USA > Indiana > Clinton County > Mulberry > Minutes thirty-third annual convention Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1903 > Part 6
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In one respect particularly, the experiences of the past year have enhanced the need and value of the work of the Seminary, for. us as a Synod, and that is in the many changes and shiftings about among our pastors as shown in this report. These many changes come from the want of men, and of additional men with educated
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minds, devoted hearts and consecrated lives, whom alone our Semi- nary can furnish. We caunot hope to get them from any other source. But that the Seminary may furnish them to us from year to year in due proportion, we must first furnish them to the Seminary. This prevenient duty belongs to us. Let us therefore help the Sem- inary by seeking out young men with the proper natural and spiritual gifts, and sending them to it to be educated. In so doing we are simply helping ourselves, providing for our own great and ever increasing wants.
Status of Certain Brethren
As the question of the relation of certain brethren to Synod and Conference has been submitted to me several times, during the past two years, I would ask Synod to determine the following points :-
I. The status of brethren who have been ordained ad interim, in relation to Synod. Does their ordination constitute them members of Synod?
2. The status of brethren to Conference, who come from other bodies, accept calls from parishes within the Conference bounds, remove thither, are installed, and attend the meetings of Conference. Are they members of Conference, and can they be so received? A final deliverance of Synod to fix the procedure in such cases is de- sirable.
Conclusion
Thanking you for the uniform courtesy you have extended without fail on every occasion, and especially for the patience and brotherly kindness with which you have borne with my inexperien- ces, deficiencies and faults, and having served you in this capacity for two years and feeling that you ought to relieve me of the burdens of the station and lay them upon stronger shoulders, I pray that you will not consider nor treat me as a candidate for a third term in succession which, although allowed by the Constitution, is at the sanie time made more difficult of access.
May God the Father preside over us, God the Son reside within us,and God the Holy Ghost inspire and move us, in all we say and do. Amen. H. PETERS.
Wallace, Ind., June Ist, 1904.
The report was received and referred to the Committee on President's Report.
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Election of Officers
The President appointed Rev. S. D. Myers, Rev. J. V. Sappenfield and Mr. H. C. Sense as tellers.
The election resulted as follows:
President, The Rev. Hiram Peters, Decatur, Il1.
Secretary, The Rev. H. B. Reed, Chicago, Il1. Treasurer, The Rev. I. Whitman, Wallace, Iud.
The hours for opening and closing the daily sessions were fixed as follows: 8:00 to 11:30 for the morning; 1:30 to 4:30 for the afternoon, and 8:00 for beginning the evening service.
Report of the Examining Committee
In accordance with the requirements of the Constitution, your Committee conferred with the following named ordained ininisters, and respectfully recommends that they be admitted to membership, as the Constitution directs.
I. The Rev. Herbert Martens, honorably dismissed to this body from the Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and regularly called to the East Germantown Parislı.
2. The Rev. Theodore F. Weiskotten, honorably dismissed to this body from the Pittsburg Synod of the General Council, and at present, by regular call, pastor of the Syracuse Parislı.
3. The Rev. Jesse Dunn, honorably dismissed to this body from the Pittsburg Synod of the General Council.
4. The Rev. Elmer D. S. Boyer, recently ordained by authority of the officers of Synod by reason of an emergency. He has been called by the Home Mission Committee and by the mission at Lafayette as pastor.
5. Two graduates of our Chicago Theological Seminary were duly examined, and sustained themselves tothe satisfaction of your Committee. They desire to be ordained and admitted to membership. We recommend that their request be granted, and that the ordination service be lield Sunday morning, the details to be arranged by the President. Their names and relation to Synod are as follows:
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John Knauer, regularly called to the Gila congregation as its pastor, and by the Home Mission Committee for mission work at Olney, Ills.
Lloyd W. Steckel, regularly called by the Home Mission Com- mittee and by St. James' congregation of Chicago, Il1.
6. The question was raised, in Committee, as to the relation to this body, of persons ordained, by authority of its officers, in the interval of its meetings.
