LUTHERANS. 



453 



expense of the African mission for two years 

 had been $2,668.08. It had employed a force 

 of five ordained ministers, and two female mis- 

 sionaries. Two more missionaries had sailed 

 to reenforce it. The mission-school contained 

 thirty-nine children. The establishment of a 

 mission in Japan was under consideration. The 

 Synod directed that the number of missionaries 

 abroad be increased as fast as suitable candid- 

 ates offered, and were promised support. 



Fifty missions were under the care of the 

 Board of Home Missions. They were estab- 

 lished at points scattered over the country 

 from New York to Oregon. They included 

 sixty -three congregations, 3,133 members, fifty- 

 six Sunday-schools, with 4,486 scholars, and 

 thirty-two houses of worship. The net in- 

 crease in memberships during the year was 

 1,106. The missions had raised and paid for 

 benevolent and local objects the amount of 

 $68,786.78. The hoard asked for an appro- 

 priation of $35,000 for the ensuing two years. 

 The Synod undertook to raise the sum of $50,- 

 000 for this work, with the view of enabling 

 the hoard to give a better support to the pres- 

 ent missions in the large cities, and establish 

 new missions in other cities. 



The Board of Church Extension had received 

 many applications for help, but their work 

 had been limited and crippled by the diversion 

 of funds, intended to be devoted to this, to 

 other purposes. Under the operation of the 

 plan of "systematic benevolence," adopted at 

 a previous meeting of the General Synod, the 

 churches had contributed $28,034.53. This 

 was regarded as showing that the financial 

 condition of the various enterprises included 

 in the plan would be greatly improved if faith- 

 fully carried out. 



It was represented, with regard to the work 

 among German Lutherans in the United States, 

 that sixty ministers were preaching to congre- 

 gations exclusively German, twenty to congre- 

 gations partly English and partly German, and 

 that there were nearly 10.000 German com- 

 municants connected with the General Synod. 

 The Synod recognized the great importance of 

 the work among these people, resolved that 

 their periodical should he continued, and di- 

 rected that a sum equal at least to the amount 

 contributed by German congregations should 

 be expended in the German work. A Board 

 of German Missions was constituted. The 

 Scandinavian paper had become self-sustain- 

 ing. The Synod authorized a mission-school 

 to be established at Keokuk, Iowa, for the 

 academical and theological instruction of 

 Scandinavian students, who are not able to 

 prosecute their studies at any of the other 

 seminaries. An increased attendance at the 

 theological seminaries over that of any period 

 in the past was noticed, and an increased pa- 

 tronage of the literature published by the 

 Church. An increase in the ratio of benevo- 

 lent contributions had also taken place within 

 the preceding two years. 



The Committee on Ecclesiastical Correspond- 

 ence were instructed, upon their own request, 

 to communicate with the other Evangelical Lu- 

 theran general bodies in the United States, 

 and to invite an interchange of correspondence, 

 and of fraternal greeting with the General 

 Synod, by an interchange of delegates. 



The following declaration was adopted, as 

 expressing the opinion of the General Synod 

 on the validity of Roman Catholic baptism : 



1. The Lutheran Church has never denied the 

 validity of tlie baptism of the Roman Catholic 

 Church. 



2. The Lutheran Church does not sanction a repe- 

 tition of sacraments. 



3. Much may depend on the circumstances under 

 which baptism is administered, and so much is due 

 to the conscientious convictions of parties concerned, 

 that individual eases must be left to the discretion 

 of the individual minister and the person applying. 



The Synod resolved to make the Publication 

 Society a Board of Publication, to be controlled 

 by the General Synod, and to borrow $20,000 

 for it. 



II. GENEBAL COITKCIL. The seventh con- 

 vention of the General Council of the Evan- 

 gelical Lutheran Church in America met at 

 Erie, Pa., October 10th. The Rev. Prof. C. 

 P. Krauth, D. D., was chosen President. The 

 report of the Committee on Foreign Missions 

 represented the work under their charge as 

 being in a healthy condition. The contribu- 

 tions from the different synods for missionary 

 purposes had amounted in all to $4,039.74. 

 The expenditures for the year had been $3,- 

 879.24. An approximate estimate of the wants 

 for the ensuing year was presented. It called 

 for $3,560. The mission is in the Jelugu dis- 

 trict of India. It had connected with it in 

 1871 two missionaries and three hundred and 

 twenty converts. A new mission-field had 

 been opened among the Kois and .Reddies in- 

 habiting the hills on the upper waters of the 

 Godavery, under circumstances which prom- 

 ised great success. The results had failed to 

 fulfill the first expectations. The Immigrant 

 Mission at Castle Garden in New York City, 

 under the charge of the Rev. Robert Neumann, 

 had been of great advantage to the immigrants. 

 It had secured the cooperation of influential 

 men in the city, and the missionary had re- 

 ceived special privileges in the prosecution of 

 his work from the New York State and the 

 General Government. A house had been fitted 

 up opposite Castle Garden, at the expense of 

 about $30,000, as a temporary home for immi- 

 grants, and a place for taking care of their 

 sick. Religious services were held in it daily. 

 Progress was reported in the work on the two 

 editions of Luther's Small Catechism, the 

 Church Book, and the Sunday-school Book. 

 The smaller edition of the Small Catechism, 

 and the Sunday-school Book, had been com- 

 pleted during the year. The Council engaged 

 regularly during its services in doctrinal dis- 

 cussions. The special topic considered was 

 " Luther's Theses on Justification." 



