# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1887_S25
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Fifth Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1887. 25

orphans of our preachers and teachers have so far found from a private
society should become a matter for the districts; and that, further, the
support of poor, elderly, and sick pastors and teachers themselves, and
perhaps also, to some extent, support for individual or several whole
congregations in cases of great disasters and calamities, be combined
with this — in such a way that the surplus of the district relief funds
[Diſtricts-Unterſtützungs-Kaſſen] flow into a General Relief Fund to be
established by the General Synod, and be administered by a General
Relief Commission [as is already done for the Inner Mission, and has
proven successful there]: a plan worked out for this purpose will now
be laid before the Synod for examination and decision!

The new court of appeal [Appellations-Inſtanz], created by the
second-to-last Synod for a few exceptional cases, has been invoked in
only a single case. Since, however, I myself had already taken an
active part several times in the handling of that matter, Vice-
President Groß, together with District Presidents Wunder and Crämer,
investigated the affair and rendered judgment on it. I had hoped the
matter would thereby be closed, and was already looking forward to
being able to report to the Synod today that it would this time not be
troubled by even a single appeal. But now, however, not only has a
petition recently come into my hands requesting the abolition of this
court again — one that deserves careful consideration — but also
another in which recourse is taken against the verdict it rendered; and
in addition an appeal from Wisconsin has come in. — Simply so as to
withhold nothing from the Synod, I will further report here that a
communication has also arrived from Mr. Lindemann, whose case had
already been finally decided by the second-to-last and the last general
Synod. Likewise one from Pastor Döscher, and one from Mr. Schulz in
New York.

Besides those already mentioned above, the following petitions are
now on hand: 1. a proposal, not settled by the last Synod, concerning
the Agenda [Agende], the catechism, and the like; 2. the manuscript of
the revised Synodal Handbook; 3. a report on whether it would accord
with our Constitution to assign the Examination Commission at
Addison also the examination there of teachers who are not fully
trained; 4. a petition regarding our German readers [Leſebücher]; 5. an
offer from the Bible Society at St. Louis to transfer its entire property,
under certain conditions, into the Synod's possession; 6. a motion for
voting rights for our schoolteachers, particularly in the election of
officers; 7. a reminder concerning the appointment of pastors who lack
a good reputation; 8. an inquiry as to what position the Synod takes
regarding the