# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1949 10 25_S357
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

357

Church Chronicle

"What becomes of all that money? One gives, and then one hears and sees nothing more of it." So many ask and say who together with others have given their contribution toward relieving the spiritual and bodily need in Europe and in other parts of the world. Well, it is not quite so; from time to time we do report in our church papers what is done with the money, and we also bring pictures that either set before our eyes the need that is to be relieved, or pictures that show how the money has been used. So now again we bring such a picture: the faculty and the stu-

Faculty and students of the 1949 summer semester of the theological seminary in Oberursel
Three students are missing from the picture

dents of the theological seminary in Oberursel. There too we have helped, so that a building could be put in order in which students are prepared for the holy ministry, and so the great shortage of pastors in Germany is relieved.
J. H. C. F.

$1,000,000. What do these figures mean? The question is justified, but the answer is shameful. This year will soon be at an end, and our synodical budget is still short almost a million dollars. That ought not to be so in our great Missouri Synod! Read Dr. L. Meyer's article in this number of the "Lutheraner": "God's Hour Has Come!" Among other things we are told there that 20 per cent of our membership pays 80 per cent of our costs. One would not think it possible at all among Christians that so great a number of our synodical members take little or no part in our synodical work. Well, we do not wish to go into it further here. Read Dr. Meyer's article.
J. H. C. F.

A New Lutheran Church Federation Planned. As the church press reports, three Lutheran church bodies are now planning a closer federation.

These are the following church bodies: the American Lutheran Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the United Ev. Luth. Church.

The first church body, which arose from the union of the Ohio Synod, the Iowa Synod, and the Buffalo Synod, numbers about 700,000 communicant members. This group is usually designated by the letters ALC.

The second church body was until now the United Norwegian Ev. Luth. Church. The Evangelical Lutheran Church, usually designated by the letters ELC, numbers about 800,000 communicant members.

The third church body is of Danish origin and has its headquarters in Blair, Nebr. The United Ev. Luth. Church, designated for short by the letters UELC, numbers about 50,000 communicant members.

These church bodies belong to the American Lutheran Conference (American Lutheran Conference) as well as to the National Lutheran Council (National Lutheran Council).

Among the synods belonging to the National Lutheran Council the three church bodies named probably take the most conservative position.

The matter of union now lies first before the congregations