The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-25

DIES MONIES. Iowa May 25.-The for
tioth biennial convention Of the General
synod Of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church viii assemble in Des Moines next
Wednesday evening. This Is delegated
body constituted Of Representatives of
twenty-f0ur district syuods. stretching
north Of the Potomac from the Atlantic
to the Pacific The number of delegates
is about 30 equally divided between cIeT-
zeal and lay. and representing a total Of
100000 commandments, and elaborate az
engagements are being made to entertain
the visitors.
Although general body, this Is not the
only general organization Of Lutherars-
there being a General Council. embracing
nearly 4oU0Ga communicates and the
Synodicai Conference. which numbers
600,e9O, besides a number of independent
synods not identified with general body
The aggregate strength of the Lutherans
throughout the United States is 1.1o0.0o0.
these numbers being exceeded among
Protestants only by the BaPtists and the
Methodists.
The decisive steps for the organization
Of the General Synod were taken in this
city by the AIinisterIum Of Pennsylvania
known as the Mother Synod of Lutheran
ism-when at its annual meeting in JS19
four other Lutheran synods to 4 joint
conference for the formation of joint
body. That convention met in Hagerstown
in 1920.
The General Synod met in Baltimore in
1893, consisting then Of but Il delegates
At its next convention there in 1S4I there
were s. delegates, and at the following
convention in 1913 which also met in that
city. the number had risen to 46- It held
its last session there in 1915, when the as
sembIy numbered 1853 delegates
The powers of this body are mainly ad-
visory, not judicial It prescribes the con-
fessionaI standard for the church, and is
sues the manuals Of worship and insTuc-
ton. but leaves organization, discipline,
academic, and theological education al
most exclusively to the district synods-
This accords with the Lutheran concep-
ton of the unifyinS influence of doctrine
Doctrinal agreement being secured. the
individual congregations and the different
synods have in this a strong bond of
union. The General Synod controls, how
ever, all missionary operations, both home
and foreign. committing their adninistra-
ton to certain boards, and so It has also
mostly charge Of the humanitarian and
eleemosyuary institutions maintained by
the churches.
The coming convention is likely to wit
ness some interesting Developments The
Lutheran public has been OF late subject
ed to considerable agitation, whose main
objective was the control of the Des
MONIES meeting The election OF the
members was preceded by d rafting fire
directed at the Board Of Foreign Missions
The occasion for this was the appoint
ment of an additional secretary, but il
was generally understood that other in
terests were not out of view. AS IN all
associations of educated men, there are
found in the General Synod two tenden-
cies, two parties, one more conservative
and one more liberal-as the words go
the one more churchly, the other less so
and a contest for ascendency, which al
times becomes sharp, IS naturally TO be
expected An opportunity for show OF
strength or an increase Of strength is ca
another subject on which the coming
convention is divided-pretty much along
party Enes-is the establishment OF an or
fetal PAPER OF organ, which shall repre-
sent the spirit Of the General Synod, ano
promote and uphold all its interests ne
I-uJherans are essentially congregations
in DOlity. a system which fosters iIide.
Dendent action and so retards concerted
and combined movements which are as
Indispensable to success IN the SpiIllua
realm as in secular business
The Capitalization or the nllSSloIldIS
and other benefCent activities was accom-
plfshed some years ago and has PROVED
immensely advantageous. but with tI-t
church uaperS in private hands, having
no editorial responsibility TO the genera
body any OF its interests may DC SUD
jected TO hostile and reckless criticism
yxheae7-e CT the editor and his faction 0lS
cover an occasion The last convention
appointed a committee charged with TN:
interest, and II Is understood LL.eJ tLl'
committee VIII report n favor OF sSJaD
fishing al official paper. Rev. DR. fTeas
Of this civ Is chairman of the committee
f7.a~1 ion
IS contested, especially as the interests
and friends OF the present papers are al
most soiidIy against II.
A lively interest VIII also most pTob7bll
be developed by a movement to adopt
graded course Of lessons IN the Sunday
schools and TO this extent modify the IN
tETnatfouai lesson course. While general
" using this series LutheranS are IA
from holding themselves bound by II a.
the ne plus ultra OF Sunday school IN
struction. but as there IS also SIFoHj
element that cIings tenaciously to every
thing which bears the label OF lntefde
rlcminationaI fellowship an earnest dis
cussion is likely TO be provoked by an.
proposed departure from the lnteTna tlOna
system. The very recent concession OF
this point by the international COmmlIte
VIII 60 far toward reconclllng TINS an
The General Synod maintains fraterna
relations with the General Council, ant
with the United Synod Of the South siste
bodies Of the same denomination. CONT
among these three organizations. If no
actual cooperation. is observed in mis-
sionary work and a joint committee i
engaged in the preparation OF a commc.
hvmual and common ministerial acts,
common order Of worship being already j.
use. It also exchanges visiting delegate
with the General Assembly OF the Presby
terrain Church and with the two branche
Of the Reformed.
The personnel Of the convention at De
MOines IS on the whole q strong one. fair
" representative OF the influential ele
nent Of the church Several Penusylva
MIA delegations are composed largely o
young men, but Maryland and Ohio hav
and among the lay members appear sucI
names as that OF Judge GrOSeup. of tn
United States Court. Judge BuTkitt. o
the Supreme Court of Ohio and HOL
John l. Zimmerman
The presidency Of the body IS likely {
fall TO a number Of the Maryland delega
ton both Dr. Freas and Dr. owen bein
prominently mentioned for this honor
The other wing Of the body has united O
Rev. Dr. / z. Albert, Of Germantown
Philadelphia. advocating his election o
the ground that he has not identified him
self with either party
The sessions VIII opeu on Wednesda
night. May g, with a sermon by Prof.
T. Rreckiuridge. d D. Of Nittenber
College The organization Of the body
the first order on Thursday morning
Just rs Good
CFrom stray StorIes-)
Ee-I say miss. IS there drugstore open an
where near heTcG
Ba-rnaid (at railway rcstauraut)-No: therl
all shut.