# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1850_S145
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 145 —

reports on the conduct of Pastor Grabau and others in their
congregations to the Secretary of the Synod. The book to be drafted shall
also treat

The Matter of the Congregations at Milwaukee and Kirchhayn,

which was dealt with in six sessions at this year's Synod, and shall, with
God's help, be so set forth that anyone may easily recognize
who acted rightly and who wrongly. Regarding the matter of these
congregations, the Synod already declares itself as follows: "that it is
convinced that the three congregations in question separated from their
pastors and their Synod solely for conscience's sake, on account of false
doctrine and unbiblical, popish practice on the part of their pastors, and
are therefore by no means to be regarded as factions [*Rotten*], and also
acted rightly in immediately calling orthodox pastors." The Synod did not,
however, in any way approve of the pointed expressions contained in the
reply letter of the Kirchhayn congregation (to the citation from Pastor
Grabau's ministerium), and the congregation has acknowledged having
erred in this.

The Detroit Matter.

In accordance with a Synod resolution, the following report on the
matter of the congregation at Detroit, which had turned to our Synod with a
request for a preacher — a report submitted by Pastor Crämer and
sufficiently substantiated by documentary records — shall be included here,
so that everyone may recognize whether we act rightly in granting the
congregation's wish.

"Dissatisfaction had arisen in the German Evangelical Lutheran St.
Matthew's congregation at Detroit, Michigan, over the fact that its pastor,
Mr. F. Winkler, contrary to the clear statement of Scripture in 1 Peter 5:3,
ruled harshly and strictly over the congregation, and for a year and more
had, contrary to Matthew 18:15–17, imposed the ban on his own authority and
unlawfully. Those of his congregation members who felt troubled in
conscience about this and therefore remonstrated with him were not heard
by him; instead he demanded that they submit their concerns to him in
writing. When this had been done, he declared it to be an accusation
against him which, according to their constitution — since neither the
congregation nor the pastor had until then belonged to any synod — could
only be decided by an investigating committee, to which he himself (as he
had already done) would appoint one member, the plaintiffs likewise one,
and these two members together a third. The congregation members
involved — at first 7, afterward 13, and finally 16 — protested that they
had not intended to bring an immediate accusation against him; they had
only held God's clear Word before him and admonished him to administer
his holy office accordingly; yet since he insisted on this and had already
chosen his part of the committee, they did not wish to be uncooperative,
but rather to have the matter examined by such a committee and decided
according to God's Word. They then turned, on March 27 of this year, to
the venerable president of our Synod, Pastor Walther, who, by a letter
dated April 5, entrusted the undersigned with this matter. Unfortunately
this letter went astray and did not reach my hands until April 24. On
April 29 I traveled, accompanied by Pastor Gräbner of Frankentrost, whom I