# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S664
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

6864 MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS

measure in which the Lord blesses the help which we have be erg
able to extend to the Lutheran leaders of the churches in Gerdg
many, in that same measure will confessional Lutheranism i
Germany be strengthened.

Bad Boll Sessions 4

In 1947 President J. W. Behnken and Dr. Lawrence Meyer”
first discussed the possibility of a general conference of German'4
Lutherans and Missouri Synod Lutherans. “4

Arrangements for seminars were made by a joint committeé“4
composed of members of the Missouri Synod, of the Free Church’4
(the Free Church of Saxony and of Breslau), and of the
Landeskirche. “4

The invitation to conduct these meetings was extended to ¥
the Missouri Synod by Bishop Wurm, Bishop Meiser, Bishop 4
Bender, Rev. P. H. Petersen, and other representatives of the Lu:
theran churches of Germany.

During the visit of Dr. E. Gerstenmaier of the German Hilfs- 4
werk and Dr. Karl J. Arndt, chief of Religious Affairs of the |
Military Government, to St. Louis in the spring of 1948, prepara- 3
tiohs were completed, lecturers appointed, and topics assigned. The
meetings were opened June 23 at Bad Boll, Germany, a little resort
town, about forty miles out of Stuttgart, Germany. a

The Missouri Synod was represented by President J. W. Behn- 3
ken, Professor W. A. Baepler of our Springfield, Ill, Seminary,
Professors Theo. Graebner, Paul Bretscher, F. E. Mayer, from
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Professor O. Fuerbringer of Seward,
Nebr., and Dr. L. Meyer. ,

The purpose of these seminars was to strengthen the men of
the German Church in their adherence to the Lutheran Confes-
sions. In no more effective manner could our Synod redeem its
pledge of extending help to the fullest extent of its abilities to
Lutherans everywhere for the conservation of their spiritual
heritage.

This first series of Bad Boll conferences was held for a period
of four weeks, closing on July 23, 1948,

The second Bad Boll meeting of Lutheran theologians was
held for a period of six weeks, from June 1 to July 13, 1949.

The program was arranged by a joint committee of the VELKiD
(the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany), the American
Lutheran World Federation, and the Missouri Synod. There were
four sessions of about ten days each.

The first session (June 1—10) was placed under the manage-
ment of the United Lutheran Church of Germany. Bishop Meiser
presided. The general subject was “Christianity, the State, and
Education.” The second session (June 12—21) was assigned to