# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1905_S135
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

11th Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1905. 135

Every year people come and go. Very many sick people come to Denver and stay here for a time. Many die; others move on after their recovery.

"About thirteen years ago, during the panic that affected the whole country at that time, our congregation, owing to its poverty, lost its property on Arapahoe Street. The interest, not to mention the principal, could not be paid. Finally, when the interest had swollen to a sum of nearly $1000.00, the congregation surrendered the whole property to the mortgage holder and gave him, besides, $150.00 as consolation money.

"After the congregation had thus lost its property, it asked the Honorable Synod for an interest-free loan and in 1896 built a small, modest little church for $2500.00. Of this sum the congregation still owes the Synod $2100.00, and it now asks that the Honorable Synod remit this debt. The reasons that move it to this step are as follows:

"1. For 25 years this congregation has housed sick people from the whole Synod who come here seeking a cure, and has cared for them spiritually and, in individual cases, also physically. The sick seldom join the congregation and do little or nothing toward the support of the holy preaching office in this city. The congregation therefore has, despite its many guests, to support both itself and them, and this has at times weighed heavily on it in past years.

"If now the Honorable Synod, in recognition of what the Denver congregation has done for its sick in this time and will continue to do, were to remit this debt, that would be a great kindness to the congregation, which it would accept with thanks to God.

"2. In the years 1901–1902 (?) the congregation lost its entire property (that is, its church property), solely on account of its poverty. It was at times unable even to raise the pastor's salary. The late Papa Pritzlaff had to advance it $300.00 in pastor's salary, and later made a gift of this sum.

"Why the congregation did not ask for support at that time is incomprehensible to us. For if ever a congregation was in need of help, this one was, particularly at that time. Now it is a fact that the Synod has always willingly helped in such situations. When St. Louis was struck by a storm a few years ago, the Synod helped the congregation whose church was destroyed, and when devastation from storms recently occurred in Minnesota, it did the same.

"If now a congregation loses its church property, as was the case with us at the time, and gives $150.00 besides