# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1914_S95
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

14th Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1914. 95

Synod in Australia, on the understanding that it will continue to promise financial support going forward.

We would further recommend to Synod that Rev. P. Hassold, who has worked there so many years with great faithfulness, be given the means to make a trip home to see his aging parents once more.

The European Free Church.

The two European free churches, the Danish and the Saxon, have joined into one. No particular changes are to be noted. The brethren continue to labor faithfully, testifying and confessing the pure Gospel of Christ, in which we rejoice together with them. They cannot escape the impression that our Synod no longer takes as lively an interest in their sufferings and joys as in earlier years. They conclude this in part from the fact that the gifts for their support no longer flow as freely as before. Reverend Präses [president] Kunstmann made a visit to the United States and, wherever he had opportunity, set forth the difficult circumstances under which our brethren in Germany labor. They are attacked from every side in their work; if we do not stand by them, they feel themselves entirely abandoned by other people. They bear our reproach over there, and so their sufferings must also be our sufferings. Our Synod, too, has real benefit from their work. Many a capable worker has come to us through them. The testimony of the truth from their mouth and their pen would have to fall silent if our Synod were to withdraw its financial support. By God's promise it surely cannot be in vain. The Free Church numbers 36 congregations; of these, 7 are in Saxony, 22 in Prussia, and 2 in Denmark. Its members live in 358 places; in 78 of these places regular worship services are held by the 26 pastors of the church. 5,598 souls have joined it. Ten congregations meet the expenses required for their own church households; the rest receive support. They need only $6,000.00 a year.

The Committee takes the liberty of calling attention to their church paper, "Die Ev.-Luth. Freikirche" [The Evangelical Lutheran Free Church]. Few, presumably, will cancel it once they have read it for a while.

The brethren over there have an arrangement that has proven itself very beneficial: the so-called "Schriftenverein" [tract society]. It employs people who travel about everywhere in German lands, bringing and selling books of our church in people's homes. Through this, many a pastor has become acquainted with the writings of the late Dr. Walther and with other publications of our Synod. Regarding this "Schriftenverein," a petition is before the Reverend Synod, whose approval we recommend.