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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Gc 977.302 CA3LUG 1905-07 Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Minutes . . . annual convention
PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAIK (THLE 17 U.S. CODE),
MINUTES
THIRTY-FIFTHI ANNUAL CONVENTION
CHICAGO SYNOD
OF THE
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY LA FAYETTE, TIPPECANOE COUNTY, INDIANA
JUNE 21-25, 1905
CONCORDIA THEC:
PERMARY LIBRARY
FT. WAYNE, INDIANA 46825 Press of S. TH. ALMBERG, 290-292 Wells St., Chicago
>258 79019
- 1
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
Exterior view of the Church in which the Convention was held Rev. Elmer D. S. Boyer, Pastor
Interior view of the Church in which the Convention was held
MINUTES
Opening Service
HE Thirty-fifth Annual Convention of the Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, was held in The Church of the Holy Trinity, La Fayette, Indiana, beginning June 2 Ist, 1905, at 10:00 a. m. The convention began with the Confessional and Morning Services of the Church Book, followed by the Synodical, Sermon by the Rev. S. Wagenhals, D. D., based on Matt. 16:3, last clause; and the celebration of the Lord's Supper.
After the Benediction, the President announced the names of the Committees on Credentials of Lay Delegates, and on Local Press.
First Session
Church of the Holy Trinity, La Fayette, Indiana.
Wednesday, June 21, 1905, 2 p. 111.
The devotional services were conducted by the Rev. G. H. Gerberding, D. D.
The President opened the first business session accord- ing to the Order of the Church Book.
The welcome of the city of La Fayette was extended to the convention, by the mayor, Hon. Geo. R. Durgan. His words of welcome were responded to, by Rev. H. Peters, . the President of Synod.
The Roll of Ministers was called, and the Committee on Credentials presented the list of lay delegates.
Roll of Ministers
Name
Ordained
Parish
Address
I A. V. House
1864
No Charge
Arcadia. Indiana
2 S. Wagenhals. D. D.
1868
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana
3 Prof R F Weidner, DD, LLD,ac
1873
Professor
4 Hiram Peters, D. D.
1873
Decatur
1311 Sheffield ave., Chicago 950 N. Main st.,Decatur, I11 (1315Wavelandave., Chicago
5 Prof. G. H. Gerberding, D.D.
1876
Professor
6 Polycarp C. Wike
1886
Colburn
Colburn, Indiana
7 William J. Finck
1887
Anderson
Anderson, Indiana
8 D. L. Reese
1$89
Whitestown
Lebanon, Indiana
9 W. L. Hunton, Ph. D.
1889
Holy Trinity
586 La Salle av .. Chicago Nappanee, Indiana
10 A. L. Boliek
1891
Nappanee
11 H. M. Martens
1892
E-Germantown Field Secretary Wallace
E. Germantown, Indiana 414 Potomac av., Chicago Wallace, FountainCo., Ind 81 Le Moyne st., Chicago 617 So. 6th st., Goshen Ind South Bend, Indiana
15 Luther Hogshead
1897
Goshen South Bend Mishawaka
Mishawaka, Indiana Newberry, Indiana
18 H. J. Mathias. r.
1898
Newberry
19 Harry B. Reed
1899
20 Zenan M. Corbe(t.)
1899
St. Peter's St. Mark's Frankfort
944 Le Moyne st., Chicago 1223 Addison st., Chicago Frankfort. Indiana
22 Wm. C. Miller, r.
1899
Christ
23 Theodore Weiskotten .
1900
Syracuse
24 J. C. Dietz
1900
Alexandria
25 George F. Dittinar
26.M. E. Haberland
1901
St. Luke's
27 Joel R. E. Hunt
1901
St. John's
28 S. D. Myers
1902
Vandalia
29 William J. Seiberling
1902
Mulberry
30 John V. Sappenfield
1902
Claremont St. Paul's Elgin
Claremont, Il1., R. F. D. 3 61 Breckenridge st.,Detroit 434 Chicago av., Elgin, 111
