# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1899_S72
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

72 Proceedings of the 24th General, or

change that is undoubtedly taking place within the German element of
this country's population and also in our German congregations, there
will surely still remain, for a generation to come, people better served
by German services than by English ones, and who will likewise not
give up their German services as long as they can have them. Toward
a continuance of the German in our church life, it is precisely the
German services, and then our parish schools and our church
periodicals, that will continue to contribute powerfully. It would
therefore not be wise or well done if we let ourselves be moved by the
spread of English to now, in ill-considered haste, bid farewell to German
church life and activity in our midst, and seek our salvation in English.
The change in which we find ourselves is not one deliberately brought
about by human will and action, but one that has set in and is
proceeding through certain causes working after the manner of natural
laws, which we could therefore not prevent through any efforts we
might make, but which we should carefully watch, recognize and take
note of as a transformation important for our church life, and turn to
good use through the timely application of right means for right
purposes, instead of letting it run its course unused and then having to
lament that we did not recognize the signs of the times and did not
honestly strive to meet the task of the times.

"Now it is not the case that among our Synod's pastors and
congregations an impetuous pressing into English ways can be
observed. Of our pastors, first of all, it can safely be said that they
fear rather than demand entering into English work. That is also
easily explained; for a pastor who, besides his German work, also has
to carry on regular English work goes about under a doubly heavy
burden of labor. And our congregations too are generally inclined
toward the beginnings of English work in their midst only once they
have really recognized its necessity. On the other hand, one cannot
justly reproach our Synod with having let the time slip by and done
nothing to meet, to a certain degree, the demands that prevailing
circumstances make of us. Thus, to mention just one instance, diligent
effort is made at our church educational institutions to see to it that
the preachers and teachers who come forth from them are masters of
both languages, the German and the English, to such a degree that
they can perform in both languages what may rightly be required of a
preacher and teacher. Indeed, precisely by raising up a generation of
faithful Lutheran preachers and teachers fluent in both languages, we
are doing exactly what is needed in order to serve congregations and
mission fields that, more and more and for a good while yet, make the
use of both languages necessary,