# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1857_S320
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 320 —

congregation has at once placed itself under the pastoral care of the
Reverend Pastor Vollert. As for the poor fallen man, may the Lord, who
takes delight in life, grant him sincere repentance.

A like testimony I can give of my brothers who serve the Lord among
the dear youth. Whoever knows under what difficult circumstances this
office — an ungrateful one, humanly speaking — is carried out here in this
country, must thank the Lord all the more that men are still found who,
for love of the Lord, choose this calling and faithfully carry it out.

As for the condition of the congregations, there must indeed of
necessity be a considerable diversity and gradation among them, both in
understanding and in the christian and churchly life of the congregation,
depending on how long or short a time they have enjoyed right pastoral
churchly guidance and care, and with what greater or lesser faithfulness
they have received the grace and gift offered them — though it is not
always the case that, where there is understanding, a life corresponding
to it is found in the same measure. We have congregations which, though
weak in understanding, nevertheless deal faithfully with what they have,
and therefore hold the promise for themselves: to him who has, more will
be given. Others, who show what one might call a good and thorough
understanding, one would urgently wish to remind that the kingdom of God
does not consist in words but in power. It goes without saying that this
is said of the congregations as they present themselves in general, and
not of the individual members within them. After all, the Lord alone
knows those who are his. On the whole we must confess, to God's honor,
that his word is breaking through ever more; open resistance is found
only in very isolated cases now, and is scarcely tolerated in a single
one; christian discipline and order are making their way even into
formerly difficult congregations, so that the unruly must either submit to
the congregation's earnestness or be pushed out by it. Worship services
are, on the whole, diligently attended; only regarding attendance at the
afternoon service, particularly the catechetical examination, have many
complaints been heard. May God the Lord grant to preachers and
congregations that they recognize ever more the boundless importance of
catechism instruction, and that ever more diligence be applied by both in
teaching and learning. I would in particular renew, here once more and in
earnest, my request to those of my dear fellow ministers who have taken my
brotherly admonition — to apply the most conscientious diligence to the
preparation for the examination — in a brotherly and loving spirit. If we
wish to have congregations rightly grounded in understanding, then, after
the example of Luther and of the Lutheran Church generally in its
flourishing period, the catechism must be taught with true earnestness and
exact care, amid supplication and sighing to him who gives the increase.
And I have also almost always found: where the preacher is truly in
earnest about it, there the congregation gradually gathers itself as well.
At the very least, individual regular attenders will always be found, who
then form the true core of the congregation. Above all we should make it
an urgent matter of conscience that the young people, including the
confirmed, attend diligently, and, where they give no room to admonitions,
intervene with earnest discipline. It would indeed, in many cases, be
desirable here for parents to show greater earnestness. Example, too,
would accomplish more here than any admonitions. The preparation of a
catechism, which, by the Synod's determination, has been entrusted to the
St. Louis conference, and which will be submitted, along with the
excellent work of the Reverend Pastor Keyl, will, I hope in God, help
toward the end that those belonging to the Lutheran Church