33 Paul J. Gerberding
1903
St. Matthew's |2516 WHarrison st.Chicago
34 L. P. Pence
1903
35 Rimer D. S. Boyer
1904
36 Lloyd W. Steckel
1904
1904
38 L. J. Baker, r.
1905
Atonement Lafayette Logan Square Gila and Olney Epiphany
1410 N. Central Pk., Chgo Newton, Ill., R. F. D.4 303 Oakley Blvd., Chicago
a. Absent.
e. Excused.
r. Received during year.
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491 Townsend av., Detroit Syracuse, Indiana 708Minn.av.AlexandriaInd Rochester, Fulton Co., Ind 1470 N.Francisco av., Chgo 1110 E. 59th st., Chicago Vandalia, Illinois Mulberry, Indiana
31 J. A. Miller
1902
1903
32 Paul W. Roth, a. e.
1896
13 Isaiah Whitman
14 Austin D. Crile
1897
Wicker Park
16 Wm. Brenner, r.
1897
17 M. E. Boulton
1898
1899
21 Alonzo HI. Arbaugh
1901
Rochester
6936 Bishop st., Chicago 510N.10th st., LafayetteInd
37 Jno. Knaner
12 A. C. Anda
1894
Roll of Lay Delegates
Name
Parish Residence
C. T. A. Anderson Holy Trinity ..... 167 Dearborn St., Chicago
Chas. Nielsen Wicker Park ... 720 W. North Av., Chicago
John L. Reuter Humboldt Park, 100 Washington St., Chicago
G. J. Leaders
St. James'
Chicago, III.
L. J. Baker
.Epiphany 303 Oakley Blvd., Chicago
Edward Valbracht St. Luke's .Chicago, III.
A: W. Ackermann
Elgin Elgin Illinois
Chas. White.
Auror Aurora, Illinois
G. E. Dieckmann.
Vandalia Vandalia, Illinois
M. L. Deck
Decatur. Decatur, Illinois
John Fritchle
Claremont. Claremont, Illinois
F. M. Smiley
Goshen
Nappanee .Nappanee, Indiana
Marion Cline.
Whitestown. Whitestown, Indiana
John Garman
Mulberry Mulberry, Indiana
Luther Zirkle
Colburn. Colburn, Indiana
B. F. Wert ..
South Bend
South Bend, Indiana
A. M. Sappenfield
Corydon
Corydon, Indiana
M. Rudisill
Wallace. Wallace, Indiana
J. F. Eberlein.
Mishawaka
Mishawaka, Indiana
C. Hildebrand
Frankfort Frankfort, Indiana
Joel E. Bond
E. Germantown Millville, Indiana
Jas. Bauer
La Fayette
La Fayette, Indiana
Chas. Wann.
Hicksville Antwerp, Ohio
Applicants for the Ministry
The following students of Theology were in attendance, and were granted the privilege of the floor:
L. J. Baker, Chicago, Illinois. Chas. White, Aurora, Illinois. Andrew M. Sappenfield, Corydon, Ind.
Visiting Ministers
During this convention, the following ministerial breth- ren were present, and were granted the privilege of the floor:
H. J. Mathias, Newberry, Indiana. Wm. Brenner, South Bend. Indiana. W'm. C. Miller, Detroit, Michigan. Geo. Drach, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
t-
Goshen, Indiana
Jacob Hepler
The President's Report
Church work is preeminently a work of faith. While there is that in the Church which is visible, tangible, material and human, there is that also which is invisible, immaterial, spiritual and Divine. There is at work in her, continually and principally, an invisible Christ, an intangible Holy Ghost and the unseen powers of a world to come. In dealing with these imponderables, which make for righteousness and well-being, we walk by faith, not by sight! Church work is differentiated from all other kinds of work by the drafts which it makes upon faith. It is always, everywhere, and all- through, a work of faith. And it will never cease to be so, as long as we live, or the Church shall live. That which is visible, palpable, before our eyes, in the church, is not her full and proper measure. All merely human, material, commercial standards, applied to her are notoriously false, misleading, unjust and unequal. She is not to be measured alone by time, space, and numbers, although she may, and docs excel in all these measurements. The Divine element, which is ever present in lier, and at work, is the controlling factor, and must be reckoned with in all her life and movements. Without it, we can do nothing and worse than nothing. This Divine energy, as it runs through all true Church work, and indeed through all that is truly Christian, can only be grasped, made available and effective by faitlı. As Church workers, we are to be men of faith as well as of power, of love, and of a sound mind.
