# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Januar 1862_S29
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Church and Contemporary History. 29

II. Abroad.

A new sect. On June 20 of last year a number of men from Württemberg, Bavaria, and Baden held a convention for the purpose of preliminary deliberation for the third synod of the "Friends of Jerusalem" at the Kirschenhardthof. The assembly resolved on the immediate founding of the "German Temple," as they call their union, concerning which the following document was drawn up: In view of the general disintegration of mankind, which has its cause in this, that none of the existing churches strives for the establishment of the sanctuary for all peoples at Jerusalem, we the undersigned declare our renunciation of Babylon, that is, of the existing churches and sects, and bind ourselves to the establishment of the German Temple for the carrying out of the Law, the Gospel, and the Prophecy (with 64 signatures, including those of the members of the Kirschenhardthof congregation).

For the organization of the German Temple, the appointment of a bishop and of a council of elders for the whole land was deemed necessary and was carried out. The office of bishop was assumed by Chr. Hoffmann; the council of elders was formed for the present of 12 men from Württemberg, Baden, and Bavaria.

It was further deemed necessary that, besides the national council of elders, elders be appointed in individual districts and localities, and that those among these who possess the qualities required for it should take over the performance of priestly duties for the members of the Temple and be installed in these offices by the bishop. Furthermore, traveling elders and traveling priests or evangelists are to be appointed, and for their training the existing mission school at Kirschenhardthof is to be continued and further developed. Several persons are already being prepared for the office of traveling elder and evangelist.

It was further resolved that a program, or a brief statement of the Temple's principal concerns, should be published for the information of members and non-members.

Finally, the next synod of the national elders, for the dispatch of the Temple's business, was set for September 25 of last year; whereas it was left to the bishop and the committee for the building of the Temple in Jerusalem to fix a day for the (third) general synod, which is meant not for business but for deliberation on the condition of mankind. — Here we have a new instance of the many already seen, of a new sect being made in order to heal a church already splintered into sects.

Death. On September 2 of last year, after a brief illness, Dr. Carl Friedr. Göschel died in Naumburg an der Saale, royal Prussian Consistorial President retired, in his 77th year.

The Prussian Lutheran Church. Dr. Münkel reports, among other things, the following: "Following a resolution of the General Synod, the O. K. C. (Oberkirchencollegium) convened a commission for the thorough 'discussion of the principles of church order according to Scripture and the Symbols, the history and practice of the church, with regard to the disputes that have arisen over it.' This commission consisted of representatives of both parties. Present on the right side were the members of the O. K. C., Dr. Huschke, Pistorius, Nagel, Lasius, together with Superintendent Feldner and the pastors Dr. Besser and Weiker. The left was represented by Consistorial Councillor Ehlers, Superintendent Zöller, and the pastors Crome, Lohmann, and Frommel. In order to discuss the questions more thoroughly and calmly, a few further members were drawn in from the territorial churches, namely Professors Kahnis and Zezschwitz of Leipzig, Delitzsch of Erlangen, Mejer of Rostock, and the editor. Zezschwitz, prevented by circumstances, could appear only with a written opinion. The commission sat in Berlin from September 26 to October 3, thus a full eight days. But even the eight days very soon proved to be far too short a span. For seldom, indeed, has a conference in recent times had to dis-