468 



LUTHERANS. 



receive a thorough training and be qualified 

 to establish such institutions in this country. 

 This plan of the board was approved by the gen- 

 eral body, and authority was given, as far as its 

 means allow, to provide for the establishment of 

 a deaconess house, where the work may be car- 

 ried on as soon as the probationers return from 

 Germany. 



In connection with the report of the Hymn- 

 book Publishing Committee, it appeared that 

 there was a division of sentiment in the 27 dis- 

 trict synods of the general body with reference 

 to the common service adopted at a former con- 

 vention. After a protracted discussion, it was 

 decided to let the forms of both services appear 

 in the Book of Worship, so that congregations 

 may use the one they prefer. The committee also 

 reported the German copy of the service ready for 

 publication : and that, with the committees of the 

 General Council, the United Synod of the South, 

 and the Joint Synod of Ohio, they had made a 

 translation of the Latin edition of the Augsburg 

 Confession ; and that as soon as the translation 

 of the German editio princeps could be finished 

 the two translations, in parallel columns, would 

 be furnished to the general bodies for acceptance 

 and their disposition. The report of the com- 

 mittee on "A Development of Luther's Small 

 Catechism " led to a protracted discussion on the 

 merits of the proposed work and its doctrinal po- 

 sition. The matter was disposed of by adoption of 

 the following declaration : "That in the prepa- 

 ration and issue of this development of the Small 

 Catechism, should it be finally adopted, it is by 

 no means the intention of the General Synod that 

 it shall in any way change or modify the present 

 doctrinal position of this body." 



During one of the sessions of this convention 

 the announcement was officially made that Mrs. 

 Sarah Utermehle, a member of the Church of the 

 Reformation, Washington, D. C., had given 27 

 acres within the limits of the city to found a 

 " National Lutheran Home for the Aged." The 

 property is valued at $30,000, and is deeded to 

 an incorporated board of trustees. The condi- 

 tions are that a building shall be begun within 

 two years, and be completed within five years. 

 Hon. Frank W, Howbert, of Colorado Springs, 

 Col., has given ten acres in the Garden of the 

 Gods as a site for an " Invalid Lutheran Minis- 

 ters' Home," on condition that within two years 

 a suitable building be erected on it, at a cost of 

 not less than $5,000. Both of these gifts were 

 accepted. 



With reference to the observance of the Church 

 year in the Sunday-school lessons, the following 

 was put on record : 



In accordance with the recommendation of the 

 General Synod that the chief festivals of the Church 

 be appropriately observed in our congregations, and 

 by inference in our Sunday schools, we are happy to 

 note a more general observance of these festival days 

 In most instances in our schools, so far as your com- 

 mittee could learn, the regular lesson of the Inter- 

 national course is either laid aside or made to incul- 

 cate the lesson of the day. Your committee need not 

 inform the General Synod that the sentiment is grow- 

 ing rapidly in all our Protestant churches that the 

 leading Christian festivals should be observed. Eep- 

 resentative men in all denominations have petitioned 

 the committee on the International Sunday-school 

 Lessons "to recognize not the whole Christian year, 



but a few of its leading landmarks," urgine them "to 

 recognize at least Christmas, Easter, and Whitsunday, 

 by the appointment of lessons appropriate to these 

 seasons." In the judgment of your committee, it 

 would not be wise at such a juncture to take any 

 step in our General Synod that would retard this 

 growing sentiment. Just when all our Protestant 

 pulpits are seeing the propriety of using Christmas 

 themes at Christinas seasons, and Eesurrection themes 

 at Easter, it would be impolitic to adopt any measures 

 looking to a separation from the great Protestant com- 

 munions. 



When the matter of co-operation with other 

 bodies for a religious exhibit at the Columbian 

 Exposition was presented, the following resolu- 

 tions were adopted : 



Whereas, The General Synod has heard with pleas- 

 ure that the Evangelical Alliance, in co-operation with 

 the various evangelical bodies of this country, pro- 

 poses to indicate in a fitting way at the Columbian 

 Exposition the religious progress of the nation ; there- 

 fore. 



Resolved, That we cordially indorse this movement, 

 and invite the hearty co-operation and support of our 

 churches. 



At a subsequent session the directors of the 

 Publication Society were instructed to arrange 

 for a proper exhib'it of the work of the body, as 

 they may deem best. A resolution strongly op- 

 posing the proposition to open the Exposition on 

 Sundays was adopted. 



Resolutions strongly condemning the practice 

 of other Protestant denominations in "sending 

 missionaries among Lutheran people in Europe 

 under the name of foreign-mission work, arid 

 spending scores of thousands of dollars annually 

 simply to transfer these Christians from one 

 evangelical Church to another, while hundreds 

 of millions of heathen are still without the 

 knowledge of the saving gospel of Christ," were 

 adopted. 



Following are the general statistics of this 

 body: 27 district synods. 1,005 ministers, 1,448 

 congregations, and 154,540 communicant mem- 

 bers ; 16 parochial schools, 3 teachers, and 585 

 pupils; 1,367 Sunday schools, 19,526 officers and 

 teachers, and 153,708 scholars ; 5 theological 

 seminaries; 4 colleges; 2 academies; and 2 or- 

 phans' homes. The thirty-sixth convention of 

 the body will be held in Canton, Ohio, beginning 

 May 24,' 1893. 



General Council. This body, organized in 

 1867 and consisting of English. German, and 

 Swedish pastors and congregations, held its 

 twenty-third convention in the Church of the 

 Holy Trinity, Buffalo, N. Y., Oct. 14-20, 1891. 

 This is one of the largest bodies of the Lutheran 

 Church in America, representing, according to 

 the latest statistics, 9 district synods (one synod 

 not yet in organic connection with it), 979 min- 

 isters, 1,631 congregations, and 283,834 com- 

 municant members ; maintaining 410 parochial 

 schools, 392 teachers, and 18,779 pupils; 1,306 

 Sunday schools, 14,866 officers and teachers, and 

 162,179 scholars. Its membership is scattered 

 'through nearly all the States and Territories and 

 the Dominion of Canada. It has 3 theological 

 seminaries. 7 colleges, 5 academies, one school 

 for girls, and ladies' departments in 5 of the col- 

 leges, and 24 orphans' homes, deaconess insti- 

 tutes, hospitals, and immigrant missions. 



The opening sermon was delivered by the Rev. 



