# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S1106
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

420
MISSIONS
average annual gai MISSIONS 421
Similarly in ain in attendance at servi
ership has boon seis, the thee annua gain fas een lig, san literature; maintaining a preparatory theological school
© Over the last Zed mem. ysg Oesi d a theological i (Hochschule) at
; . ss Oesingen and a theological seminary (Hochschu

el. The fact that persons born in German communities,
“5 _the Lutheran, or Evangelical, Landeskirche prevails, are
“= med to be members of that Church because they have been
shaptized and confirmed there, even though they have long since
re ced to attend the services, has caused the pastors of the Free
“Church to be hesitant about doing mission work among such
* ae y unchurched people. The result has been that the growth
“of the Free Churches has not been as great as it might have been,
“ynder God, if the approach had been more realistic and if more

‘geressive missionary methods for the winning of souls had been

Same period, and *
in church attendance’ has been an i
° oa Year

Our Board has been deeply impressed

1 :
Plan of expansion and church activation

submitted to us. with the forward-looking

which Pastor Hobus hae

Zanization. =
v. Germany employed. Today the problem in some instances is a bit more
complicated, since pastors and congregations of the Free Church

in some communities find it necessary to use the facilities of the
established Church to conduct their meetings and services. Ob-
viously this would not be permitted if they made an effort to win
people for the Free Church who are nominally members of the
established Church. _

“According to a census taken by the United States Military
Government, 97 per cent of the people of Germany are nominally.
church members, of whom, however, only 1144 per cent would be
counted as members under conditions prevailing in our country.
Twenty-six per cent are actually opposed to Christianity despite
he? i ; ~named two church es, their nominal church membership.

1S maintaining a flourishing mis-

synods, espe-

“C. Recommendations.

“The Commission submits the following recommendations with
reference to our work in West Germany:

“1. That assistance be provided through loans which ‘will

expression :
° er active

“The work in Germany m tb ; enable congregations whose houses of worship were destroyed,

work in the West Zone and we “a © considered under two aspects and other congregations of the Free Churches, to secure places

orx in the East Zone of worship, with the understanding that these loans be repaid over

a reasonable period of time. The places where such buildings
would be needed, as well as the amounts and terms of the loans,
are to be established through consultation with the officers of the
respective synod and of the respective congregations of the com-
munities which would come into question.”

Comment: As far as our knowledge goes, this recommendation
has been carried out through a special grant for the establishment

of a revolving Church Extension Fund. This grant was made by
the Board of Directors from Peace Thankoffering and Centennial

Thankoffering funds. .
“2, That consideration be given to the possibility of resettling

been great, O
 Sreat. Our Synod has assis
ted the
some of the millions of refugees, still without home and without

‘elief > subsidizin, I ‘ef ugee 10: ther
y and o