# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1902_S75
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Tenth Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1902. 75

"The language question, which was discussed at length by your
previous Committee for English Missions in its report of the year 1899,
has also been considered by us on several occasions. We refrain,
however, from any further discussion of it here, since the matter will
come before the Reverend Synod in another way and on another
occasion." (Excerpt from the report of the Committee for English
Missions.)

"In the report of the 9th Delegate Synod of the year 1899 the following
resolution is found: 'Resolved, that a delegation of three members be
chosen to attend the synodical convention of the English Evangelical
Lutheran Synod of Missouri and confer with the members of that synod
on how the shared interests of both synodical bodies for the Kingdom of
God may be furthered with regard to the language question; that this
delegation, consisting of Prof. F. Pieper and the district praesides Mr.
P. Brand and Mr. G. Spiegel, shall be required to report to the next
General Synod at its session in the year 1902.'

"In accordance with this resolution, your appointed delegation reports
to the Reverend Synod that it conferred with a committee of the
Reverend English Synod during its convention in Detroit in 1899, and
reached agreement with that committee on the following draft
agreement:

"'God has assigned to the Lutheran Church of this country a twofold
task in the field of Home Missions, namely to propagate the pure
doctrine chiefly through the medium of the German and the English
languages. The rise and spread of the English Synod of Missouri and
Other States shows plainly that God has filled and strengthened the
hands of our Missouri Synod so that it might also become a blessing to
the English-speaking population of this country. So that this blessing
may not be buried but increased by God's grace, we must seek to
accomplish the twofold task described above in such a way that both
those engaged in the German work and those working in the English
field strengthen one another's hands and keep the welfare of the whole
Church in view.

"'The English Synod evidently has the calling to regard the leadership
of the English work as its principal task. But just as it will remain the
duty of the English brethren, wherever occasion offers, to serve the
German mission and to contribute material and manpower to it, so it
is surely also the duty of those engaged in German work to further the
English work and, as opportunity presents itself, to take up work for it
through English preaching and the gathering of English congregations.

"'As for the synodical affiliation of the congregations so formed, we
consider it natural and fitting that the German congregations join a
German, and the English congregations an Eng[lish synod] —