# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1905_S21
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

11th Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1905. 21

This exercise of fellowship among brethren in the faith within the
Synodical Conference was one of the gratifying phenomena of the "free
conferences." I must, however, call attention to a recurring danger to
brotherly fellowship within the Synodical Conference. As in former
years, so also now it keeps happening within the Synodical Conference
that members from the congregations of a sister synod are received or
given pastoral care before they have obtained a "peaceable release."
This procedure conflicts both with the relationship of brethren in the
faith and with the particular agreements that exist between the synods
of the Synodical Conference. If it is held that the "peaceable release"
is being wrongly refused, then let those concerned be directed to file
their complaint with their congregation, or with their synod, as the
case may be. In this way the wrong, if there is one, is remedied on the
one hand, and on the other the disturbance of brotherly fellowship
between the synods is prevented. — With our brethren in the faith in
Australia we stand in brotherly contact, and mutual trust has suffered
no clouding. Our brethren in the faith in Germany have some requests to
bring before us, which the Synod will gladly hear. The Reverend P.
Amling of Berlin is present at this convention.

Free Conferences.

In the last triennium, as already mentioned, several so-called "free
conferences" took place among Lutherans of America. Some from our own
circle also took part in these conferences, partly because men from the
opposing camp who stood further from the doctrinal controversy over
conversion and the election of grace wished for a presentation of our
doctrine from the mouths of Missourians themselves, and partly in order
to avoid the appearance that we were not heartily inclined toward peace
on the basis of truth. Of the result of the conferences two things must
be said. Some who up to now had only had a caricature of our doctrinal
position before their eyes have come to know our actual doctrinal
position. On the other hand: the spokesmen in the opposing synods were
not won over for the truth, but have evidently become even more
entrenched in the error that blessedness rests not on God's grace alone
but also on man himself. In addition, at these conferences the
fundamental error on the part of the opposing spokesmen came to light
even more than before, that Holy Scripture alone is not the article of...