The Norwegian Lutheran Church

Decorah, Iowa

June 17-25, 1876

Dear brothers in Christ! It is great mercy which the Lord demonstrates to us at these annual meetings at which the synod’s pastors and delegates come together to consult with one another. It isn’t only the brethren who have to work under privation and want in far, out of the way regions without having an opporunity throughout the entire year of going for comfort, guidance and encouragement for the work of their calling through consulting orally with brothers in the ministry, it isn’t only they who long for these meetings with brethren in the faith, but also those who in such respects are better situated but who in return have to see and feel the privation and need which makes itself felt on a large scale, and who as it were must bear and be interested in the common burden which weighs upon the entire synod. It is not with less longing that they also look forward to these meetings of brethren.

Because here they can exchange their thoughts about conditions within their beloved congregations. They can get a pointer to the deeper underlying causes of shortcomings and their outgrowths which exist, and they can counsel with one another concerning the best means and the most effective way of remedying them. They can come here for the encouragement, comfort and strengthening which they so sorely need just from the fellowship of brethren, so that despondency or indifference shall not get the upper hand. Then they can return with renewed courage and strength to the work in the place assigned to them in the Lord’s vineyard, and work while it is day for the growth of the entire synod and for the salvation of every individual soul.

Our joy must be so much greater this time, our thanks to God therefore also so much greater, since for the first time we are permitted to gather for a synod meeting here where we have our synod’s pride and joy, our dear Luther College, our Lutheran university for our youth. We were surely fortunate to get our college building completed recently according to its original plan, through the Lord’s gracious assistance. We have the further joy of being able to dedicate to the Lord’s service the beautiful chapel where the college’s students and teachers can find rest for their souls, encouragement and strengthening for their work through the weekly divine service. Our meeting must also have special importance for us this time in the fact that it concludes as it were the first phase of our synod’s development under a constitution which also in its external effect thoroughly knit together the synod’s individual parts. This meeting therefore forms the transition to a new phase in the history of our young church body. Because even if it is so that our new constitution rests entirely upon the same scripture principles as the old one, yet we cannot, however, hide from ourselves the fact that at the same time the existing division into synodical districts according to the new constitution has come about because of the synod’s steadily increasing expansion, it does, however, in some respects loosen the connection between the various regions of the synod. And hereby the danger undoubtedly arises for the synod that its various districts become more foreign to each other and can easily be tempted to look more upon their special interests and care for them than to work together toward the blessed development of the entire synod.

However, as long as the Word of truth is preserved among us and has its free course throughout the synod and the Spirit binds hearts together through it and a living faith, so long as hearts do not become strangers to life in God, so long will they not become strangers to each other either but will allow the spirit of the synod to get to counsel toward the edifying of the entire body in love, and precisely in the way also to every individual member’s proper growth in acknowledgement of the Son of God.

We dare well to hope also that at this meeting not only discussions about that which always is and must be a life and death matter for a church body, which touches on its heart’s innermost and most delicate fibers and which determines its heartbeat, I mean the school matter, that which concerns the congregational school, will find a kind of conclusion, and the matter itself thereby get a powerful push forward in the congregation, but that also the question which surely in certain ways is contingent upon that matter’s prompt and successful development and whose treatment the synod has let be put off for a long time, namely, our higher education for the education and training particularly for the teaching and preaching ministry, will find its solution in a way which can better satisfy the growing need within a Lutheran church body with a specific language and an individual religious and cultural development, a solution which also dares make this synod meeting come to shape an epoch in the history of our young synod.

Thus, dear brethren, we have reason enough to thank God who allows us to gather in peace and love at this meeting. But we are then certainly not lacking the summons either to properly call from the depths of our hearts for his help and assistance who by his grace alone can let the work prosper for us. In full confidence in his assistance we thus direct all our thoughts to the main point and purpose of our meeting and strain all our abilities and powers to making its discussions as productive and rich in blessing as possible for us and our church body. Where interest and thoughts are too scattered, not to mention where mind and heart are as it were divided, great dividends cannot be expected from the work either. Therefore, in God’s name we take heart and turn afresh and courageously to our work! And may the Lord our God let it prosper well.

The next paragraph says family illness kept him from doing all his work; his knowledge of synod conditions is limited due to half the pastors not reporting; he speaks of certain situations involving pastors.

The Word of God has been proclaimed purely and the Lord’s Sacraments rightly administered in our church body, These are, of course, the greatest gift which God can grant a church. As long as they are preserved in a congregation we dare not give up hope, however shaky things can still be otherwise. And even if the gifts and abilities of the synod’s pastors vary greatly, yet, I do believe, however, that I can truthfully say that as far as I know, bringing souls these Means of Grace both publicly and privately is a matter of conscience for each of them. The parochial reports show that there are not so few who have shown extraordinary zeal so that the Word can be preached adequately in their congregations.

