# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 11 13_S41
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Der Lutheraner.
"God's Word and Luther's doctrine shall pass away neither now nor evermore."
Published by the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States.
Edited by C. F. W. Walther.
Volume 6.  St. Louis, Mo., November 13, 1849.  No. 6.
Terms: Der Lutheraner appears once every two weeks at the yearly subscription price of One Dollar for subscribers out of town, who are to pay in advance and to bear the postage. — In St. Louis each single number is sold for 5 Cents.
Only those letters which contain communications for the paper are to be addressed to the editor; all others, which contain business matters, orders, cancellations, money, etc., are to be sent here under the address: Mr. F. W. Barthel, caro of C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo.

(Submitted.)

Extract from the Minutes of the Quarterly Conference of Pastors of the Fort Wayne Conference District, held at Fort Wayne on the 26th and 27th of September.

Present were: the Pastors Dr. W. Sihler, Fr. Husmann, Ad. Detzer, G. Jäbker, G. Streckfuß, Ad. Claus, P. Heid, Fr. Stürken, Andr. Fritze and Dan. Stecher.

Pastor W. Sihler was chosen chairman, Pastor P. Heid secretary.

Before the beginning of its proceedings the Conference could not forbear to express its mournful regret at no longer seeing in its midst one of its former members, namely, the teacher at the local seminary, Pastor Aug. Wolter, who fell asleep in the LORD on the 31st of August; for through his decided Christian disposition and his amiable personality he was dear and precious alike to all the members of the Conference, some of whom had even been his pupils. Moreover, through his sound knowledge and his practical tact he had contributed in no small measure to the prosperity of the Conference.

No less, on this occasion, were the assembled brethren moved to express their heartfelt condolence over the departure of the universally esteemed and beloved senior of the Synod, the Rev. Pastor Löber, late of Altenburg, Mo., who, particularly also through his thorough learning, his pastoral wisdom and rich experience, on the foundation of living faith and unfeigned love, was one of the most important and influential members of the Synod.

The departure of both reminded the Conference of two things: first, to show ourselves, like them, faithful servants, and to redeem the time well for the service of the LORD and of His Church; second, to be ready for dying, as they were, as the godly departure of both plainly proves, and to be found as servants who watch, whose lights are burning and whose loins are girded.

The chairman thereupon proposed that this time also they should first deal with practical subjects, and indeed first dispose of questions which had come up for this or that brother in the conduct of his office, and concerning which he desired the counsel of the brethren.

This proposal was unanimously adopted.

Let it, however, be permitted to the writer to send ahead that which is in itself, and naturally also for the readers of the Lutheraner, of more general interest, and to set it forth somewhat more fully.

The chairman, namely, brought up the question how the ministers of the Lutheran Church should proceed in order to bring Luther's Small Catechism again into vogue and use and to its old honors, and how the ecclesiastical condition of the congregations might also thereby be raised.

In answer to this the Conference agreed upon the following points:

1. Especially in this country, where mere glibness of tongue and hollow word-mongering are often taken for speeches and sermons and held in high regard, while thorough churchly catechization is unknown or lightly esteemed, there is a twofold need that our church children be first of all thoroughly instructed as to the importance and worth of catechetical instruction in general. Along with this it should be demonstrated to them that, and how, especially by this means young and old might gradually arrive at a thorough knowledge of the doctrine of salvation in all the single articles that belong to the salvation of souls. This thorough knowledge of salvation, and chiefly the distinction between Law and Gospel, is, however, highly needful to every individual, partly that he may find his way in the Holy Scriptures and in his own heart and walk, partly that with it he may also ward off false teachers and enthusiasts. And again, there is no better way to found and build up this knowledge aright than that of asking and answering, even if in the latter the older members of the congregation for the time being do not yet show themselves participants; for a bottle with a narrow neck is not filled by a waterfall, but well by single droplets which one lets fall into it little by little.

2. Then they came to the conviction that hardly any other orthodox catechism would be better suited for the purpose just named than the small Lutheran one. It is therefore fitting, after that general instruction on the importance and worth of catechetical instruction in general, to inform one's people about the excellence of this catechism in particular. In this one should point to its thoroughly scriptural content in all the chief parts; to its unction and simplicity, so that it lends itself, as no other does, to being prayed; to the fitness of its arrangement, so that the chief parts follow one another finely in the right order of salvation; to the depth and thoroughness of Luther's explanation, so that for heart and life no essential part is to be missed; to its popular character, plainness and retainableness of expression, so that it is easier to learn and to retain even for weaker heads; to its indestructible youth and freshness, so that one never becomes sated and weary of it; to its lasting nourishing power, so that, the more one takes of it, it always offers and supplies more nourishment; to its sufficiency with regard to defense, so that, when it is well understood, one is able through it not only to recognize the false doctrines of the enthusiasts and heretics, but also to refute them, and so forth.

3. With this it would then be connected that the catechism be also diligently introduced into the sermon. This should be done, however, in a twofold manner. First, namely, in this way, that one not be afraid, in a fitting place, to cite it passage by passage word for word, and to hold up its divine, simple truth to oneself and to the congregation;