# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S805
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CONVENTION MINUTES 803

its gratitude to all who had worked unselfishly to make the “Build-
ing for Christ” a success (TB:186, 12).

The ballot for Church Extension Board resulted in the election
of Pastors Herman F. Zehnder and Armin Born and of Messrs. Fred
E. Lietz, G. F. Bode, Leo Kuhiman, and A. W. Krieger.

Messages of condolence were ordered sent to the Chief of
Chaplains of the Navy and to Chaplain Walter G. Brunn. Greetings
were received from the Montana Walther League.

The session closed with the singing of “Now Rest Beneath
_ Night’s Shadow,” joining in Luther’s Evening Prayer and the Lord’s
Prayer, and receiving the Apostolic Benediction.

Session 12
June 27, A.M.

The twelfth session was opened with devotions in which
Rev. Paul M. Freiburger, President of the Montana District, ad-
dressed the convention on the topic “The Church’s Warfare.” On
the basis of Eph. 6:10-12 he pointed out that our battle is against
the prince of this world, who inspires undying hostility to our
Lord and Savior. The battle is a fight to the finish, in which either
we defeat the foe or are defeated by him. It is our Lord alone
who holds the field against him, and only as we are unified with
Christ and use God’s Word so our hearts become one with it, can
we have the hope of victory. It is intimate union with Christ that
enables us to put on the full armor and wield the sword of the
Spirit in which we can conquer.

The minutes were adopted as corrected.

Prof. Naumann presented the second installment of his essay,
“Endeavoring to Keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace.”
He discussed the question: What can we do to keep the unity of
the Spirit? He pointed out the following: The picture of the church
which appears to our eyes shows tragic rents and divisions even
among churches of the Lutheran Book of Concord. This situation
cannot in any way be condoned, for Scripture sees no blessing in
differences in doctrine and permits no toleration of heresies; hence
every Christian and Christian congregation and church body has
the duty to prevent wherever possible divisions in Christendom
and to heal the breaches that have been made. To demonstrate
the spiritual unity of the Holy Christian Church and to preserve
it, we must labor to bring about agreement in all doctrines of Holy
Scripture, and that alone. Any diversion from this goal does not
work for an endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit. Consequently
we can contribute our part to keeping the unity by studying Holy
Writ in our confirmation classes, Bible classes, by doctrinal ser-