Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-05-19
.LUTHERANS GATHER
TO VOTE ON MERGER
N OF. CHURCHES IN US
Synod Meets Here in Special Ses
sion to Decide Long Awaited
Question.

Minneapolis, Mimi, May 1S.-Polit
| zeal methods were introduced in the
big fight in the Norwegian Lutheran
synod, when a contestng delegation
was selected at congregational
meeting of Our Saviour's church, Chi.
| cago avenue and Twenty-ffth street.
After the old delegates, Laurits S.
Swanson and Heirloom Gausta. who
were selected for the synod of 1914
and who hold over until 1917, had
been reapproved by a vote of SO to
6S the losing faction reconvened af-
| ter adjournment and selected Chris
tian Eide and R. Engen. They favor
a union, while Swenson and Gausta
oppose union.
The crucial fight in the movement
for the merger of the Norwegian Lu-
| theran churches in America opens to-
morrow, when the Norwegian Luther
an synod, meeting in extraordinary
session at the Zion church. Lyndale
and Twenty-six avenues N will take
final action on the question of adopt
| ing the union constitution.
This document, prepared by repre-
sentatives of the United Norwegian
Lutheran church, Hauge's Norwegian
| Lutheran synod and the Norwegian
Lutheran synod, has been adouted by
the first named, rejected by Hauge's
and is now up in the last named r
ganization.
Majority Want Union.
1t is conceded that great major
ity of the old synod, which was form
ed in 1858. favor union, but the mi
nority opposing the movement,
though few in numbers, has, in the
past five years, showed that it comes
from fighting stock.
There are threats of secession if
the naion issforced2and these threats
have raised a aoubt among the paci-
fists in the majority as to the advis-
ability of forcing a vote on the ques-
ton at this time, when it might re-
suit in an inevitable split.
DR.. H. G. Stub, president of the
synod, and former Senator l.. O.
Thorpe, are the leading figures in the
majority faction which is said to have
an overwhelming preponderance Of
the lay delegates as we'll as a large
majority Of the clerics. The three
other members of the theological fac
ulty of Luther seminary professors,
John Ylvisaker, o. e. Brandt and FL
ling Hove, oppose their colleague, DR..
Stub, in this question, and with Presi-
dent c. K Preus of Luther college,
DEBORAH, Ia, are at the head of the
opposition. Laurits S. SwensOn, Min
neapolis, former minister to Norway
ana Denmark, is the most conspicu-
Gus of the laymen in this faction.
Delegates Reach Minneapolis.
Delegates from all parts of ihe
United States gathered today in Min
neapolis and all regardless of person
al attitude confessed that the con-
test will be hard fought. 1t is the
| general intention of the majority, as
far as could be ascertained, to cali
for vote regardless of consequences.
1t is expected that 800 accredited del
egates, including $50 clergymen, will
attend the sessions.
Negotiations for union began in
1895, when committees were named
by the three principal branches of
the Norwegian Lutheran church, the
Norwegian Lutheran Free church,
which was seeding faction of the
nited church, failing to be represent.
ed at the preliminary meetings.
Differ on Doctrines.
The first obstacles purely were doc
trinal and the biggest of all was the