# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1876_S6
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 6 —

Pastor H. A. Preus . . . . . . . . President.
Pastor W. S. Stubnatzy . . . . . . Vice-President.
Prof. T. J. Große . . . . . . . . Secretary.*)
Mr. F. Chr. K. Beermann . . . . . Treasurer.

Doctrinal Discussions [*Lehrverhandlungen*].

The chief subject of discussion, to which, because of other important matters, only four forenoon sessions could be devoted, was formed by the

Theses on Church Fellowship [*Kirchengemeinſchaft*],

begun already three years ago.

Last year the discussion of the 9th thesis had been brought to a conclusion. This time the 10th and 11th theses were discussed at length, but the 11th thesis could not be brought entirely to a conclusion. For the sake of continuity the nine theses already adopted follow here first.

Preliminary Remark to the Following Theses.

The word "church fellowship" is not treated here in the wider sense. For in that sense a certain church fellowship already exists, on the basis of the confession of the Holy Scripture as the Word of God, among all congregations standing in this confession, over against heathens, Jews and Mohammedans.

Rather, the word is taken here in the narrower sense, as the fellowship of the Evangelical Lutheran congregations over against the more or less corrupted, heterodox church communions.

Thesis 1.

The only inner bond of fellowship between the individual Lutheran congregations among many kinds of peoples and languages is the true, justifying and saving faith in the LORD Jesus Christ, which with and in him also grasps and holds fast his most holy and perfect merit.

Thesis 2.

The only outward bond of fellowship between the individual Lutheran congregations among many kinds of peoples and languages is the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.

*) Pastor Achilles served as assistant secretary in four sessions.