It is the opinion of your Committee that persons so ordained are amenable to the officers of Synod, but that ordination ad interim does not constitute membership in this body; that a two third's vote of the meuibers present at any meeting, is necessary. Any other arrangement would deprive this body of its constitutional right, to determine its own membership, and might prove a source of discord and contention in the future ..
THE COMMITTEE.
The report was received, and its consideration was made the first order of business for Thursday morning.
The Rev. S. Wagenhals D. D. of Fort Wayne, Ind., read his paper: "Christianity as a Social Factor."
The President appointed the
Regular Committees
Credentials of Lay Delegates-Rev. A. H. Arbaugh, W. J. Seiberling.
President's Report-Rev. S. Wagenhals, D. D., Wm. J. Finck, P. C. Wike.
On Protocol-Rev. Geo. P. Kabele, J. C. Dietz.
On Absentees-Rev. S. D. Myers, P. J. Gerberding, Mr. Brady L. Stroup.
On Press-For The Lutheran, Rev. G. H. Gerberding, D. D. For the Synodical Paper, Rev. W. L. Hunton, Ph. D.
On Conference-Rev. Wm. Eckert, P. C. Wike.
Auditing Committee-Messrs. Luther Easterday, M. J. Paul- sou, Urias Bertsch.
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T
The President completed the following Standing Committees
Examination-Rev. S. Wagenhals, D. D., G. H. Gerberding, D. D., Luther Hogshead, A. D. Crile, J. R. E. Hunt.
Home Missions-Rev. W. L. Hunton, Ph. D., Geo. F. Ditt- mar, G. H. Gerberding, D. D., P. C. Wike, L. Hogshead, Messrs. N. D. Myers, M. D., J. M. Snyder, J. G. Dreiman, Wm. Brewer.
Reception of Congregations-Rev. M. E. Haberland, H. M. Martens, Mr. Paul Myers.
(The following Special Committees were appointed for work at this Convention.)
On General Council Publications-Rev. G. H. Gerberding, D. D., A. D. Crile, M. E. Haberland, L. Hogshead, W. L. Hunton, Ph. D.
. On Obituary-Rev. A. L. Boliek.
Adjourned at 4:30 with prayer, by the Rev. W. L. Hunton, Ph. D.
Second Session
Phanuel Church, Thursday, June 2, 8 a. m.
Devotions, consisting of the Matin Service were con- ducted by the Rev. Geo. F. Dittmar.
The roll was called.
The minutes of Wednesday afternoon were read and approved.
The Report of Committee on Examination was taken up. It was considered by items and was adopted as a whole.
Due notice having been given, the Rev. S. Wagenhals D. D., moved to reconsider the action taken in the year 1903, on item 4 of the Report of the Committee on Paro- chial Reports and Apportionments. (See Minutes of 1903 page 45.)
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The motion prevailed. The following was then adopted:
Resolved: That the Apportionment Committee be instructed to base the Apportionment for the ensuing year on "the number entitled to commune."
Treasurer's Report June 1, 1903 to May 23, 1904.
RECEIPTS.
Caslı on hand at last report. $ 54 84
Offering at Synod for Foreign Missions
20 36
.6
" Gen. Council Home Missions 20 00
" Beneficiary Education 15 31
66 " Benevolence 15 85
" Seminary 65 00
For the Seminary in Chicago. 98 66
Foreign Missions, Special 28 40
= Home Missions of the General Council. 87 97
" Colburn Academy 7 28
Works of Mercy 6 50
On Apportionments. 3215 00
Total
- $3635 17
DISBURSEMENTS.
To the Seminary in Chicago. $ 160 91
" Foreign Missions 329 94
" Home Missions of General Council 107 97
" Church Extension of General Council 79 10
" Beneficiary Education 400 00
Ministerial Relief 75 00
" Works of Mercy
39 8S
Colburn Academy 1 00
" Synodical Expenses 323 62
" Synodical Home Missions 2104 7S
Cash on liand 12 97
Total.
