# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1900_S25
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1900. 25

It says here that "apart from the office of the Word" the Christian congregation has the duty of love to establish Christian schools. For, as already noted in the first thesis, this duty of the congregation also comes about in another way, because the public ministry has been commanded to the congregation by Christ. Here, however, it matters to us above all to demonstrate the necessity of establishing congregational schools from the need of the Christian family, and not from the congregation's duty with regard to the establishing of the ministry.

If we wish to show that Christian congregations have the duty of love to assist parents by establishing congregational schools, we must first become clear whether the need is really remedied by the congregational school. Let us therefore look at such a congregational school. Religion forms in it the chief subject of instruction. Biblical history and the catechism are the central point around which all other subjects are grouped. The religious concepts and thoughts must dominate the instruction in all other subjects. In the timetable religious instruction stands in first place and claims a good part of the best time of the school day. For this is the highest and most important thing, that the children be given the right instruction in the ways of the Lord.

In the Christian congregational school, furthermore, God's Word is the real means of education, and indeed God's Word in its whole extent. While the state school must confine itself to what the natural man knows of God's Law and, as the pedagogues have shown us, may not trace even these demands of the law of nature back to God, but to considerations of utility, in the congregational school, on the contrary, God's Word is taken in full earnest. The Law comes to right use, not as a mere good rule, but as a rule that God has given, as a mirror that shows sin against God, as a rule by which the reborn walks as before God's face in his fear and love. Above all, however, the Gospel comes into use in discipline. All admonition is grounded in this, that the pupil, as a child of God redeemed through Jesus Christ, is to acknowledge the commandments of God and fulfill them from the heart with joy. Through religious instruction the congregational school does not form merely the understanding, does not impress merely biblical truths on the memory, but seeks above all to influence the heart and to direct the will according to God's Word. Thus education has finally as its goal that the children subordinate their will to the will of God, that they say in truth: "Speak, Lord, your servant hears"; "not my will, but yours be done"; that they live in faith and prove their faith in sanctification. The Christian congregational school educates in the right direction.
[Margin: a hand-drawn ink mark over "Gemeinden" in the first line of the second paragraph; not printed.]