# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1878_S33
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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Resolved, that the following men be elected trustees for the College at
Fort Wayne:
The pastors: H. C. Schwan; W. S. Stubnatzy; Ph. Fleischmann; H. Sauer.
The gentlemen: G. Thiene; A. Sutermeister; C. Birkner.

On this occasion the following reminder was given to the supervisory
boards of our institutions: it can very easily create a bad appearance
when those officers of the Synod who assign work and determine pay
themselves take on the performance of such work. The supervisory
boards should therefore watch strictly that those who conclude
contracts and those who carry them out remain cleanly separated from
one another, even in trivial matters.

Resolutions of the Synodical Conference concerning the formation of
state synods and the establishment of a joint seminary [*Gesammtseminar*].

In 1876 the Synodical Conference had passed the following resolution
regarding state synods:

"We are convinced that this so important matter should already now be
taken up with all earnestness and zeal, and that we therefore advise
all our synods to take steps without delay toward bringing state
synods into being — if not everywhere at once, then at least wherever
it can be done without great difficulty and without harm or
disadvantage. This all delegates shall and will represent at their
synods."

In the following year (1877) a circular inquiry was made. All synods
that had already passed resolutions on this matter declared themselves,
through their representatives, in favor of the plan to unite all
orthodox Lutherans within the Synodical Conference into state synods;
only the Wisconsin Synod believed it could give its consent to this
plan only once the possibility was foreclosed that the state synod of
Wisconsin might again join one of the existing general synods and
thereby lose its self-sufficiency and independence. (See: report of
the Synodical Conference of 1877, p. 42.) Our Synod, too, spoke very
decidedly in favor of the Synodical Conference's proposal to establish
state synods, but could by no means agree to the resolution of the
Wisconsin Synod just mentioned; rather, it felt bound to recognize in
the demand contained in it a threat to Christian liberty, and an
attempt — however unintended — to, so to speak, anticipate God's own
governance. Therefore it was

resolved, that the Delegate Synod of the General Synod of Missouri,
Ohio, and Other States wholeheartedly approve the Synodical
Conference's proposal for the formation of state synods and declare
itself ready to enter into it, provided that 1. the individual state
synods

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