# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_September 1863_S276
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

276 Report of the sixth regular synodical assembly of the Norwegian Evang.-Luth. Church.

was present at my request and reported on it to the church council, an excerpt of which has been published in the "Maanedstidende" [Monthly Times]. Pastor Krohn, who has accepted the pastoral charge at Chicago left vacant by the departure of Pastor A. C. Preus, was, at his own and his congregation's request, ordained on the 16th of April at our ministerial conference at Rock Prairie. Pastor Johnson has accepted a call from the congregation at Nicollet, Minn.; Pastor Hagestad a call from the congregation at Rush River, Wisc.; Pastor Mikkelsen has been called by the congregation of Waupaca, Wisc. These three are now present here in order to be ordained during our synod's time together. Oh, how has God according to His grace blessed our modest endeavor! With what joy do we welcome among us these helpers in the cause of the Lord, these fellow-laborers in the work for the Lord's honor! Let us not be reluctant to praise and glorify the Lord for this His unspeakable mercy, and to entreat Him that He would keep all these young brethren in His truth and as faithful stewards over the mysteries of His kingdom! — These all desire admission into our Synod.

But no less great is the mercy which God has shown our fellowship precisely in these days of strife, in that He has united Pastors Rasmusen, Fjeld and Amlund with us in one faith and confession. This was none of those unions so much in favor in our time, the founding of which is desired by no [right-thinking] side; for what use can such a union be, which is at its root godless, since the so-called united parties believe and confess doctrines directly opposed to one another? In the deliberation held with these dear brethren after the previous synod, we went thoroughly through the various points of doctrine over which strife had hitherto been carried on between them and us. Since they then declared themselves in agreement with us on these points in the confession of the pure doctrine, and further expressed their resolve to seek admission into our Synod, and since we for our part found no obstacle standing in the way of carrying this out, and since they thereafter took part in our ministerial conferences, we could only rejoice with thanks and praise toward God over this step, through which God, according to His grace, has led us to a settling of this schism, in consequence of which so many of our countrymen have stood opposed to our fellowship as enemies. We hope that the Lord, according to His grace, will complete His work, uniting their congregations too with ours in one faith into one fellowship.

So I have now named to the Reverend Synod some of the most conspicuous proofs of grace shown by the Lord toward our church fellowship in this past year. Yet, as has been said, this has not happened so that we should, as it were, withdraw into rest and leisure after the battle is won. Rather, the Lord has for that very reason shown us such overflowing and manifold grace, that our hearts