# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1850_S115
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 115 —
The Synodical Convention in the Year 1850.

Because of the hindering circumstances brought on by the cholera (which
again visited St. Louis this year), the Synod could not hold this year's
sessions at the time given in last year's synodical report; but the proposal
of several synod members, "that the convention be held in the period from
October 2–12 of this year," was accepted by most members all the more
readily, since many important matters lay ready for deliberation.
Accordingly, the pastors and congregational deputies concerned assembled
on Wednesday, October 2, at nine o'clock in the morning, in the Trinity
Church [Dreieinigkeitskirche] of the German Evangelical Lutheran
congregation of the unaltered Augsburg Confession in St. Louis, and the
outgoing *Präses* [president], Professor Walther, opened the sessions with
the hymn "Come, Holy Spirit, LORD God," and a heartfelt prayer. — In all,
21 public sessions were held, and besides these 14 committee meetings and
other gatherings took place.

The opening of the synodical sessions took place each time in this manner:
in the morning a hymn was sung to begin, then a chapter from Acts
[Apostelgeschichte] was read aloud by a pastor, who implored God's grace
and blessing on our deliberations, etc. In the same way, but without the
hymn, the afternoon sessions were opened, and each time the close was
made with the Lord's Prayer.

On both Sundays, as well as on several weekdays, worship services were
held, at which the Reverend Pastors Biltz, Biewend, Jäbker, Dr. Sihler,
Crämer, Lange, Schaller, and Brohm preached, some on the appointed
Gospel and Epistle readings [Perikopen], others on different texts.

The number of members who had for the most part already gathered at the
beginning, and some who arrived only later, including the newly admitted
pastors and teachers, is shown by the list given above.

Everything else the kind reader may gather from what follows.

Synodical Address
of the outgoing *Präses*, Professor Walther.

Reverend brothers, beloved in Christ, brothers in office and in faith!

We begin our synodical proceedings this time under circumstances such as
never before. The history of our synodical fellowship has evidently now
entered a new stage. Until the time of last year's convention, God in His
great mercy had spared us grievous visitations and granted us the grace to
build undisturbed. Until then we had been granted a time like that which
the holy evangelist Luke describes for us in these words: "Then had the
churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were
edified; and walking in the fear of the LORD, and in the comfort of the
Holy Ghost, were multiplied." Acts 9:31. Our