$3635 17
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RECEIPTS IN DETAIL: June 1, 1903 to May 23, 1904.
Parish
Congregation
Del'y
Appo't
Special
Total
Alexandria
Our Savior
$
$ 15 00 $
$ -15 00
f St. John's
41 00
65 0G
20 05
126 11
Anderson
Mt. Zion's
16 75
20 55
1 00
38 30
Chicago
Holy Trinity
139 08
181 52
15 00
335 GU
Wicker Park
152 13
152 13
St. Mark's
45 89
45 89
..
St. James'
4 25
25 20
29 45
..
St. Matthew's
15 00
15 00
..
St. Peter's
40 CO
€5 20
7 50
112 70
St. Luke's
18 66
18 66
..
St. John's
70 55
6 50
77 05
..
Atonement
Claremont
St. James'
25 00
40 00
65 00
Colburn
Zion's
22 90
41 10|
4 50
68 50
Bethel
20 35
1 35
21 70
Decatur
First English
76 64
13 82
90 46
Detroit.
St. Paul's
(Zion's
E. Germantownl
St. Jacob's
10 00
10 00
Elgin
Holy Trinity
43 CO
29 31
74 31
Fort Wayne
Holy Trinity
488 94
488 94
Frankfort
st. Paul's
77 97
77 97
Gila
Union
2 50
2 50
Goshen
First English
35 43
77 79
12 80
126 02
St. Jolin's
30 96
25 87
56 83
Lost Creek
36 70
11 39
48 09
Zion's
15 69
5 20
20 89
Lafayette
First English
14 23
20 74
34 97
( Zion's
22 14
89 €5
111 19
Mulberry
Fairhaven
24
78 76
6 75
85 75
j St. Peter's
10 00
30 87
2 50
43 37
Newberry
Mt. Zion's
9 50
35 63
19 75
64 83
Rochester
St. John's
8 65
19 18
6 79
34 62
South Bend
Holy Trinity.
12 45
35 40
47 85
St. Paul's
20 55
5 75
26 30
Emmanuel
52 85
9 50
62 35
Syracuse
15 07
15 07
St. John's
14 75
16 25
31 00
Vandalia
St. James'
35 34
73 61
20 00
128 95
Phanuel
63 71
5 00
68 71
Wallace
Emmanuel
19 86
19 86
( Philadelphia.
16 85
16 85
Union
3 65
12 70
16 35
Whitestown
Salem's ..
19 31
76 04
95 35
St. Mark's
26 45
93 84
120 29
-
St. James'
68 50
68 50
St. Paul's
10 15
45 47
12 42
68 04
Zion's
3 28
13 80
2 36
19 44
Mishawaka
( St. John's
17 28
13 77
31 05
(St. John's
47 95
18 00
65 95
Corydon
Mt. Solomon
52 40
52 40
Hicksville
Syracuse
..
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Of the fifty one congregations in Synod, twenty-three have paid their apportionment in full or overpaid. The following are de- linquent to the amounts designated:
Salem's, Whitestown $ 79 89
Syracuse, Syracuse.
6 60
Colburn, Bethel.
23 73
E. Germantown, Zion's
137 86
St. Jacob's 45 27
St. John's
10 89
Rochester, St. Paul's 16 65
Mulberry, Zion's
7 87
Fair Haven
32 78
Newberry, St. Peter's
19 95
Anderson, St. Jolin's
20 75
Mt. Zion's 5 00
Hicksville, Lost Creek
II 25
Zion's
3 49
St. Jolin's
9 94
Corydon, Mt. Solomon 120 83
Gila, Union 393 90
Claremont, St. James' 63 60
Goshen, First English
119 65
Chicago, St. Matthew's
38 40
Alexandria, Our Savior
10 20
South Bend, Holy Trinity
2 44
Lafayette, Zion's
13 10
Chicago, St. Luke's = Wicker Park
SS 30
Syracuse, St. John's.