It isevident therefore, that this intense craving for actual results, which we see, the piling up of numbers and statistics, of wealth, of grand and imposing superstructures, this intense greed of grain in out- ward things for effect and show, intensified as it all is by the fierce competitive spirit which characterizes our American Church life-is not of faith, but of sight, if not of sin. To have the biggest church, to have the richest church, to have the finest church, is not always to have the best church. Men may think so, but God may not think so.
With thespirit of faith controlling us, our Church work will be- come the widest kind of work going on in the world. All things are possible to him that believeth, because with God all things are poss- ible. Faith as a grain of mustard seed, will remove mountains. It is a venturesome spirit. It is ever seeking new worlds to conquer. It bears of new lands untrod, and like Columbus, it launches out into the unknown deep. Not that it is a blind, foolish and reckless
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spirit. It waits for the word, the Divine indication, the leading of Divine Providence, the Divine call and commission, but then, like Abraliam, it ventures abroad, not knowing what the end or outcome will be. Faith is the very heart and core of the missionary spirit.
It is just because church work is such a work of faith and not of sight, that we become so discouraged at times in it. We always want to see and know, where it is given us only to believe. Like all other mortals, we want to see results. We teach, and preach, and pray, and labor, and have patience, oftentiuies, and yet seeui to affect no- thing. All things seem to continue as they were from the beginning. And our agonizing prayers go up, "Lord give us to see the fruits of our labor before we go hence," "Give us the seals of our ministry." When we are compelled to complain sometimes, and say, "Master we have toiled all night and have taken nothing," and we again hear the Lord's command: "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught," it takes a good deal of faith to say in response, "Nevertheless at thy word we will let down the net." But it is such faith which gains the victory, and achieves the vast results. And these results come in the morning after the night of toil. "There- fore it is of faith, that it might be by grace." Such is the Lord's work put into our hands to do. On our part, it is the work of faith; on the Lord's part, it is the gift of liis power and grace. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
We meet together in Synodical capacity again to cast up our gains aud losses during the past year, and to lay out our work and take our bearings for the coming year. God has been good to us during the past year. He has been with us and that to bless. He has not answered all our prayers, but sufficient to inspire us to con- -tinue our invited prayer to him; "Let thy work appear unto thy ser- vants, O Lord, and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it."
He has graciously spared the lives of all of our bretlwen in Synod. No brother is absent fromn roll-call here today, because God hastrans- ferred him to glory, to answer the roll-call of those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. A few will not answer to their names here today, because they have chosen new fields of labor out- side of our Synodical bounds. But the names of others will be added at this meeting to take their places, and our Synodical roll will re-
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main practically the same. We are compelled to record quite a num- ber of pastoral changes as in the former years. The mission work on our own territory, both by our own board, and that of the Gen- eral Council has been extended, and quite a number of new congre- gations will apply for admission to the Synod, viz .: The Evangel- ical Lutheran Church of the Epiphany, Chicago, Ill., Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Aurora, Ill., Christ Ev. Lutheran Church, Detroit, Mich., and Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Austin, Il1., adding about two hundred to our commu- nicant membership. About the usual number of corner-stone layings, dedications of new churches, and improvement of old ones, have taken place during the year.
