# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1879_S28
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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territory that lies west of the eastern and south of the northwestern general synod. These general synods may give themselves their names by their own choice.

3. That the two or three general synods that are forming, if possible in connection with the Norwegian synod, found a theological joint seminary, and then, say, in or near Milwaukee, and that the practical preachers' seminary already existing at Springfield, as well as the schoolteachers' seminary at Addison, pass into the common possession of the two or three general synods. If the Norwegian synod could not and would not take part, then, besides Milwaukee, the choice would be open to other places, such as St. Louis, Columbus, Richmond, Ind., and others.

4. The joint seminary shall be divided into three departments with three different faculties, namely a German, an English and a Norwegian one, provided that the Norwegian synod takes part in the carrying out of the plan.

5. The existing gymnasia [Latin-school colleges] shall remain the sole property of that general synod in which they are located.

6. As regards the English synods of the Synodical Conference, we hold that they should become district synods of that general synod in whose territory they are located, until they have grown strong enough to form a general synod of their own.

7. The carrying out of this plan shall not be dependent on all the individual synods accepting it.

8. The carrying out of the above-stated items shall also be conditional on the carrying out of all the others at the same time.

Since in the past years the fundamental ideas contained in this proposal had already been discussed at length, the convention returned to them without going deeper into them. It was emphasized, however, with respect to

Point 1, that we, thank God! in spite of the dismal hours that we had often had in the whole matter, had nevertheless come gradually closer to one another in it, in that the confidence necessary for the work in hand was now present, and the thought and the feeling had generally gained ground that we must now either make full earnest of the pursuit of the practical goal that the Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*] set itself at its organization, namely the establishment of state synods and of a common seminary, or else there was reason to fear that what had been planned would probably never be carried out. The present session too, it was said, had proved that we belong together and should therefore wait no longer, immediately, that is, as soon as the individual general synods give their consent to what is recom-