# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S14
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 14 —

Among the matters that came before the Conference for discussion and resolution, the first to be taken up were the theses drafted by Prof. Loy on the question:

"What is our task with regard to the English population of our country?"

They were taken up and discussed thoroughly in the second and third sessions.

Thesis 1 reads: "The Evangelical Lutheran Church has unquestionably the task of proclaiming the mighty deeds of God in the English language here in this land, first, because otherwise it would not be fulfilling the Lord's command to preach the Gospel to all nations, and second, because otherwise it would not be fulfilling its special duty in this land."

The Conference recognized that it is the duty of the Evangelical Lutheran Church to proclaim the Gospel also beyond its nearest boundaries, for there stands Christ's command: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Only overly narrow consciences could think that these words applied only to the apostles, since the Lord immediately added: "And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." In this He indicates that the command, like the promise of His gracious presence, was given to the Church of all ages. If, then, we venture to call ourselves a part of the whole Church of Christ, we must also acknowledge our share in the whole duty of this Church. To this it must be added, in our case especially, that we live in this country under such peculiar conditions as are probably found again in no other land on earth. Through the sad Anabaptist spirit of the sects around us it has come about that thousands live here among us who, being unbaptized, belong to no church fellowship. These languishing and scattered sheep are to be sought out; they are to be cared for, for they are like sheep that have no shepherd. True, our task here is not that which the Church has among the heathen, but rather to bring the full, saving Gospel to a people who, though they still know pieces of the divine truth, at the same time hold fast to great and dangerous errors. Indeed, in very many congregations that still wish to be Christian it has come to the point that Christ is no longer proclaimed among them at all, and the people are fed with the straw of human wisdom. Under such circumstances a reaction might well one day set in, and a time might come in which the American people again feel a hunger for the pure Word of the Gospel, which has become dear in the land. Then we too, for our part, should be ready and have men who can proclaim the pure, saving truth to the English people in their own language. True, we must not imagine that such work on our part will bring great success right away. On the contrary, we must know in advance that