# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1852_S216
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 216 —

1. The rapid and massive growth of the Synod, and the business
procedure that has thereby become too unwieldy;

2. the conviction that unity of spirit has already sufficiently matured,
and that the leading gifts and strengths are adequately distributed
across the Synod's various districts;

3. the more frequent attendance at the Synod by pastors and deputies
that a division would make possible, and the blessing that would
thereby flow back into the congregations;

4. the greater awakening of the gifts present even in the younger
brethren, toward more lively activity;

5. the possibility of giving closer attention to the ecclesiastical
needs of each individual district;

6. the impossibility, given the Synod's massive size, of finding
suitable places to hold the annual synodical conventions; and, in
connection with this,

7. the wholesome influence exercised on the surrounding congregations
by the more frequent change of location that establishing district
synods would bring.

Various further remarks and proposals were then made regarding the
draft for the Synod's future organization, and it was finally resolved
that the St. Louis Conference be charged with drawing up such a draft,
taking the remarks made into consideration, and communicating the draft
to the other pastoral conferences.

Regarding next year's synodical convention it was recalled that at that
time not only the consent of the congregations concerned, but also
ballots for the election of district presidents, would need to be sent
in as well, so that no delay would occur should the new organization
come into effect.

Missions to the Heathen.

The Bethany mission station is, according to the report of Missionary
Baierlein, still a target both of Methodist scheming and of merchants'
malice, and every possible art and means is set in motion to keep the
heathen from the Word of life. Yet even this malice has its limit, which
it cannot exceed, and so again in the recent period several persons,
mostly little children, have been received into the covenant of grace
with God through holy baptism, so that the number of the baptized at
Bethany now amounts to about fifty souls. The evil example of the
heathen, and the constant whispering campaigns and other arts of
seduction of the Methodists and the whiskey traders — who are entirely
united in the aim of doing damage to the truth and leading souls astray
— make it very difficult for young souls to develop according to the
truth they have come to know and to grow in the new life. Nevertheless
the Word continues to work quietly, like leaven, and God will continue
to grant His gracious increase.

To support the often ailing missionary, Missionary Mießler was sent last
fall by the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Society of Leipzig, and he
serves the mission with faithfulness and devotion.

To advance instruction in the school, a little book in the Indians'
language has been prepared by the reporter, which in its reading
selections presents a short biblical history of the Old and New
Testaments...