# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1879_S34
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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years, married but without children, Missionary Döscher had won in Baltimore for our doctrine and mission. He was a Methodist and a lodge member, but has left both the false church and the lodge, had himself diligently instructed by Pastor H. Hanser, and later publicly confirmed. A few months ago Mr. Lewis came to St. Louis, Mo., and presented himself to your Commission. He had travelled by way of Columbus, O., and had assured himself there that he would be accepted into the institution if he possessed the necessary knowledge. The travel money to St. Louis had been raised by the brethren in Baltimore. On his account they had applied to Pastor Berg in Little Rock, and he had declared himself ready to receive him and prepare him for entrance into the seminary. So nothing remained for your Commission, on which the young man made a good impression, but to send him to Little Rock, which was done, on the condition that he support himself by work. In Little Rock he joined the congregation of Pastor Berg, but could find no suitable work. So we had to support him. Pastor Berg placed him with Negroes for a small charge for board. The Pastors Berg and Obermeyer, the two teachers at the German school, and the student Frincke gave him together 17 hours weekly, so that he could enter the institution at Columbus, O., at the beginning of the school year. On 3 July, however, your Commission received a letter from Lewis, in which he reports that his wife in Baltimore was seriously ill; therefore he asked leave to travel to her, and for the necessary travel money; at the same time he asked for a loan of $64.00 to be able to pay the debts incurred through his wife's illness. Leave and travel money were granted by your Commission, but the loan was refused. At the same time he was told that it would probably be advisable to give up his training for mission service. On his journey he called on Pastor Bünger in St. Louis and urgently asked that he not be turned away, but that his case be laid before the Honorable Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*]. Since his wife is a Methodist and will remain one, the Commission had always had misgivings whether he would be suited to be a missionary. These last experiences made them still more doubtful, and it was resolved to lay the matter before the Honorable Synodical Conference.

"As already remarked, the St. John's congregation in New Orleans was served in addition by Missionary Döscher. Your Commission believed it could not refuse the missionary's request on this account; but for its part it expressed the request that the dear congregation take steps to be otherwise provided for as soon as possible, because the work for Missionary Döscher was indeed too much already. On 16 March of this year, however, Missionary Döscher was called by the St. John's congregation as its pastor, whereupon your Commission a letter of the St. John's congregation