace during the past century. These essays were read by Dr. Wm. Dallmann, Dr. H. Grueber, and President O. A. Fuerbringer of the Seward Teachers College. Mayor Martin R. Kennelly of Chicago spoke before the con- vention on the first day, welcoming the delegates to the city. On Thursday the Governor of Illinois, the Hon. Dwight H. Green, addressed Synod and expressed his interest in the work it is carrying on. It would be impossible to mention the hundreds of visitors and guests who attended the convention. The names of those who registered are kept on file. There were some who were dele- gated by other church bodies to bring greetings and who addressed the convention. We mention Dr. P. H. Petersen, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Germany, Dr. Matthias Schulz, President of the Breslau Synod in Germany, which is about ready to declare itself in full doctrinal agreement with the Free Church. Dr. C. Hoopmann, President of the Evangelical Lu- theran Church of Australia, and the Rev. Dr. A. Settala, who per- sonally conveyed greetings from Archbishop Aleksi Lehtonen of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. These men ad- dressed the convention, as did the Rev. A. Harstad, President of the Norwegian Synod, and Dr. Andrew Daniel, President of the Slovak Church. The Presidents of our two South American Districts, Presidents R. Hasse of Brazil and President S. Beck- mann of Argentina, were given an opportunity to speak to the convention and to convey the greetings of their Districts. Some of the many missionaries present from India, China, and Africa were called upon to report on their work when the respective missions were under discussion. Dr. Walter A. Maier, Dr. C. S. Mundinger, and Mr. Louis P, Lochner, who recently had been in Europe, called Synod’s attention to conditions over there which call for our consecrated efforts to alleviate spiritual and physical suffering in war-torn countries. Besides the greetings delivered in person, the following con- gratulatory messages were brought to the attention of the con- vention: telegram from E. Benjamin Schlueter, President of the Synodical Conference; letter from John Brenner, ‘President of the