# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S12
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

412 President’s Report

habilitation..of the home” and also that inexpensive. deyotional
literature be provided. Your President approved of a plan to eom-
bine these two ideas by publishing Lenten devotional booklets,
which were distributed gratis during the Lenten seasons of 1936
and 1937. We acknowledge our appreciation to Pastor Alfred
Doerffler for the splendid work of writing these first two booklets.
Though it meant quite an expenditure to print and distribute the
half million copies of each of these booklets, there is every reason
to believe that this investment is bringing rich returns. Since
Easter of 1937 our Publishing House publishes such booklets reg-
ularly, and the sales have exceeded all expectations.

During the past triennium many changes have occurred in the
faculties of our seminaries and colleges. Twenty-two professors
were elected, among whom were seven presidents, or directors.
Another professor is to be elected: at one of our colleges within the
next few weeks. This does not mean that new professorships were
created, but merely that vacancies were filled which were caused
by deaths or resignations or acceptance of calls into the ministry.

Your President, as instructed by Synod, appointed a committee
to review the appeal of Rev. Hesse. This committee reported that
the appellant was not ready to bring the case. to a conclusion on
the basis of the propositions advanced by the committee. His
appeal could therefore not be entertained.

Two appeals from the decision of congregations called for the
appointment of synodical committees. This, of course, was done
after the Districts had taken final action. The committees reported
that matters were brought to a God-pleasing conclusion.

Synodical committees were appointed to review the actions of
our Districts in the so-called Portland and Oconomowoc cases.
These cases still await final action.

In two instances your President appointed two men who served
on intersynodical committees to investigate difficulties which had
arisen between congregations of our Synod and the Hon. Wisconsin
Synod.

The candidate situation — many candidates standing idle at the
market-place — was, and still is, a problem. It was carefully and
conscientiously studied and discussed by the College of Presidents.
No perfect remedy was discovered. After all, only God can send
laborers. into the harvest. Thank God, the situation has improved
considerably.

As was reported in our periodicals, the Rev. Paul Schulz,.a
member of Synod’s Board of Directors, was sent to South America -
to visit the conventions of both Districts, also their two institutions
and. their mission-fields. This official visit undoubtedly proved to