Installations
The following are the installations for the year with date, place, and by whom;
Rev. T. F. Weiskotten, Syracuse charge, June 12, 1904. Rev. W. L. Hunton Ph. D.
Rev. J. V. Sappenfield, Claremont charge, July 10, 1904- Rev. A. L. Boliek.
Rev. Herbert Martens, E. Germantown charge, July 24, 1904. Rev. Jesse Dunn.
Rev. L. W. Steckel, St. James', Chicago, August 7, 1904. Pres-
dent of Synod.
Rev. John Knauer, Gila charge, October 16, 1904. Rev. A. L. Boliek.
Rev. A. L. Boliek, Nappanee charge, May 14, 1905. Rev. T. F. Veiskotten.
Rev. Luther Hogshead, Goshen charge, May 28, 1905. Rev. H. 3. Reed.
Resignations. Calls Accepted. Removals
Under date of Sept. 21, 1904, Rev. Luther Hogshead informed ie, that he had accepted the call from the Goshen charge, and ould begin his labor there Dec. 18, 1904.
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Under date of Dec. 9, 1904, Rev. Geo. P. Kabele informed me that lie had about completed agreement to take up mission work in Chicago, in behalf of the General Synod, which would necessitate his connection with the Synod of Northern Illinois. He asked me, there- fore, to forward him his letter of dismissal to that body. After some hesitation and further correspondence, I sent him his letter under the date of Dec. 24, 1904.
Under the date of Jan. 23, 1905, Rev. Wm. Eckert informed me, that he had received and accepted a call from Racine, Wisconsin, and would remove shortly to his new field, and asked for his letter to the Synod of the North-West. I sent him his letter under date of Jan. 26, 1905.
Under date of February 2, 1905, Rev. A. L. Boliek informed me that he had accepted the call from the Nappanee charge, and would begin liis labors there April 1, 1905.
Under the date of April 24, 1905, Rev. H. J. Mathias of Lincoln- ton, North Carolina, informed me that he had accepted the call from the Newberry charge, and would enter upon his duties there June 1, 1905. Under date of May 13, 1905, he sent me his letter of honorable dismissal from the Tennessee Synod, and assured me that he would be present at this meeting and connect himself with us.
Under date of April 29, 1905, Rev. Jesse Dunn informed me, that he had accepted work within the bounds of the Pittsburg Synod, and asked for a letter of dismissal to that body. I sent him his letter under date of May 2, 1905.
Under date of May 22, 1905, student L. J. Baker of the Chicago Seminary, and a graduate thereof, informed me that he had accepted the joint call extended to him by the General Council Home Mission Board, and Epiphany Mission, Chicago, and made application to be or- dained at this meeting of the Synod. His application is in the hands of the Examining Committee.
·
Under date of May 29, 1905, Rev. William Brenner of The Dalles, Oregon, informed me that he was on the ground at South Bend Ind., having received and accepted the call from our Mission there. He has placed in my hands, his letter of dismissal from the Pacific Synod, and will apply for admission to this Synod at the present session.
Rev.Wm. C. Miller having been called to Detroit, Mich., as one of the missionaries of the Home Mission Board of the General Council, under the date of June 12, 1905, sent me his application to be received into this Synod. His application is in the hands of the Examining Committee for action.
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Corner-Stone Laying and Dedication
The corner-stone of Grace Lutheran Church, Syracuse, Ind., Rev. T. F. Weiskotten, pastor, was laid Oct, 21, 1904. Rev. Dr. Gerberding and Rev. Jesse Dunn assisted the pastor on this occasion.
In less than three months afterwards, on January 15, 1905, this church was dedicated, the Mission Director Rev. W.L. Hunton Ph. D. officiating. A full description of this building will be given in the Report of the Mission Director.
