W.C. Kohn letter to Paul Lindemann - October 27, 1918
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[October] 27, 1918. To the Eastern Department, Attention Rev. P. Lindemann, 901 Summit Ave., Jersey City, [New Jersey] Dear Brother Lindemann, In the first place, I must deplore the delay of an answer to your letter and telegram, and assure you that it was not lack of decency as you bluntly state in your letter. I believe I have not deserved such a slur from the hands of a person, whom I have always treated with the utmost courtesy, as the contents of my letters have always had the stamp of brotherly love and forbearance. The contents of your letter, as well as that of Brother Schoenfeldt, did not pertain to a personal affair or a personal conviction of mine only, but touched upon the most vital principles, upheld by the Synodical Conference since its existence, and upon most important questions for the Army and Navy Board. I have received these letters as president of the Board, and self-evidently took it for granted to present them for discussion at our meeting, since the authority of an autocratic decision in such important matters is not vested in me nor any one individual of the Board. We have discussed both letters at length, and found that the situation today is the same as it was months ago, when a committee of the Synodical Conference was in the East to discuss this very same subject, the result of which were the five inadequate points of our agreement with the N.L.C. At the close of our discussion, it was obvious that correspondence in this matter would be of no avail, and, therefore, we have decided to ask you for a conference. You have made the statement in your letter, that you have visited several conferences, and found dissatisfaction in them with our work and, as we understand it, with our principles regarding our relationship with the N.L.C. Upon hearing this, your Christian sense of righteousness and brotherly love should have prompted you according to the Eight Commandment, to point out to these brethren their duty to write their grievances to us, where they actually belonged. We have received no such
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[page 2] letters with grievances. Since this was not done, and you still point out in your letter that such dissatisfied sentiments prevailed in conferences you have visited, we ask that you kindly tell these conferences to elect a committee to attend our proposed conference with you, and furthermore ask all those individual Pastors in your vicinity of whom you know to be dissatisfied to be present at this conference also. The proposed conference need not be in New York or in Chicago, but in some other more conveniently located city, if so desired. Our Board has heard of no conference, which is dissatisfied with our principles, neither in the East nor in the Middle States, nor in the West, but have heard very favorable reports from Synodical conventions and pastoral district conferences. Therefore, we deem it advisable as well as fair to give such brethren, who perhaps have heard one side only, and upon the strength of that have expressed their dissatisfaction, an opportunity to hear us also, especially if an entire conference should be involved. Such conferences may elect just those men who were strongest for an entire co-operation with the N.L.C. Consider furthermore, that we are servants, to whom the Synodical Conference has entrusted the care for the spiritual welfare for their boys. This trust involves that we adhere to the religious principles of this body which we are representing. If we as Board cast aside such principles, we, you and I, would commit a crime which would be treason to our Church in the vilest sense of the word. At a conference, however, such as we desire, these matters can be ventilated, and, if you then can convince us that we are wrong, we are willing to declare this to the Synodical Conference, and ask that Body to accept your broad platform. If, however, we must admit that Scriptures clearly tell us not to enter into co-operation, then you and all others must bow down to Scripture, immaterial of the sequences. We are convinced that, if this conference with our brethren is held in the right spirit, without animosity, but with the earnest desire to stand on that foundation, which is unshakable, - the Scripture, - we will come to a God-pleasing result.
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[page 3] Therefore, it was resolved that the entire Church Board for Army and Navy has a conference with the Eastern Department at a place to be selected, to which conference the Eastern Department is asked to invite representatives of such conferences, and such pastors of the Synodical Conference, who have declared their dissatisfaction with the principles of the Church Board for Army and Navy in regard to its relation with the N.L.C. In this meeting shall be discussed the principles laid down in the letters of pastors Lindemann and Schoenfeldt to our Board, and the principles in general in-volved in our relation with the N.L.C. Until such conference has been held, and u until we in our own midst have agreed upon our own principles, no action can be taken with the N.L.C., but they will be asked to wait until this conference has taken place. Cordially yours, W.C. Kohn President of the Lutheran Church Board for Army and Navy.
Details
| Title | W.C. Kohn letter to Paul Lindemann - October 27, 1918 |
| Creator | Kohn, W.C. |
| Source | Kohn, W.C. Letter to Paul Lindemann. 27 October 1918. Graebner, Theodore Collection. Concordia Historical Institute, St. Louis, Missouri. |
| Description | Letter from W.C. Kohn, President of the Lutheran Church Board for Army and Navy, to Reverend Paul Lindemann of the Eastern Department. In this letter, Kohn discussed the Synodical Conference and the various committees associated with the Army and Navy Board and the National Lutheran Commission. Kohn also discussed the possibility of another conference to be held to discuss these groups differences and hopefully come to a harmonious conclusion. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--Public opinion; World War, 1914-1918--Religious aspects; Lutheran Church |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Contributing Institution | Concordia Historical Institute |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the Concordia Historical Institute: 314-505-7900 |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | October 27, 1918 |
| Language | English |