New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-06-16
MINI. LUTH. SYNOD
CLOSES CONVENTION
IMPORTANT sYNoDAL. MATTERS
ARE DECIDED IN VARIOUS "
MEETINGS.
PRESIDENT OF SYNOD WILL
DEVOTE ENTIRE TIME TO
STATE WORK


Synod of Minnesota closed today with
the morning session which was devoted
to doctrinal and business matters. The
Conference, which commenced last Tues
day morning, was attended by some
fifty lay members, eighty-ive ministers
and twenty parochial teachers who have
spent almost a week in discussion of
doctrinal and church business matters.
The session was opened Thursday
morning with an impressive religious
service. Rev. J. R, Baumann of Red
Wing, vice-president Of the synod,
delivered the sermon on this occasion.
After the service the Credentials Com
mittee composed of Rev. Theo. Thurow
of Litchfeld and Prof. r.. Boerneke of
Fairfax passed upon the credentials of
the delegates.
The Synod meeting proper opened
Thursday afternoon at 2:30 when the
Rev. Justus Naumann, Of Goodhue,
president Of the Synod, delivered the
opening address and submitted his
annual report. The leading feature
of this report and the matter that brot
forth the liveliest discussion thru several
days of the convention was the suggestion
of Rev. Naunann that the president
of the Synod be allowed to devote all
his time to the routine work of the
Synod and not be forced to divide his
time between parish work and the
broader work of the Synod. Under the
present system one, branch or other of
the presidents work must suffer for he
cannot properly attend to both. He
showed that during the past year he has
had TO write an enormous number of
letters in regard to the work of the
Synod and has been forced to spend
nearly third of his time in outside
work to the detriment of his parish.
With these facts in view, he felt that the
time has come for the President to
abandon his parish work and devote
his entire time to the work of the Synod.
A committee was appointed to consider
the suggestion and report later to the
Conference.
The Committee was composed of Rev.
J.. Dysterheft, Rev. R. Gruber, Rev.
John Baumam and Prof. E. Bliefer-
NIGHT and Messrs. John Lowitz, William
Poppenberger, Otto Pless, z. Kroeger,
J.. Kern and F. Muesing. After con-
siderable deiiberation they reported
favorably on the matter and the question
was then taken up in the business
meetings of the Synod where a still
warmer discussion was precipitated
which lasted till the close of the Monday
morning session when the suggestion
was adopted by the necessary vote.
Henoeforth TIE President Of the Synod
will be able to devote his entire time to
the state field which will, of course,
materially strengthen the Synod. !.
Rev. E. Pankow, of St. James, de-
ivered the main address of the Friday
morning session and extended his address
over into the Saturday morning meeting.
He took as his topic, "The Church and
Socialism" He took the position that
the Church should maintain a strict
neutrality in the war that the worst
element Of Socialism is waging against
the Church and should prove the value
Of Christianity by a true spirit of Chris
tian forbearance. This was the first
Of the doctrinal discussions, which,
together with synodal matters, engaged
The morning sessions Of the Convention.
The afternoon meetings were given over
70 strictly business matters during
which the reports Of the various COM
nittees were received and acted upon.
The president has been in the chair at
nearly all of these meetings.
Friday evening the Lords Supper
service was held. Rev. r. Heidemann
delivered the principal sermon at this
solemn meeting and his remarks were
unusually fitting to the occasion. Rev.,
R. Jeske of Caledonia also took part in
he service.
Sunday was the big day of the Synod
Meeting and was devoted to mission
work. The work Of the missionary,
10th Home and Foreign, was discussed
~ 9 number Of able speakers. At the
morning session hold At tho 81 pa,,l,a