# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1884_S36
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

36   Proceedings of the 19th General [Synod], or

not be blamed for being alarmed, and even in part indignant, at hearing
of such an overrun of the approved sum, when they had no insight into
the circumstances under which the committee had to work; but where
one was able to lay out the actual state of affairs, and where, further,
one could sketch a faithful picture of the splendid building — which,
in its massive durability and yet, at the same time, its eye-delighting
beauty, and in the abundance it contains of the most splendid corridors,
bedrooms, and living spaces, pervaded by light and air, extremely
comfortable and yet fit for purpose, makes an overwhelming impression
on the visitor — where that could be done, and was done, nearly all
dissatisfaction soon vanished and gave way to the thought: our money
has not stuck to the fingers of unfaithful officials; the building erected
there to God's honor and the advancement of his kingdom is worth the
money.

No one at all — it was replied to this — would have come before
the Synod complaining and accusing, if the building had come to stand
even 10 percent higher; but consider that the sum actually spent
exceeds it by as much as 33⅓ percent, or about $15,000. It was wrong
that the building committee did not first inquire of the Synod how it
should proceed, once it saw what considerable sums were involved. —

To the charge that the building committee had acted wrongly in
not inquiring of the Synod what was to be done about the building,
whose costs so significantly exceeded the approved sum, Pastor O.
Hanser, a member of the building committee, replied as follows: "It
was impossible to ask the Reverend Synod about this matter. The great
increase in cost only became apparent, in fact, when the 3rd contract,
for the stonework, came in. Since the first two contracts — for tearing
down the old seminary building, excavating the basement, and erecting
the foundation walls of the basement — came in significantly under the
first cost estimate, the building committee had indeed grown confident,
and had immediately proceeded with carrying out these two contracts.
When the third contract showed that the building costs would come out
significantly higher, there was no longer any possibility of retreat or of
halting the work until the Synod had been asked and had answered. The
building committee therefore proceeded, in God's name, with carrying
out the building. And since the congregations' willingness to sacrifice,
shown in pledges for the building, was so abundant — particularly also
that of the St. Louis congregations — the committee confidently
continued and hoped to be able to bring the fine building to completion
in the manner in which it had been begun. It could not bring itself to
finish the second half of the building differently from the first —
namely, worse and more meanly — despite the increased costs, and to
set up a botched piece of work in place of a unified, handsomely
finished building. The committee is aware that it has thereby taken on
a great burden of guilt