# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_October 1863_S306
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

306

(Submitted by Prof. Crämer.)

Report of the Sixth Regular Synodical Convention
of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
held in the church at Rock River, Wisc., from June 10 to 17, 1863.
(Continued.)

In communicating here only what is most important from the proceedings of the synod, we come first to the admission of Pastors P. A. Rasmussen, J. N. Fjeld, and N. Amlund, concerning which it is reported as follows:

"Pastor P. A. Rasmussen, who sought admission into the synod at the same time in the name of the other two as well, explained that, at the invitation of the synod's ministers, who had assembled at Decorah in Nov. 1861, they had presented themselves at the synod in Goodhue Co., and that since God had so blessed the negotiations carried on after the close of that synod that they resolved to seek admission into the synod, and since the ministers of the synod likewise had nothing further to object to. Pastor Amlund, though indeed not present at that time, had declared his full agreement with the negotiations conducted there, and since he, unfortunately, contrary to his own expectation, was now also prevented from being present at this synodical session, he had asked Rasmussen and Fjeld to bring forward his request for admission here, which was now done in the name of all three. They wished, moreover, that the portion of the minutes of that earlier meeting concerning the former difference in doctrine between them and us be read aloud, so that the synod might obtain the necessary clarification from it. The minutes, which were then read aloud, run as follows:

On Friday and Saturday, the 20th and 21st of June, following the close of the synod, a meeting took place between Pastors Rasmussen and Fjeld and the ministers of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Brandt, Ottesen, etc. The proceedings were conducted by Pastor Koren as chairman; Prof. Larsen served as secretary, and his report, read aloud and adopted by all participants, runs word for word as follows:

On the Lay Question.

The assembly agreed that Christians might come together privately for mutual, communal edification, but recognized that in practice it is often difficult to draw a line between "public" and "private," and likewise that even where transgressions should occur, one must proceed cautiously and leniently in working against them. Among such transgressions must be counted cases where individual members of the congregation come to such gatherings in order to work toward becoming, as it were, a small congregation within the congregation, or where it comes about that they neglect the exercise of the nearest duties of the spiritual priesthood. As a rule, such gatherings should only occasionally