# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S14
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

12 PRESIDENT’S TRIENNIAL REPORT

the kindness of the military authorities and our chaplains, especially
Chaplain Alvin A. Katt, we were in a position to travel about 5,000
miles crisscrossing the American, the British, and the French Oc-
cupation Zones as well as to make a trip to Berlin. Thus we were
given an opportunity to gain firsthand impressions of the indescrib-
ably disheartening and discouraging conditions especially in the
larger towns and cities. We saw also the shocking spiritual plight
of the country where once stood the cradle of the Reformation.
Upon our return we attempted to report to our people in our peri-
odicals, in a special pamphlet, and in lectures held in various sec-
tions of the country. We are deeply grateful to God for His gra-
cious guidance and protection on this trip.

In this connection it should be said that Dr. L. Meyer and Dr. F.
E. Mayer of our Seminary in St. Louis were sent to Europe for a
follow-up of the work which we were permitted to begin in’ 1945.
About the same time, the Rev. W. C. Daib, former chaplain, was
sent to Europe by our Board for Home Missions in Europe. Re-
cently Dr. F. E. Mayer went again-on a mission to, Europe, and
Dr. Martin Graebner also was sent to do what can be done to aid

‘Lutherans, especially the Free Churches, in their program of re-

habilitation, Dr. W. A. Maier made a special trip to Europe at the
request of the military government, and Dr. C. S. Mundinger is now
in Europe as one of a group requested by the military authorities
of our country.

' We are happy to welcome at this convention Dr. Petersen of
Berlin, President of the Free Church of Saxony and Other States,
and Dr. Schultz of the Breslau Synod. These men will be intro-
duced to the convention and among other things will report on the
glorious blessings which God has showered upon the negotiations
between these two bodies in the interest of doctrinal unity.

Your President was called upon to carry out Synod’s resolu-
tions with reference to the appointment of a Vice-President since
Dr. G. Chr. Barth accepted the call to the presidency of our Con-
cordia Seminary at Springfield. The regulations for the appoint-
ment required that the man who had received the next highest
number of votes at the former election be the appointee. The Rev.
W. F. Lichtsinn, President of the Central District, felt constrained
to decline the appointment. The next in line was the Rev. F. A.
Hertwig. He accepted the appointment and withdrew from mem-
bership on Synod’s Board of Directors.

Attention should’ be called to the fact that the name for
Synod adopted by the last convention, “The Lutheran Church,
Missouri Synod,” was presented to all congregations of Synod.
More than one third of the congregations of Synod registered a