9 9I
Detroit, St. Paul's
25 20
Chicago, Ch. of Atonement
14 40
Total.
$1352 14
The following amounts have been received since May 23, and are credited as follows:
Wicker Park, Chicago. $ 88 30
W. L. Hunton
3 00
St. Jacob's, E. Germantown 16 56
St. John's,
24 66
Zion's, Hicksville
3 60
19
20 29
Lost Creek, Hicksville
II 25
St. Jolin's
10 15
Bethel, Colburn
11 00
Mt. Zion's, Newberry
15 00
First English, Goshen
22 63
St. James', Whitestown
I 16
St. Mark's, Whitestown
I 50
Our Savior, Alexandria
7 50
First English, Goshen
34 60
St. Matthew's, Chicago:
38 40
St. Jolin's, Nappanee
9 91
First English, Goshen
6 00
St. Luke's, Chicago
IO 75
Zion's, E. Germantown
9 50
St. James', Claremout
6 80
St. Paul's, Rochester
3 30
Union, Gila.
15 20
Atonement, Chicago
14 40
Total
$ 365 17
ISAIAH WHITMAN, Treas.
The Report was received and referred to the Auditing Com- mittee.
Report of the Delegates to the General Council
The Twenty-ninth Convention of the General Council was held in Norristown, Pa., Oct. 8 to 13, 1903. The full delegation of the Chicago Synod was in attendance as follows: Rev. H. Peters, G. H. Gerberding, D. D., L. Hogshead and lay-delegates H. S. K. Bartho- lomew, R. Erickson and M. L. Deck. The former President declin- ing re-election, the Rev. T. E. Schmauk was chosen President. Two new synods were received, viz. the Synod of New York and New England, and the Synod of Nova Scotia.
The spirit of unity, union, unification, and co-operation in practi- cal work was in the air from beginning to end in this convention. It first appeared in the retiring President's report. It was expressed in the official communications from the Icelandic Synod, and the German Synod of Iowa. It was predominant in the addresses made on the floor of the Council by the representatives of the German
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Synod of Iowa, and of the United Synod South. It reached a climax, when the delegate from the Iowa Synod expressed the conviction, that the General Council furnished the only basis for church unity among the many different bodies composing the Lutheran Church in this country. It was manifested in the reports of the Board of Eng- lish Home Missions, and of the Committee on Sunday School Work. It was set fort in the provision made for the representation of the = General Council in the General Conference in Europe. It was illus- trated by the demand made for a Free Lutheran Conference to be held west of the Alleghenies, some time in 1904. It was displayed in all the discussions which followed the presentation of these subjects.
The Report of the Board of Foreign Missions took up a large portion of the time ,of the Council. The Board received the most hearty thanks "for the eminent wisdom, arduous labors and unswerving fidelity manifested in the reorganization, and management of our Foreign Missionary operations." Through this eminent wisdom, labors and fidelity on the part of the Board, the confidence of the entire Church has been fully restored, which had been seriously weakened by the unfortunate state of affairs prevailing in our mission force in India, for a number of years. The hopefulness of this work was beautifully expressed at the close of the report, in the words ot Dr. Harpster, the new director in the field, "That the outlook for this field is as bright as the promises of God; but the realization of these promises is bound up with an adequate force of foreign missionaries to man the different departments of mission work." The Council took action asking "all our Synods and their district Conferences, to consider the means of supplying the need of an adequate force, and furnishing our mission in India with men of the gifts and attainments for this great work."
The Council also most earnestly commended the urgent impor- tance of the work in Porto Rico upon our Synods and congregations, asking of them liberal contributions for the more vigorous prosecution of this work.
Upon the presentation of the report of the English Home Mission Board, a long discussion arose upon the plan proposed for the unification of our English Home Mission Work, which finally resulted in asking the different Synods, through their Mission Com- mittees, to elect two, and the Home Mission Board three representa- tives, to meet during the year 1904, to devise and formulate a plan of operations. The amount which the Council asks of the Chicago
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Synod for the current biennium for its English Home Mission Work is $1,250.00.
