# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1959_S11
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

PRESIDENT’S TRIENNIAL REPORT 11

with their Indian pastors and evangelists, to gain a better idea of
the elementary and secondary schools of our missions and also of
the training of national pastors. It afforded opportunity to meet
many of our American as well as many of the national workers.
Furthermore, it afforded the new experience and privilege to
address smaller and larger groups of these fellow Lutherans
through an interpreter.

These statements apply to all the countries visited. Every-
where the time was too short. Everywhere our Church has faith-
ful and conscientious missionaries, everywhere excellent oppor-
tunities, everywhere victories for Christ. If only all you delegates
could make such a trip! The firsthand information gained would
move you mightily to become all the more consecrated and en-
thusiastic advocates of the cause of world missions.

Another unforgettable experience for your President during
the past triennium was an official visit to the conventions of the
Brazil and Argentine Districts in January and February 1957.
Executive secretaries of our North American mission department
had visited the districts, but this was the first official visit since
1928 by a member of either the Praesidium or the Board of Di-
rectors. In February 1959 Dr. A. H. Grumm visited the conven-
tion of the Brazil District to counsel the brethren in the matter
of reorganizing the District’s educational system for the training
of pastors and teachers. Furthermore, he counseled the brethren
what steps should be taken to become a self-governing sister
church rather than a district of our Synod. Our convention will
be asked to pass enabling resolutions.

Your President paid a visit to Europe in 1957 to attend the
so-called “Bad Boll Meetings” in England and in Germany because
this was the tenth year of such free conferences and because the
invitation extended him was made especially urgent. With the
exception of the first year, 1948, Dr. Herman Harms has accom-
panied our theologians to these conferences. During the year 1958
no meetings were held. Soon after this convention two of our
theologians and Dr. Herman Harms, chosen by our Committee on
Doctrinal Unity, will represent our Synod at a series of free con-
ferences with pastors of the Landeskirchen and of the Free
Churches.

Sometimes brethren ask whether these conferences accom-
plish anything. They surely do. They have contributed much
to encourage and to strengthen the brethren of the Free Churches
and also many of the men in the Landeskirchen who are lonely
Lutherans and are eager to remain loyal to God’s Word. There
can be no doubt that these men derived great benefits from these
contacts with our theologians. God’s Word never returns void, but