# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1894_S60
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

60 Proceedings of the fifteenth convention

1. They are the representatives of the old, unscientific theology; with them everything is only mechanical copying of Scripture — unscientific literalism. 2. The members of the *Synodalconferenz* [Synodical Conference] are only wretched parrots and representatives of the old dead orthodoxy; with them everything is only spiritless and lifeless formalism. 3. They are the representatives of the old Calvinistic determinism, which abolishes faith and destroys the Gospel.

None of these considerations is to move us to depart from God's verdict on fanaticism.

From the Evil One comes fanaticism. In eternity the rich man still proclaims it in the fires of hell with his No: Not through the Word alone. The devil will not get rid of fanaticism — but in the Church of God we are not to tolerate it.

Business Proceedings

The Commission for the Negro Mission had submitted the following report, which was read by Pastor C. F. W. Sapper:

Ninth Report of the Commission for the Negro Mission of the "Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America." (For the period from August 1892 to July 1894.)

Preliminary remark: The dear readers know that the work of the *Negermission* [mission among African Americans; the period's term "Negro Mission"] is the common work of the synods united in the venerable Synodical Conference. The Conference was assembled on the days of 8 to 14 August in Milwaukee, Wis., and received from the members of the Commission the two-year report on the progress of the mission, as well as on the state of the treasuries. The former was gratifying. God's blessing was with the faithful proclamation of the pure Word in churches and schools by pastors and teachers. Less encouraging is the treasurer's report. The hard times have made themselves felt in this work too, in smaller receipts, while its growth made larger demands on our gifts. Important and necessary measures, which had already been resolved two years ago at the convention of the venerable Conference in New York, could therefore not be carried out, for example the building of Mount Zion Church in New Orleans, which is now close to collapse and stands there as a monument not to zeal and love for our mission but to our sloth and indifference, a mockery of the Negro sects of that city. May it please God to arouse our hearts to new love and these our