On Oct. 23, 1904, I officiated at the corner-stone laying of St. James' Lutheran Church, five miles north-east of Olney Ill., in the charge of Rev. J. V. Sappenfield. I was assisted in this service by the pastor and Rev. John Knauer. The estimated cost of the build- ing is $4,000. The Audience Room is 30x50 and the S. S. Room is 16x30. This church has not yet been dedicated.
It was my great pleasure to officiate at the dedication of the new St. Mark's Lutheran Church at Whitestown, Ind., Rev. D. L. Reese pastor, on January 29, 1905. The entire cost of this beautiful struct- ure was $10, 000; nearly $4,000 of this amount was raised on the day of dedication. Its dimensions are 48x70 feet, with a seating capacity of 400. It is completely finished and handsomely furnished, and was dedicated entirely free from debt. The brethren present and taking part in the services, morning, afternoon and night, were the pastor, and Rev. W. J. Seiberling and Rev. A. H. Arbaugh.
The corner-stone of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Detroit, Mich., Rev. J. A. Miller pastor, was laid on Jan. 29, 1905. Rev. A. C. Anda, Field Secretary of the General Council, officiating. It is now ap- proaching completition, aud will be dedicated some time in July or August.
Vacancies
Notwithstanding the vacancies left over from last year, and those which have taken place on account of pastoral changes during the year just closing, only two remain to be filled at the present time.
The pastorate of the Corydon charge is still vacant. But these people, so far removed from the center of Synodical activity, are being happily supplied by student Andrew Sappenfield during the summer vacation.
The Hicksville charge has been vacant since the middle of De- cember, and is somewhat discourged on account of several calls ex.
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tended, but declined. This charge is somewhat hard to fill, on ac- count of the severe physical labors involved in serving it at the pace set by its former pastor. But there must be a good man somewhere in the Church for Hicksville. Let us pray that he may speedily be found.
Educational Work
The General Council, at its last meeting in 1903, adopted this recommendation of its Committee on Education: "That the General Council ask every Synod to request each of its congregations to in- stitnte a week-day Christian Kindergarten in its midst, in addition to the usual Sunday School". As far as I have learned, only one of our congregations has acted on this advice, and that oue is our mis- sion at South Bend, Ind. Last summer, after the common schools had closed, the pastor with his wife began, and continued for three months, such a school in the church at South Bend. Two days in the week, and two hours in the day, from 9 to 11 o'clock were utilized for this purpose. Bible reading responsively, by the whole school was the work of the first hour. Then a short recess, after which the older part of the school underwent a review and examination on the previous lesson by the pastor, while the smaller children, in a separate room, were taught by means of charts, by the pastor's wife. Who will say that some such kind of work is not needed to supplement the meagre work of the Sunday school? Why should not this one example be followed by others? We speak of this lovely instance, not only for its own sake, but also to add interest to the whole question referred to us by the General Council, and which will be brought out in the paper to be read to us on "Christian Education".
A Vital Point
I think that the department of our Synodical work, in which our growth as a Synod is most vitally bound up at the present time, and also for the future, is the education of young men for the ministry. We have now only three or four young men on our funds for this purpose, and none of these are available just now, as regular pastors. We have not a single student of our own, out of the class which graduated at the Seminary this year. It is on these that' we must mainly rely for the necessary supply of Pastors, for our old and new charges. But they are not forthcoming. We begin already to feel the lack, and we will feel it still more deeply from year to year. With
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the Chicago Seminary on our own territory, this deficiency is to be still more deeply deplored. The cry from our vacant parislies is com- ing up, "Send us a man from the Chicago Seminary". These are the men we need, and which our people are coming to desire and appre- ciate. It is only our own students which we can claim and secure, as a general rule. Other Synods will claim their own, as they come forth from the Seminary. We are deeply grateful, always, for the ex- cellent men we are able, now and then, to get from other portions of the Church. But this savors too much of the process of robbing Peter to pay Paul. In the end, we must rely mainly upon our own men, reared up in our own congregations, educated at our own Seminary, and imbued with our own spirit, to prosecute our own work on our own territory. Brethren, I ask your most prayerful attention to this vital point, which has been so forcibly pressed home to me, as I have endeavored to supply our vacant parishes with suitable Pastors, and in which, not only our present, but future welfare, as a Synod, is in- volved.
