LUTHERANS. 



477 



The home missions were reported as in a 

 prosperous condition, but funds are needed to 



extend their work. The principal foreign 

 mission of the General Council is in the 

 Godavery or Rajahmundry district of the Te- 

 luga country, India. It embraces twelve sta- 

 tions and sub-stations, and reports seven 

 teachers, 241 adults, and 138 children in the 

 schools. Two young men, one of them a 

 native of Hindostan, were reported under in- 

 struction in Denmark, with the intention of 

 engaging in the foreign-mission work. The 

 district synods were invited to awaken a re- 

 newed interest in the cause, and enlarge their 

 contributions in order that these young men 

 may be engaged. A committee was appointed 

 to address the Church authorities in Sweden 

 concerning efforts made to proselytize emi- 

 grants from that country from the faith and 

 church of their fathers. Much attention was 

 given to the discussion of doctrinal topics, and 

 to the positions of the Synods of Iowa and 

 Michigan on the "four points." Notice was 

 given of an amendment to the by-laws, by 

 which the discussion of doctrinal questions 

 should be made a regular order of business at 

 each regular meeting of the Council. The 

 General Council was attended by thirty-one 

 clerical and twenty-eight lay delegates, and by 

 two u advisory members." 



A Church Extension Society in connection 

 with the General Council was incorporated on 

 the 18th of February, 1871, and was perma- 

 nently organized on the 7th of March follow- 

 ing. During the first eleven months of its 

 existence, it undertook the erection of three 

 churches. 



The Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Norwegian, 

 Illinois, and Minnesota Synods of the Evan- 

 gelical Lutheran Church have not been con- 

 nected either with the General Synod or the 

 General Council. Conventions of members 

 representing these synods had already met 

 twice at Eeading, Pa., and at Chicago to 

 consult in relation to the organization of a 

 new body, to be called the General Conference. 

 A third meeting was held at Fort Wayne, Ind., 

 on the 14th of November, at which the dis- 

 cussions were continued. About sixty mem- 

 bers were present, representing all the six 

 synods. The object of the movement is stated 

 to be the organization of a general Lutheran 

 body, on the basis of the unqualified recep- 

 tion of all the 'symbolical books, as a bond of 

 union between all Lutheran synods in Ameri- 

 ca. The subject which mainly engaged the 

 attention of the meeting was a paper which 

 was drawn up by the Rev. Prof. F. A. Schmidt, 

 setting forth the reasons why the various syn- 

 ods engaged in the movement could not con- 

 nect themselves with any of the general bodies 

 bearing the Lutheran name which are already 

 in existence, but consider it necessary to form 

 another. This paper was adopted. A draft 

 of a constitution was prepared and revised, 

 to be laid before the synods for their approval. 

 Some of the synods have already acted favor- 

 ably upon it. The meeting for final organiza- 



