# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1852_S214
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 214 —

...to have a general *Präses* visit the whole Synod, and it was
acknowledged that it might be preferable to leave the visitations to the
presidents of the district synods, but that the *Präses* of the general
synod should oversee the whole Synod and, when necessary and requested,
travel to the congregations concerned.

It was also discussed whether it might not be better to form only two
district synods, since some had argued that with a greater splitting-up
the gifts could be put to too little common use. But since no severance
was to take place, only a division, and one in which all members would
still come together every three or four years, etc., the concerns on this
point faded away. Regarding the educational institutions too, it was
pointed out, it would be important to divide the Synod into only two
districts; but against this it was noted that assigning those
institutions to two respective district synods could very easily (if not
now, then in the future) give rise to envy, rivalry, discord, and
division. So the proposal to divide the Synod into four district synods
was finally adopted unanimously. — Further discussion concerned the
spatial boundaries of the various districts. Although it was pointed out
from one side that a division by geographic location and interests
(travel costs, etc.) would be far more important than one by states,
since these here in America — quite unlike in Germany — are more a
matter of accident than of nature, and are not divided along state lines
in the same way as there; nevertheless the division by states was in the
end adopted unanimously, because in the future these district synods
would in any case also have to divide themselves along state lines, which
would be the most natural course, and which would be easy if we take it
into account now, whereas leaving it unconsidered now could make it very
difficult, indeed impossible, later. The concerns regarding delegates'
travel costs were resolved, and after the areas of responsibility of the
presidents of the district synods and of the general *Präses* had been
discussed, and Luther's words on the governing office had also been read
aloud, the committee's proposal for the future organization of the
Synod was considered paragraph by paragraph and adopted as follows:

1. There shall be no severance, but only a division into various
district synods.

2. The general Synod shall consist of 4 individual district synods:
1. The western one (Missouri, Illinois, Iowa) with 37 parishes;
2. the middle one (Indiana, Ohio) with 36 parishes;
3. the northern one (Wisconsin, Michigan) with 14 parishes;
4. the eastern one (New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania) with 8 parishes.

3. The district synods are independent in the administration of matters
that concern only their own district; they therefore have their own
constitution and their own body of officers.

4. Within the scope of the general Synod's business belongs everything
that must be administered for all the individual district synods as a
single collective body — e.g., home and heathen missions [*Heiden-Mission*],
educational institutions, general oversight of doctrine and the faithful
carrying out of what the overall constitution prescribes, the synodical
publishing house, correspondence with foreign countries, the *Lutheraner*
[the Synod's periodical], etc.

Note. It shall therefore also not be permitted for the individual
district synods, on their own, to enter into new ecclesiastical
connections or similar...