# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S19
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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These theses are meant to state the manner in which we can fulfil our duty, both where congregations already exist and where such are first to be founded quite anew. Evidently the number of those who are more at home in the English language than in any other grows from year to year in this country. Since in such transitions the danger lies very near that such people lose their Lutheran confession along with their language and character, it is certainly necessary and salutary that pastors who are at home in the English language not bury this talent, but use it faithfully. They should not let themselves be held back from this by the fear that their young people would then go over quickly and in numbers to the English church, for a serious apprehension would be in place only if they went over to an English church that does not have the pure doctrine. But as soon as we have English churches of the pure Word, it does no harm to their souls if they join them. Moreover we shall find that the preference for English congregations among our young people, if they are to join them, is not at all so great; which in very many cases may have its ground in the fact that the young people understand the language of everyday life well, but little of the language of the church. As to making churches available for English services, this may have its difficulties here and there, since, warned by the harm of others who through such an act of kindness lost their churches, many congregations have put into their constitutions the provision that English is never to be preached in their church. Yet even such a congregation, if it has any love for the kingdom of God, will certainly, as soon as circumstances require, find counsel in another way so that English worship can be set up."

Thesis 5: "Where it is possible, our pastors should, if there is any prospect thereby of retaining members of the church who would otherwise be in danger of throwing themselves into the arms of a sect, or of winning others who would otherwise remain outside, proclaim the Gospel also in the English language, until the English-speaking people themselves are in a position to call a pastor of their own; and we should therefore take it to heart, in the training of preachers, to see to it that our seminarians, wherever feasible, are also qualified to preach in English."

Thesis 6: "Since in our time and in our country so much is read, it would be unfaithfulness to our church if we did not do all that lies in our power to make the English people acquainted with its treasures by the distribution of periodicals and books, and this must therefore be regarded as a principal part of our task."

Here attention is drawn to an especially important means for attaining our aim: the distribution of writings, above all periodi-