# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1850_S148
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 148 —

The Synod recognizes these grounds as valid, sees from them that the
people had a right, indeed a sacred duty, to renounce Pastor Winkler,
and although it must seriously object to the often irritated tone
prevailing in the people's letters to Pastor Winkler, it nevertheless feels
bound in conscience to take these people under its care and provide
them with an orthodox pastor of its association, whose duty it would then
be, should any of those banned by Winkler wish to join the congregation,
to examine carefully whether any among them had been banned in
Christian order and rightly, such persons then naturally being turned away.

Publishing Society.

According to the report of the Society's secretary, 37 shares had so
far been issued, and three-fifths of the sum of 34 shares had been paid in.
For lack of support, the Society's activity had been limited to printing the
previous year's synodical proceedings, and the available cash balance
of the Society — after deducting expenses and adding the profit made on
printing the synodical proceedings, and assuming that the remaining
two-fifths of those 34 shares come in — amounts to $378.75. The
shareholders present at the Synod became convinced that great activity
could not be hoped for on the path taken, and therefore resolved: "to
dissolve the Society and give its shares to the Synod as a loan for
establishing a publishing fund." The Synod accepted this gratefully,
obligated itself to repay the loan in money or books, and then took up a
proposal for

Establishing a Publishing House

made by Mr. J. H. Bergmann of New York, by a letter of April of
this year to the Synod's president. The proposal, in the letter mentioned,
reads as follows: "Through business connections I am in a position to
obtain books from Germany without receiving, for this purpose, any
support in cash from the Church. I am also gladly willing to lend my
influence to this, without claiming for myself the benefit that would flow
from it, if the synods and individual congregations will contribute their
share. — At the publishing house in New York, there should be available

1. only such books and writings as, if of theological content, agree
with the confession of the Lutheran Church according to the Book
of Concord, or, if of merely scholarly content, are at least not
opposed to it.

2. German works and writings shall be obtained from their publishers,
here or in Germany, as long as this is possible, and the price is not
higher than it would be for a reprint. — English translations of
German works will be printed here.

3. The net profit of the business, that is, after deduction of expenses,
shall be kept half for the formation of a fund, and half given to a
committee of those exclusively Lutheran synods which hold firmly
to the Formula of Concord and provide preachers and congregations