# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1873_S22
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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4) in a righteous congregation, obedient to God, there shall be church discipline and exercise of the ban against those who call themselves brothers and yet are offensive in doctrine or life, who in fact deny the brotherhood and cause the name of the Lord, His Word and His congregation to be blasphemed among those who are outside (Matt. 18:15–17; 1 Cor. 5:2, 10–13; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14; Rom. 16:17; Titus 3:10; 2 John 10, 11); but through the lack of a boundary line enclosing the congregation this wholesome discipline, demanded by God's honor and the welfare of the weak and unbelieving, is if not made impossible then often hindered and made difficult;

therefore Scripture never names the churches or congregations after their preachers, but after places, after houses (Rom. 16:5), cities (1 Cor. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; Rev. 2:1 ff.), provinces (Gal. 1:2), regions and peoples (Gal. 1:22; Rom. 16:14; ecclesias ton ethnon [the churches of the Gentiles]).

VI.

Orthodox preachers carry out their office in Christ's stead (2 Cor. 5:20); whoever therefore lives where he has opportunity to enjoy the service of an orthodox pastor and does not make use of him, despises not merely a man but Christ (Luke 10:16).

VII.

Where the boundaries of different parishes run together, concern for one's own soul and the furtherance of the kingdom of God decide which of them one should join, in which connection not only the nearness or distance from the preaching place, but also the greater ease or difficulty of reaching it, and naturally also the language, come into consideration; for where faith does not decide, there love shall be the rule (1 Cor. 16:14).

VIII.

Since parish boundaries were not originally determined by God, and thus are not of divine right in themselves, they can be changed pro re nata [as circumstances require], that is, a parish may be divided into several, branches converted into separate pastorates, several fused into One, larger or smaller portions of a parish detached [*ausgepfarrt*] and assigned to another. Or, with a growing membership, different auxiliary offices may be established for the different functions of the pastor, as at Jerusalem (Acts 16:1–7).

IX.

A ground for altering the parish relationships cannot, first, be offense at adiaphora [matters neither commanded nor forbidden]; the recognition of such a one would be a denial