# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S391
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

this and much more will not be the work of a one-
peace collection. We shall have to be ready to stand at thé

want to be there as soon as possible after the armistice

been signed.
in Russia. The gates of hell were not successful in rooting:

churches are again being opened. Probably the Lord
will open a great door for us there. At the request
J. Sieck the study of Russian is being taken up by a
of students at Concordia Seminary in St.Louis. Our
is to supply a small fund to finance those studies. If and
the opportunity comes to enter the door, we want to be

efore the war 90 per cent of all Protestants in Europe
classified as Lutherans. The Catholic Church would gain
a big advantage if those 90
ergirding Lutheranism per cent were split up into
‘urope many different denominational
groups, as is the case here in
erica. The Lutheran Church of Europe is in serious danger
disintegration unless it receives help from the Lutheran
ches: of America. ;
‘Surely our Church, blessed as it is spiritually and physically,
obably more than any church body since the days of the
stles, will not confine its postwar relief to the Freikirche.
abor of love to the fellow members. of the body of Christ
tricken Europe will have to extend as far as our means permit.

e. the war there were seven million Lutherans in Russia.
Slovakia there was an Evangelical Lutheran Church of more

400,000 members, a Silesian Church of 178,000 members;
énmark is.almost wholly Lutheran. The same applies to Nor-
and Finland. Lithuania, Latvia, and Esthonia have large
theran populations. Germany numbered over 35 million nom-
Lutherans before the. War. The Catholic Church -has only
million.. The Catholic Church is in much less danger of dis-
ation because of its oneness: of organization, while the
theran churches are split up. We do believe that the Missouri
od is vitally concerned in the.preservation of Lutheranism
all of. Europe. ‘

Miscellaneous Matters ‘391°

he Lutheran Church in Germany for many years to come. ©

ore the advent of Bolshevism there were 7,000,000 Lu-

out -the Church. It still prevails in Russia. Today

SPS EE a Ro

i

shat int SE TREES Ria