When our pastors on an average have four to five congregations to serve, even with the greatest zeal, their strength will not reach to give the lambs in the congregations the care and nurture which they need. When in many places the congregational school is going very badly, then the children and youth in our congregations are also the most constant topic of the pastors’ complaints. And it is certain that something must be done here, and that something done earnestly by our synod, if it is not going to be destroyed.

Experience teaches us that this has been the case with several of the divisions of the Lutheran church in this country because of their neglect of the congregational school. I said that I see a going backward rather than progress with regard to parochial schools and religious instruction for the children. If one takes the facts in their proper context we will not be surprised by this.

When so little was done to establish parochial schools twenty-five to thirty years ago because we were putting our church affairs in order over here, it got off comparatively easy. Just recently emigrated from Norway, the people were accustomed to the public schools. Their school year was short. Our first new-comers thought only little about it and seldom was there any problem appointing Norwegian teachers of religion and holding parochial schools at the most convenient time. Now, on the other hand, the term of the English-language public school is longer and the pressure that the children should attend the school and learn the English language is naturally increased considerably. Because without a thorough knowledge of this language people will not be able to discharge their duties as citizens or gain any influence in the community. But here our parochial schools collide with the public schools and constantly draw the shortest straw. People are unwilling to pay for a school which they cannot use constantly without neglecting the other, or people cannot keep school teachers because they cannot furnish them the necessary employment because the public school district leaves them no more than a few months of the year in which they can conduct parochial school. Add to this fact that our school teachers’ salaries have as little kept pace with the growing prosperity as they correspond to the ability which as a rule the teachers possess and the expenses they have incurred in attaining that ability. The result is that the more capable teachers of religion far more often than not look for other positions in order to secure at least a modest livelihood for themselves and their families. It is to be hoped that the synod itself will subject this matter to a thorough discussion, so I’m not going to detain myself on it any longer, but only again earnestly lay it upon the hearts of my fellow representatives and our entire church body because of its extremely great importance and consequences.

Where the use of the Means of Grace is concerned, as a rule church attendance is good, likewise also communion attendance, even if less so, and progress is being made with family devotions although much still remains to be desired in both regards. Zeal, in any case, for public worship is evident in part by the many costly buildings which either were erected or were under construction also in the course of this year. This zeal can, however, anticipate something critical for us when we appear at the same time to perceive a decline in zeal for procuring men who are capable of proclaiming the Word in all these churches because this can, however, essentially only be attained by our institutions of learning being embraced with genuine interest and finding the proper support. But the treasurer’s report will give sufficient enlightenment as to how bad things are in this regard. We pastors certainly bear a substantial portion of blame for this. However, the congregations ought well be on guard against it so that during the time of greater prosperity hearts do not become more and more covetous. Meanwhile, interest in missions seems to be more general. That this interest seems to be directed toward relieving countrymen’s spiritual needs is a natural consequence of our situation. Our congregations are themselves in the midst of a mission field.

Progress was made in some of the congregations in using the Word of God for brotherly admonition and public church discipline; in others, the latter, at any rate is virtually unknown. Caution is a good thing. However, let us watch ourselves so that it does not happen with us as it did with the boy who would not go into the water before he could swim. And yet it is of urgent necessity both for the entire congregation’s and the individual sinner’s sake that discipline be urged with earnestness and vigor. Where nothing else does any good, where all admonition and reprimand has shown itself to be in vain, there excommunication is, however, the last means God has given the congregation for the sinner’s conversion, so that it will be employed in vain neither for the sinner nor the congregation if they have had proofs which have brought it into use. And when the congregation must be separated from a member of the congregation about whom it perhaps has far too good reason for believing that he has wandered away in impenitence, how shall the congregation be able to excuse sending this brother to judgment without having tried the one means through which he perhaps could be saved? That neglect of church discipline brings about a slackening of moral feeling, so that sins and vices increase instead of decrease, is a fact. And this dares to be a sad cause for the fact that in several places it is not getting better, but rather worse with open sins such as immorality, bundling, thoughtless engagements, illegitimate births, drunkenness, playing the lottery, etc.

The remaining paragraphs report on home missions, additions to the clergy roster, installations of pastors, education, the orphans’ home, meetings, and condolences to the Missouri Synod whose former president, Pastor F. Wyneken²⁰, had died during the past year.

And with this, be commended to God! May he hold his hand over the meeting and bless its discussions to the glorifying of his name and the salvation of souls!

Most respectfully, H.A. Preus

20 Friedrich C.D. Wyneken (May 13, 1810-May 4, 1876).