# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1884_S92
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

90 Proceedings of the tenth convention

V. Foreign Mission.

A member of the Conference spoke in warm words for the immediate undertaking of a foreign mission [*Heidenmission*, mission among the heathen] and named Japan as a perhaps suitable place, since Japan has been opened to world traffic through America and a certain sympathy exists between Japanese and Americans, while teachers have been imported into Japan from Germany who have spread their unbelief there. Added to this is that in our congregations there is a desire for a foreign mission. Money for it is always coming in. To this it was answered, on the one hand: Do not damp this spirit in our congregations. For it is true, we have the holy duty to carry on mission. If all Christians of the whole world had fulfilled this duty, there would be no heathen to whom the gospel had not been preached. For there are Christians enough to bring the gospel to all the heathen. And yet it has not happened. It is a quite dreadful guilt that so many heathen have died without the Word of God having been brought to them.

On the other hand this too was stressed: As true as what has just been said is (and everyone will grant it), the question for us is: Are we really doing nothing at all? Are we not obeying the command of Jesus Christ: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"? When reports are made from outside about missions, as for example in Herzog's Encyclopaedia a general report is found, then in the listing of the individual bodies in America there stands, behind the name of the Synodical Conference, a long dash, by which one wants to tell the world: See there what sort of people these are; they trouble themselves nothing about the work of mission; they have only always to settle controversies over doctrine among themselves; but for such glorious work they have no sense. Is that true, however? On the contrary, we have a Negro Mission, a Jewish Mission and above all the great work of home mission among the poor immigrated fellow-believers, by which we have already rescued thousands and again thousands from the hands of the sects and especially also of the unbelievers. Of that no word is mentioned. But of course; that does not shine so in the eyes of many. It does indeed have a somewhat more pious appearance to send a missionary to distant heathen lands.

Now we would gladly do that too. But we are convinced that we cannot and should not do it sooner than until God gives us a clear sign for it. And such a sign is above all that he gives us men who possess the right spirit and the gifts and abilities necessary for it. One exaggerates in an enthusiast's way if one thinks one must, merely in order to have a mission among the heathen, quickly seek a land and a people in which to do mission work, and we lack