# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S21
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

21

MINUTES OF THE CONVENTION

Patriotic Observance

Prior to the opening of the 51st regular convention of
The Lutheran Church—-Missouri Synod a patriotic ob-
gervance in honor of the bicentennial of the United States
was held on Friday, July 4, 1975, in the convention center
At Anaheim, California. Dr. August Suelflow, archivist of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and chairman of
its Bicentennial Committee, was in charge of the observ-
ance, which began with the singing of the national an-
them, the pledge of allegiance to the flag, and the presen-
tation of the colors.

Following the ginging of “God Bless Our Native
Land,” Dr. J. A. O. Preus, President of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, read a proclamation directing
that the bicentennial of our country be observed by all
members of the Synod. Included in the patriotic observ-
ance were a number of hymns interspersed with appro-
priate readings by Dr. Cyril Wismar. Among these were
the Declaration of Independence, a petition of Lutherans,
a portion of an address by C. F. W. Walther to the Synod
regarding the United States, and a portion of Abraham
Lincoln’s 1865 inaugural address.

Chief of Chaplains, Major General Gerhardt W.
Hyatt, then addressed the convention speaking on the
theme of life and liberty through Christ. He pointed out
that freedom is not free and that it is often achieved in
the degree to which people strive to achieve it through
Christ. Furthermore, when it is won, it never becomes an
irrevocable heritage. Most people would rather reap the
harvest of freedom than plant the seed and till the soil,
and it is only when they realize that real life and liberty
come through Christ that they will realize that life and
liberty cannot be the property of one nation or people.
True freedom cannot be enjoyed if it is denied to one’s
neighbor, and therefore our lives and aspirations must be
brought under the precepts of Christ. He closed his
address with the prayer that the grace and peace of
Christ may be among us at this convention and in the
future.

Opening Service

The opening service of the 51st regular convention of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod was held in the
convention center at Anaheim, California, on July 4 at
4:00 p.m. Dr. August Bernthal, Fifth Vice-President of
the Synod, delivered the sermon on the basis of Phil. 2:5-
11. In his address he reminded us that we have a bell to
ring for the world, a bell which calls out the message
that Jesus Christ is Lord. He called upon the members of
the Synod to make the message known that Jesus Christ
is Lord, He is Lord indeed.

Presiding minister for the Eucharistic service was the
Rev. Elmer Matthias of Zion Lutheran Church, Ana-
heim, California. Assisting in the service were the Presi-
dent and Vice-Presidents of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod, as well as the District Presidents. Music

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for the nereics wes y! ered by che chui ches of the

Orange Cours, Califoisie, area and by Lhe brass choir

from Orange County in addition to the handbell choir of
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Orange, California. Organ-
ist for the service was Mr. William Heide, Zion, Ana-
heim. The choirs were directed by Mr. David Held of St.
John’s, Orange, California.

Session 1

July 4, Evening
Opening

The opening devotion of the 51st synodical convention
was conducted by Dr. J. A. O. Preus, President of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. After the opening
hymn, “With the Lord Begin Thy Task,” Dr. Preus spoke
to the convention of the unity of spirit which we must
have and of our submission to Christ, basing his remarks
on Phil. 2:5-11.

Mr. Vern Pate, a member of the Convention Arrange-
ments Committee in charge of registration and creden-
tials, reported that as of 4:30 p.m. 525 voting pastors and
497 voting lay delegates had registered, a total of 1,022
voting delegates. Since this constituted a quorum, Dr.
Preus declared the 5ist convention of the Synod open in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.

Dr. August Suelfiow, Synod’s archivist, presented a
historic convention gavel to Dr. Preus. In his remarks he
pointed out that President Preus was the fourth Presi-
dent of the Synod to use this gavel since 1911. The gavel,
which has therefore become a symbol of the continuity
within our Synod, was carved from a beam of the log
cabin of the original seminary in Perry County and
contains passages from Jeremiah 1:20 and Romans 3:28,
as well as the faces of Luther and Walther. This is the
24th consecutive convention in which the gavel has been
used.

Aaj. Gen. Gerhardt W. Hyatt