# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1874_S38
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 38 —
§ 8.

The Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*] admonishes the pastors and congregations concerned to bear in mind that, in such unions, conscience by no means in all cases demands that one trace the discord back to its first origin and investigate and judge everything that has occurred (which is mostly impossible anyway); that it is further in itself quite not wrong, for the sake of love and peace, simply to let the old disputes lie, since the mark of a Christian does not consist in his insisting on his right, but rather in his letting his right go for the sake of love and peace.

§ 9.

The Synodical Conference is rather convinced that only where God's honor and the salvation of souls require it is an investigation of past occurrences necessary, thus where, for example, the key of binding has been used upon a person. Here such a judgment must either be recognized as just or else be set aside. On the other hand, whoever in a matter that is not a mortal sin has withdrawn from the exercise of discipline is not to be regarded as banned.

§ 10.

For the arrangement of a peaceful coexistence the Synodical Conference holds local delimitation of the parishes and regulation of mutual intercourse to be the most necessary items.

§ 11.

As to the latter, the Synodical Conference holds that no member may be received by the other congregation against the will of his previous congregation. The pastor to whom such a person wishes to transfer should rather do everything himself to dissuade him, and present to him that the peace and unity of two whole congregations is infinitely more at stake than the convenience of the individual and the like. Even if the reasons for which the dismissal is refused seem entirely unjust to him, he should not simply proceed, but rather first seek counsel and mediation from his own president [*Präſes*] and the president of the opposite side, and, if even this should be in vain, lodge a complaint against that congregation with its synod, whereupon the synod is bound to take the congregation under discipline, or respectively to exclude it.

§ 12.

The Synodical Conference finally deems it most appropriate that in the case of intermarriages the marriage ceremony be performed by the pastor of the bride, but that then the wife follow the husband into his congregation.

With regard to these 12 points it was first resolved that this whole document, in letter form, with the addition of the necessary ex-
[Pencil marginal notes in the left margin, illegible; some words in § 11 underlined.]