# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1894_S5
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1894. 5

The Norwegian Synod also had sent two delegates, Prof. L. Larsen and Prof. Joh. Ylvisaker, and in addition Pastor S. Meisel of that synod had appeared. Prof. Larsen explained in a rather lengthy address: The Norwegian Synod had always been in unity of faith with the Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*]. That it had withdrawn at the time of the controversy over the doctrine of election [*Gnadenwahl*, election of grace / predestination] had not happened because anyone thought they were not in agreement with the Synodical Conference in doctrine. But the controversy over election had shaken the Norwegian Synod far more severely than any other synod. It had therefore been thought more advisable to dissolve the connection with the Synodical Conference. Through slow procedure and persistent instruction there had at last come about, in 1887, a full victory of the truth, and the Norwegian Synod, now that the opponents of the pure doctrine had withdrawn, stood united again. Much difficulty had been caused by the fact that so many did not understand the German language. For even though faithful Norwegians who knew themselves to be in unity of faith with the Synodical Conference had shown that the doctrine they presented was the right one, there had nevertheless remained among their people, in part, the suspicion: What may things look like among the Germans? Most of them could not examine the Germans' publications for themselves, for lack of German. Now the controversy was indeed over, and many would think that it was now time to join the Synodical Conference again. But that still had its difficulty. For in the first place there were still weak ones. And then the language also presented an exceedingly great obstacle, in that it was so hard to find laymen who knew German whom one could send as representatives of the Norwegian Synod to the Synodical Conference. But nevertheless two delegates from the Norwegian Synod had appeared here this time, to testify that the Norwegian Synod is heartily at one with the Synodical Conference and that it gladly wants to do what it can to support the work of the Synodical Conference.

The President replied thereupon: The Synodical Conference rejoices heartily that the originally orthodox Norwegian Synod has come out of the hard struggle as victor, and that it, cleansed of the contradictors, still remembers its former connection and has sent two delegates, and we hope that the time may not be far off when the Norwegian Synod also appears as an integral part of the Synodical Conference.