# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1899_S140
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140 Proceedings of the 24th General, or

In view of the serious concern that the Synod must make special
arrangements should Prof. Pieper succumb under the heavy burden that
each of the two offices carries with it, and that neither the Synod nor
the institution should suffer harm, the Synod appointed a Committee,
consisting of Dr. H. C. Schwan, the two Vice-Presidents, and the
theological faculty at St. Louis, to deliberate on this matter and to
make suitable proposals to the Synod.

Resolved, that the following committee report be adopted:
"The Committee, which was charged by the Synod with considering how
the union of the General Presidency and the office of Professor of
Dogmatics and President of the Seminary at St. Louis could be carried
out in the person of Prof. Pieper without harm to him, to the Synod, or
to the Seminary, reports to the Synod that in its judgment this union
would be possible in the following way:

"1. that Prof. Pieper retain the instruction in Dogmatics and the
duties of Seminary President, while the instruction in Pastoral
Theology be temporarily assigned to another member of the faculty, as
would well be possible given the faculty's present staffing without
overburdening the college; that

"2. attendance at the District Synods become in part a duty of the
Vice-Presidents, while the General President for his part limit his
attendance at the District Synods to the extent compatible with his
health and the welfare of the Seminary; and that

"3. the General President be free, at his discretion, to delegate
other duties of the General Presidency to the Vice-Presidents as well."

Finally, Prof. Pieper declared that, although the task laid upon him
by the will of the Synod, of administering both offices, was contrary
to his personal inclination, he was nevertheless accustomed to
renouncing his own preference and submitting to God's guidance. So in
this matter too he would follow the path marked out for him by God
through the Synod, and would administer both offices in the manner more
precisely determined by the Synod, according to the ability that God
would grant him.

Resolved, 1. that the Synod, in recognition of the many years of
faithful service of the universally esteemed former General President,
Dr. H. C. Schwan, whom God has given us as a precious gift and preserved
to a great age, first gives thanks to the merciful God, who still gives
and preserves gifts to His Church;

2. that the Synod also vividly recognizes how much thanks it owes to
the dear man who has administered his high, responsible office with
rare faithfulness and prudence, so that his name, together with the