# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S71
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 71 —

2) to see to it that, in such regions where the need of the forsaken Lutherans requires it, traveling preachers be appointed, yet in harmony with Thesis 5;

3) to provide the traveling preachers with the necessary equipment and sufficient livelihood and in general to administer conscientiously all property of the home mission;

4) to have a quarterly report rendered to it by the traveling preachers and to make communications from it, from time to time, in the church papers appearing within the Synodical Conference [*Synodal⸗Conferenz*], in order to awaken and maintain our people's interest in this work;

5) it would have to supervise the home mission work in general and, if possible, also gain insight into its circumstances by visitation;

6) in its measures it would be answerable to the Synodical Conference and would therefore have to submit a detailed report at every session;

7) the treasurer to be elected by the commission would have to administer all moneys coming in for home mission among the forsaken Lutherans and to pay them out on written order of the chairman of the commission;

8) the Rev. Synodical Conference might finally consider whether the care of the English part of this work could be assigned to this commission, or whether a special commission should be elected for it."

After thorough discussion, propositions 1 to 4 were adopted in the wording given here. In the discussion of the fifth proposition it was asked whether, then, only an ordained preacher may carry on this part of home mission? and the answer was given: In case of necessity every Christian too, whether he be a preacher or not, may carry on this work and tell his neighbor God's Word, as well as he can and knows; experience, however, teaches that a mission such as exists, for example, in Louisiana, where a missionary was first called by an existing congregation as assistant preacher, always has much greater stability and blessing. If he then has gathered in a new territory a little flock around the preaching of the pure Word, he may let himself be called by it, yet with the understanding that he may in God's name continue working and also proclaim the Gospel to others. Without a call no one should, as in general so also in the field of mission, teach publicly or administer the sacrament. Of spiritual vagabonds there are, alas, already too many, upon whom the word of the LORD falls: "I sent not these prophets, yet they ran." After this explanation this proposition too was adopted with the addition: "For the sake of divine order." On the sixth proposition it was remarked from one side that the execution of this whole matter was still premature and therefore not advisable.