Collection › LCMS Convention Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1935 · 36th Convention, Cleveland › Page 110
LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1935, Page 110

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

110 Proceedings of: Thirty-Sixth Regular Convention,

‘Student District were held in St.Louis in May, 1933, and in Mil-
waukee in October, 1933, members of our Committee attending both
-eonventions and participating in the discussions, eo ;

' ‘In the'mean time our Committee was carivassing the entire situa-
tion with the Executive Secretary of the Walther League, and it was
discovered that a unanimous opinion prevailed to the effect that it
would be a better policy to organize the Lutheran students more
directly under the auspices of the Church. This opinion was shared
also by many of the Lutheran students holding membership in the
Student District of the Walther League as well as some of the
university pastors. Accordingly our Committee drafted a tentative
constitution, which was submitted for discussion when the students
met in Chicago during November, 1934. The constitution having
been approved unanimously by the thirty accredited delegates, repre-
senting twelve colleges and universities, the Student District of the
Walther League ceased to exist, and the National Association of Lu-
theran Students came into being. The continued interest of the
Walther League and its financial backing has made possible the
publication of a student paper, Gamma Delta, three issues having
appeared at the time of this writing. It should be taken for granted
of course that our Committee, while sponsoring this organization,
realizes that our duty extends to all our Lutheran students, whether
they have enrolled in the National Association of Lutheran Students
or have remained without.

For the purpose of becoming better acquainted with the university
pastors, our Committee endeavored to call a conference where these
brethren could be-met to discuss mutual problems. It appeared that
Synod could not authorize the expenses incidental to such a con-
ference and that therefore a full representation could not be expectéd.
However, once again with the financial assistance of the Walther
League arrangements were made to invite at least the university
pastors of the Mid-West to a conference held in Fort Wayne. during
February of this year. Several of the pastors responded, and the
views of these experienced brethren, who had been engaged in Student
Welfare Work for some years, have been of great value to us.

During the three years in which we have had the opportunity. of
concerning ourselves with Student Welfare Work the conviction has
steadily gained ground that the present arrangement of conducting
this phase of church-work is unsatisfactory and that it should receive
more attention officially and directly from the Church than has been
the case heretofore. The spiritual welfare of our Lutheran students
who are enrolled in irregilious and antireligious colleges jand univer-
sities of our country certainly merits the interest of the Church —
both from the motive of concern which the Church should feel for
all of her members and from the viewpoint of self-preservation —