# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1848_S39
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 39 —

12. Mr. Johann Georg Birkmann, called by the congregation at Ridge
Prairie, Madison Co., Ill., on January 30 of this year, in the midst of his
congregation, by Pastor Bünger, assisted by Pastor Lochner.

13. Mr. Paulus Heid, called by the congregation near Wapakonetta,
Allen County, Ind., on February 13 of this year, in its midst, by Pastor
Dr. Sihler, assisted by Pastor Streckfuss.

14. Mr. Franz Julius Biltz, called by the congregation at Apple Creek,
Cape Girardeau Co., Mo., on March 12 of this year, in its midst, by Pastor
Löber, assisted by Pastor Gruber.

15. Mr. J. Michael Johannes, called by the congregation in Jefferson
County, Mo., on June 4 of this year, in its midst, by me.

II. As to, second, the changes of office that have occurred among the
members of our synodical body, I have the following to report:

1. Pastor Richmann received a call to the German Ev. Lutheran
congregation of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession at St. Peter's Church in
Lancaster, O., which call he accepted with the consent of his former
congregations. He took up this office on March 5 of this year. As a result
of this change, the St. Peter's congregation in Hocking County, O.,
previously served by Pastor Richmann, has become vacant; it has since duly
elected and called candidate Mr. Paul Baumgart, until now a teacher at the
school of the Lutheran congregation in Baltimore, as Pastor Richmann's
successor. The latter has already, at his own request, been publicly
examined by Pastor Wyneken at my direction and found qualified, and is
therefore to receive ordination shortly.

2. Pastor Ernst has received and accepted a call to three congregations
in and near Marion County, O., after the congregations he previously
served at Neudettelsau, Union Co., O., had willingly given their consent —
the latter having now called assistant pastor Seidel to be their pastor
exclusively.

3. Pastor Schneider has left his congregations in and near Marion,
Marion Co., O., for reasons unknown to me. Since he has not informed me of
his current whereabouts, I have had no opportunity to inquire of him
concerning the legitimacy of his resignation from office.

I mention here also that Pastor Lehmann asked me, as Präses of the
Synod, to arrange for his formal installation into the pastorate of the
congregation at Hanover, near Cape Girardeau, Mo., to which he had been
called. His request has been granted.

III. As to, third, the visitation journeys I undertook this year, I
must report that in the past synodical year I made only one such journey.
The instruction given to the Präses by the Synod for these journeys does
direct him to distribute them as evenly as possible over the course of his
term of office; it might therefore seem that I have disregarded this
instruction. But since I have, under the discretion granted me for this
purpose, entrusted the visitation of the congregations lying in the eastern
part of our synodical district to the present Vice-Präses, and since here
in the west only a few, widely scattered congregations currently have a
claim on a visit from the Präses — though a larger number of them will
presumably be added in the next synodical year, several of which could then
be visited along a single route without great loss of time — I hope for
the approval of this course of...