In the adoption of the report of the Education Committee, the Council took an important step forward in the line of Christian education, beginning at the bottom. It requests and recommends to the Synods, to request their congregations, to institute a week-day Christian Kindergarten in addition to the usual Sunday School. It further recommends and urges, that a sufficient number of deacon- esses be secured and prepared, to become teachers of these parochial Kindergartens; that the different motherhouses arrange for training a large number of young women in the deaconess work, with a view to their being sent to congregations as parochial Kindergarten teachers, and to open courses for such instruction in connection with the regular deaconess work already in operation. Pastors all over the Church, are urged to seek out and induce young women to take immediate courses of training in Christian Kindergarten work.
The report of the Publication Board showed a steady increase in business for the two years. The volume of business reached the handsome sum of $100,584.65, an average of $4,345 68 per month.
The Committee on Sunday School work reported, that the great bulk of their work during the two years, had been devoted to the Primary Department of our Sunday Schools. Great progress liad been made also in the matter of co-operation in Sunday School work. with the General Synod and the United Synod South. This co-opera- tion has been secured in the first steps of the Primary grade, in the issue of a Sunday School Paper, and the securing of joint Picture Charts with common lesson texts, for a two year's course. The Joint Synod of Ohio has also agreed to co-operate in the production and sale of these charts. The requests for further authority along these lines were granted, and tlie Committee was instructed to prepare and publish a Constitution for Graded Schools.
Dr. H. E. Jacobs, in connection with his report, as the Com- mittee on the holding of a General Conference with other Lutheran bodies, offered a series of Twenty Propositions as the basis of discussion at the next General Conference. The Council without adopting these propositions, ordered them to be printed. They are a clear and succinct statement of our Lutheran faith. They are found in the printed minutes, and are worthy of our reading, study, and preser- vation in printed forni.
The following resolution in which we are concerned was adopted:
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Resolved: That the Secretary shall apportion $1,800.00 among the Syuods belonging to the General Council, on the basis of represent- ation in the same, for the purpose of providing for the general ex- penses of the Council.
Our requests to the General Council, to issue forms for dismissal of members, for reception of new members otherwise than by baptism and confirmation, and for an official call from a congregation to a pastor, were all referred to the Church Book Committee.
The extent of the Home Mission Work carried on within the Council is shown in the following statistics:
Number of Missions 655
Number of Missionaries 34I
Number of Members in Missions 33, 242
Value of Church Property $1,552,461.00
The Chicago Synod is represented on the Boards and Com- mittees of the Council as follows: two on Committee on Sunday School work; two on Conmiittee on Education. -
The printed minutes of the General Council may be had of the Publication Board, 1522 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa., at twenty-five cents a copy.
The next Convention of the General Council will be held in the Church of the Redeemer, Milwaukee, Wis., Rev. W. K. Frick, D. D., pastor, beginning on the second Thursday in Oct. 1905.
Respectfully submitted,
THE COMMITTEE.
The Report was adopted.
Voted to refer all requests for the cancellation .of delinquencies, to the Committee on Apportionments.
Synod was led in prayer by the Rev. Jesse Dunn, and adjourned at 11:25 o'clock.
Third Session
Phanuel Church, Thursday, June 2nd, 1:30 p. m.
Devotions conducted by the Rev. Jno. V. Sappenfield. The roll was called.
The minutes were read and adopted.
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Report of Committee on President's Report
Your Committee on President's Report respectfully submits the following recommendations:
I. That the official acts of the President be approved.
2. That the Treasurer of Synod be instructed and authorized to pay the sum of sixty dollars to the Treasurer of the General Council, to assist in defraying the current expenses of that body.
3. Request having been made by the Archivarius of the General Council for a complete file of the Minutes of this body front its origin in 1871, we suggest that the Secretary be instructed to furnish a bound file as nearly complete as possible.
