# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1888_S5
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1888. 5

E. Mayerhoff, Ad. Hoyer, H. Knuth, Ed. Hoyer, E. Dornfeld, W. Rader, C. F. Goldammer, C. Thurow, H. Gieschen, G. Reinsch, Ferd. Stromer.
b. The Professors E. Notz, G. Thiele.
c. The Teachers F. W. H. Gräbner, Joh. Mohr, C. Nitschke, F. Nimmer.
d. Mr. Ludwig Hafemeister.

III. Guests.

Mr. P. Friedr. Stockmayer from Württemberg, as well as several members of the congregations in Milwaukee.

The Election of Officers

for the next two years had the following result:
Pastor Joh. Bading, President.
Pastor M. Tirmenstein, Vice-President.
Pastor C. Gausewitz, Secretary.
Mr. H. A. Christiansen, Treasurer.

Doctrinal Discussions.

Prof. Fr. Pieper of St. Louis, who had been appointed by the Rev. President as the *Referent* [presenter of the paper], laid before the Conference five theses

On Unity in Faith.

The presenter first remarked by way of introduction:

That there ought to be unity in the Christian church is generally conceded. Complaints about the torn and divided state of the church are general. In all ages, too, people have striven to bring about unity, especially in most recent times. We should rejoice over these efforts and regard our time as especially blessed on account of them, if closer examination did not show us that most of those who strive after unity are wholly ignorant of the nature of Christian unity. The devil has succeeded in producing a general confusion on this point. Every kind of unity is sought, only not the right unity, the unity willed by God. Hence, in spite of all efforts, people do not reach the goal; and those who seek the right, true unity are declared enemies of all unity, while the real destroyers of the right unity are praised as true promoters of it.