# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S264
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

264 MISSIONS

still employed in the services, the antagonism between Germ
and France growing out of past wars, and the fact that the
Church is not recognized by the government as a Church, but
as a benevolent association and that it is incorporated as su
do charitable work through a sanatorium for tuberculous pa
located near Strasbourg, has undoubtedly impeded the pro;
of the Free Church’s work and obstructed a ready appro
the native Frenchmen.
“Our brethren in Paris worship in a chapel which is ix
interior of a building, the front of which is used for commé
purposes, while the upper stories are divided into apartmi
The chapel, very beautiful and serviceable, is located in th
part of the first floor, but completely hidden away from the
so that anyone passing the structure could not possibly
the presence of a church or be aware that the work of the
is being done there.
“Pastor Kreiss has sought faithfully to perform his du
ministering to such German- or French-speaking individ
would accept his ministrations. The result has been that his
have been widely scattered and tremendously time cons
He has also devoted much time to the work of the Lutheran
to the editing of a Lutheran church paper in French, and
maintenance of contacts with pastors and theological professo:
the three other Lutheran churches, or synods, in Fran
Lutheran Synod of Paris, the. Lutheran Synod of Mont
and the Lutheran Synod of Alsace, with a hope of stimu
Lutheran consciousness and strengthening the foundatig
Lutheran doctrine and practice in these synods. For that pr
our brethren in France in the past three years also a ts
theological discussions (“Bad Boll” conferences) with past
professors from these synods. American representatives
Missouri Synod took part in the discussions.
“The Benevolent Society, representing particularly o
dominantly German churches in Alsace, made its first effort.
the Gospel to wider areas of the French population by le
helping hand in the establishment of the mission at Rouen,
the first-floor living quarters of a three-story home ha
converted into a chapel. The entrance way to this structt
be given a touch of ecclesiastical architecture so as to
more clearly its use for church purposes.

“B. Problems.

“1 Native Frenchmen are assumed to belong to the 4
Catholic Church. Multitudes, however, who may have beet
tized in the Roman Catholic Church today are quite unchukg