# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1857_S353
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 353 —

Pastor Bürger had, at the general president's request, composed a
paper [Referat] on the subject, which was now read aloud to the Synod
and served as the basis for the further discussion of the matter.

The reason given by the Eastern District Synod for amending the
provision in question — namely, that it was impractical — was
disputed. It was observed that the brethren of the Eastern District
Synod had probably not kept sharply enough in view the main purpose
for which the Synod had established the office of general president
and visitor, a purpose set out in the new constitution, Chapter VI,
Section E, Paragraph 10, namely to "maintain and promote the unity of
all the district synods in the truth, in doctrine and practice,"
etc. As for the relationship between the general president and the
district presidents, this, it was said, was already defined in the
constitution as far as necessary. Under it the general president holds
only administrative authority, and therefore the fear entertained by
the Eastern District's brethren of a collision between the functions
of the general president and those of the district presidents was
unfounded. It was repeatedly pointed out how important it was for the
Synod's harmony that the general president, as visitor, actually
travel through the whole Synod, even if the benefit of this should not
be immediately obvious.

The brethren concerned from the Eastern District Synod explained that
they had not meant to call the office of visitor itself impractical,
but rather the provision governing it, which in their view was
inadequate; and that they had chiefly had in mind its
unworkability, since it was not possible for one man to visit all the
synodical congregations properly within three years. After weighing
the arguments brought forward for and against the practicality of the
provision, the formal question was put to the Synod: did it still
recognize as practical that provision of the constitution under which
the general president must visit all synodical congregations? This was
answered "yes."

The main question that now remained was how to make it possible for
the general president to comply with this requirement. After various
means and ways to this end had been proposed from several quarters,
weighed, and rejected as unsuitable, the proposal was finally made
that the president should no longer be bound, as before, to complete
his visitation within three years, since this, as had been shown, was
no longer possible given the great extent of our synodical district;
but rather that the Synod should determine for him, from time to time,
the period within which he was to carry out this visitation of the
whole synodical district. This proposal, after due consideration, was
adopted and raised to a synodical resolution; to which the following
resolutions were later added as a supplement: that the Synod fix this
period, for now, at six years; that the resulting necessary amendment
of the provision in the constitution be submitted by the pastors to
the synodical congregations for acceptance or rejection; and that any
congregations not satisfied with the above resolution should send
their rejection of it to the general president within two months.

The proposal made by the Eastern District Synod, and communicated in
the paper mentioned above, that it should be within the general
president's authority, for his