# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1884_S90
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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

and told him that if he kept this up he would thereby forfeit his office
himself. He nevertheless continued to carry on mission work with his
tramps, which consisted of luring away a few discontented elements
from existing congregations. As a result of this evidently godless
conduct of his, the congregation finally deposed him (on February 5,
1882). The resolution of deposition reads: 'Since Pastor Döscher, as a
result of his morbid state of mind, is incapable of administering his
office as pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran St. Johannis congregation,
the Evangelical Lutheran St. Johannis congregation hereby declares that
Pastor J. F. Döscher is no longer pastor at New Orleans.'

    "The congregation could have spared itself great unpleasantness had
it simply driven Pastor Döscher from office with reproach and disgrace
as a false prophet and a godless, fallen man; there was, after all, no
shortage of grounds for doing so. Nevertheless, so as not to forfeit
anything of love, the congregation, by God's grace, restrained itself and
said, full of compassion: the poor man is ill, he does not know what he
is doing, we must not hold his wicked pranks against him. — And what
impression did all this make on Pastor Döscher? He only grew bolder.
In answer to his dismissal, he sent the board of the St. Johannis
congregation a letter which states, among other things: 'It is beyond
doubt certain to the undersigned that it was only through a special
working and blinding of Satan that the said congregation — which the
undersigned has served with the most heartfelt love and conscientious
faithfulness — could have adopted such a resolution. See 1 Chron.
22:1[;] John 13:2. The undersigned now gives the board of the St.
Johannis congregation the choice among the following three options:

    1. to radically reverse the two resolutions concerning the
       suspension and the dismissal;
    2. to hand over all church property to the undersigned, together
       with those firmly resolved to keep him as their pastor; or
    3. to prepare to face a lawsuit for damages in the amount of
       $50,000 (fifty thousand dollars).

                        Signed in the name of Jesus,

                                        Joh. Fr. Döscher, Pastor.'

New Orleans, February 8, 1882.

    "Since the congregation had thereupon resolved to invite the
Southern District Synod — which was holding its sessions in New
Orleans around this time — to assess its proceedings against Döscher, a
special meeting took place on February 13, 1882, which the Reverend
Synod attended and at which the Reverend General Vice-President,
Pastor O. Hanser, presided at the congregation's request. Pastor
Döscher had been