# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1906_S80
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

80 Constitution and Agreements of the Synodical Conference.

Constitution and Agreements of the Synodical Conference.

On 10 July A. D. 1872 the following synods met as a larger church body:

The Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio and Other States;

the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States;

the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Wisconsin and Other States;

the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod;

the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Illinois and Other States;

the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Minnesota,

and indeed on the basis of the following

Constitution of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America.

§ I. Name.

Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference [*Synodalkonferenz*].

§ II. Confession.

The Synodical Conference confesses the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as God's Word and the confession of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of 1580, called the "Concordia," as its own.

§ III. Purpose and Aim.

Outward expression of the unity of spirit of the synods concerned; mutual strengthening in faith and confession; promotion of unity in doctrine and practice and removal of occurring threatening disturbances of the same; common activity for the common purposes; striving for a delimitation of the synods according to territorial boundaries, provided that language does not divide; union of all Lutheran synods of America into one orthodox American Lutheran Church.

§ IV. Authority.

The Synodical Conference is merely an advisory body in all matters in which a decisive authority has not been granted it by all the synods constituting it; however, the totality of the synods represented in it has to decide on the admission of church bodies into the federation of the Synodical Conference, and such admission can therefore take place only by the concurring resolution of all the federated synods; it has to see to it that regular mixed pastoral conferences are established and held through the mediation of the respective district presidents; without the consent of all the synods represented in the Synodical Conference none of them can enter into ecclesiastical-legal ties with other church bodies.

§ V. Subjects of Activity.

Church doctrine and practice; the relation of the preachers and congregations of one synod of the federation to those of another; the relation of the