Conclusion
And now, brethren, the constitutional limit has been reached in my service as your presiding officer. I will not conceal the sense of relief which I feel, for great responsibilities are ever accompanied with fear and trembling, and great anxiety. The care of all the churches embraces all this, day and night, year in and year out. But that sentiment which is uppermost in my heart this moment, of sur- rendering the trust into more worthy and abler hands, is gratitude; gratitude for the honor you have thrice conferred upon me; for the confidence you have reposed in me as a brother, with at least good in- tentions, and which you make me feel that I still retain up to this hour; for the uniform and unfailing courtesy, deference, and allow- ance, which you have extended to me for three years. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all this and much more.
And now, as we gird up our loins for the work before us, let us pray that the great Head of the Church, as the object which He loves above all else in the world, who is head over all things to His Church, and who Himself intercedes for us as He sits at the right hand of the Father and holds the reins of the universe, in his hands, expecting that all things shall be put under Him, may reside over us, reside . within us, and work through us, to His own greater glory. Amen.
H. PETERS.
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*A
The Report was received and referred to the Committee on President's Report.
Election of Officers
The President appointed Rev. D. L. Reese, Mr. G. E. Dieckmann and Mr. B. F. Wert as tellers.
The result of the election was as follows:
President The Rev. Luther Hogshead, Goshen, Ind.
Secretary, The Rev. H. B. Reed, Chicago, Il1.
Treasurer, The Rev. I. Whitman, Wallace, Ind.
Mission Director, (elected by the Home Mission Committee from its own membership) The Rev. W. L. Hunton, Ph. D., Chicago, 111.
The invitation of the Retail Merchants' Association of La Fayette, to view the city and vicinity, by trolley-car, was accepted by Synod, for four o'clock Thursday after- noon.
Report of the Examining Committee
There appeared personally before your Committee, according to the requirements of the Constitution, the following named brethren, ordained ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, with applica- tions for admission into this body, to wit:
I. The Rev. William Brenner, regularly dismissed from the Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
2. The Rev. H. J. Mathias, regularly dismissed from the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod.
3. The Rev. William C. Miller, formerly connected with the Missouri Synod, and called by the General Council Home Mission Committee to the pastorate of a Mission in Detroit, Mich.
Your Committee recommend that by separate vote, each of these brethren be received and enrolled as members of this Synod.
There also appeared, as an applicant for ordination, Mr. L. J. Baker, a graduate of the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Chicago, Il1. He has satisfied your Committee of his fitness for ordination, both as to character and qualifications. He has been regularly called as pastor of Epiphany Church, Chicago,
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Ill. We recommend that his application be granted, and that he be enrolled after his ordination, which shall take place at the morning service next Lord's day.
We would further suggest, that Rev. H. Peters be appointed to preach the ordination sermon.
EXAMINING COMMITTEE.
The Report was received; was adopted by items and as a whole.
The above named ministerial brethren were then in- troduced to Synod by the chairman of the Examining Com- mittee, and were welcomed by the President.
The hours for opening and closing the daily sessions were fixed as follows: 8:00 to 11:30 for the morning; 2:00 to 4:30 for the afternoon, and 7:30 for beginning the evening service.
A paper on "Christian Education" was read by the Rev. Wm. J. Finck, of Anderson, Ind. The discussion of this subject was opened by the Rev. W. J. Seiberling, of Mulberry, Ind.
The President appointed the
Regular Committees
Credentials of Lay Delegates-Rev. J. V. Sappenfield, Rev. P. J. Gerberding.
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