# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S384
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

884 Co Miscellaneous Matters.

When Chaplain John Kaiser, who had been serving a pris:
oners of war camp, was ordered to another field of duty “di
Ev.-Lutherische Kirchengemeinde,” P. O. W. Camp Breckenridge,
sent a long communication to our commission stating:

“Wir bedauern aufrichtig, dass der Herr Kaplan Kaiser sq
ploetzlich gezwungen ist, von uns zu scheiden. Wir wissen, d:
wir in Herrn Kaplan Kaiser einen Pastor hatten, der seine Arbeit
unter uns sehr ernst nahm und sehen ihn infolgedessen mehr
als ungern scheiden. Besonders unangenehm beruehrt es uns,
dass wir dann auch keine Verbindung mehr mit der Missouri-
Synode haben, die uns so gut versorgt hat. Der Film The
Power of God wurde uebrigens mit grossem Beifall aufge-

nommen.” —In English: 7

“We regret exceedingly that Chaplain Kaiser has been trans-
ferred to another field. To us he was our pastor who worked

_ earnestly and hard, Especially do we regret the loss of our:
relationship with the Missouri Synod, which served us so fai h-
fully. The film The Power of God was received by us with great
enthusiasm.”

_ There are scores and scores of letters in our files from pris:
oners of war expressing heartfelt gratitude and sincere apprecia-
tion of the work which the Lutheran Commission for Prisoners
of War has done among these prisoners. 7

Germany did not exempt pastors nor theological students
from military duty. According to information over 9,000 pastors

, in Germany had been drafted into the Ger-
Clergy P.O.W. man army. More than 3,000 have already

oe become war casualties. Besides these there:
is a large number of theological students. Our commission -is
putting special emphasis on contact with this group of prisoners,
providing them with theological study materials of all kinds,’

It is, however, also true that to a large number of prisoners.
of war the preaching of the Gospel is foolishness, Some resent it.:

_ Some persecute those who do come to services, But by and large

we believe that in this work, too, the:

The Rev. F. J. Seltz . Lord has opened up a wide door, and:

we are confident that our work will
bear fruits not only in the prison camps here in America but,

' please God, after the war in Germany itself. ee

We take this opportunity to express our sincere apprecia-. .
tion and thanks to Rev. F. J. Seltz of St. Paul, Minn., and his