4. Every pastor's experience must convince him, that his most efficient assistant in a parish is a judiciously edited religious perio- dical. Every intelligent church member who is brought under the influence of such an agency not only informis himself about the Church · at large, but becomes every way more zealous in local church work. We would therefore again most earnestly commend The Lutheran to our pastors and people, not only as worthy of their confidence and support, but also as having a wholesome educating influence in our families. We heartily endorse the suggestion of the President, that our pastors should aim to place a copy of this excellent paper in every home.
5. No one can dispute that the Chicago Seminary is the foun- dation of our present standing and efficiency as a Synod, and the main source of our accessions in the future. An institution so in- timately bound up with our very life as a Synod, should not only be regarded with favor, but with the warmest affection. We earnestly urge all our pastors to represent it to their people in this kindly light. Without its beneficent help, every missionary and educational enter- prise of Synod would decline or fail. You who are sons of the Seminary, pray and work for her welfare and prosperity as you would for a mother's, and let those of us whose relation to her has been less intimate, though not less important, recognize and seek to further, in a substantial way, the great work she is doing for our Church in the West. We believe it to be a duty of every pastor and congregation to help her bear the heavy financial obligations which her work entails, and to increase the number of her students.
6. The President raises two questions and asks that Synod ex- press it's judgment upon them :-
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The status of brethren who have been ordained ad interim: does ordination constitute them members of Synod? The action of Synod at a previous session in connection with the report of the Examining Committee has determined that ordination ad interim does not constitute membership;
The status of brethren to Conference, who come from other bodies, accept calls from parislies within the Conference bounds, remove thither, are installed, and attend the meetings of Conference. Are they members of Conference and can they be so received? It is the judgment of your Committee, that while they should be accorded a voice in the Conference, they cannot become members until their membership in this body has been consummated.
7. That Synod approve the division of the Syracuse Parish, into two separate charges, to be named,
The Syracuse Parish, to consist of Grace congregation of Syra- cuse and St. Paul's congregation of Benton;
The Nappanee Parish, to consist of the St. John's congregation of Nappanee and the Emmanuel's congregation in the immediate neighborhood of that place.
8. We desire to express our deep sorrow at the loss we have sustained personally and as a Synod, in the death of our brother, the Rev. J. M. G. Sappenfield. He was an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile. In the face of many untoward conditions, and dis- couragements, he obeyed the divine call to preach the Gospel. His whole life in the ministry was stamped with sincerity and a zeal that knew no abatement until his end came. He was a disciple of Christ who continued to grow year by year in knowledge of the Divine Word, in personal experience of the grace of Christ, and in the favor and love of his brethren.
Personally, those of us who knew him well and long, feel that a dear friend has fallen by our side, upon whose faithfulness we always counted, and whose presence was always an encouragement in the face of the hindrances that beset our Synod, in it's earlier struggles for the pure faith of our fathers.
We recommend that a suitable obituary be published in the minutes of Synod.
THE COMMITTEE.
The Report was received and considered by items.
Upon the adoption of the last item by a rising vote, the Report was adopted as a whole.
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Report of the Committee on Home Missions
The year in our Home Missions lias been a quiet and uneventful one. Good work has been done, but it has been the work that shows in the inner work of the parish, and not in marked advance in ma- terial things. It is the healthy development, after the marked ma- terial advance in church erection, which characterized the preced- ing year.
The Committee has held tliree well attended meetings during the year, and has been diligent in it's efforts to care for the work committed to it, as well as watchful so as not to allow opportunities, to open and develop important and hopeful mission points, to slip from us.
The Work in Detail
ST. PETER'S, CHICAGO, has had street assessments, and spe- cial obligations in payments on the church debt, during the year, which have made it rather a trying year financially, yet the reports show marked progress, and a most commendable spirit in the people in requesting another reduction in the appropriation to that field.
ST. MATTHEW'S, CHICAGO, has made special efforts toward developing the internal life and forces of the congregation. The debt has been reduced to $200, and the congregation has voted to increase the salary of the pastor.
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