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Strangers to Sisters - Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library: Essays

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ought up for discussion. The Bethany representatives charged that Pas<strong>to</strong>r Ackermann<br />

was guilty of a breach of confidence and did not present the facts. 168 After much<br />

discussion, President Bergemann of the <strong>Wisconsin</strong> Synod remarked, “Although I do not<br />

sanction the article, I take exception <strong>to</strong> some things in the letter of Bethany College, and<br />

furthermore, let it be said that you must not dictate.” To this, Pas<strong>to</strong>r Dornfeldt added that<br />

Pas<strong>to</strong>r Ackermann was just the type of man they wanted on the committee. The members<br />

of the board of control of Bethany were shocked that Ackermann would be so vindicated<br />

of wrongdoing. Mr. Hugo Torgler of Bethany went so far as <strong>to</strong> say, “The deal is off.” 169<br />

Pas<strong>to</strong>r Pieper went on <strong>to</strong> explain that Bethany did not intend <strong>to</strong> dictate, but only had the<br />

intention of laying the facts before the trustees of the WELS, being certain that the board<br />

of trustees of the WELS would and could not be in accord with the article in the Free<br />

Press which quoted Ackermann. 170 The meeting ended with a plan for the WELS lawyer,<br />

Ernst von Briesen, <strong>to</strong> meet in December with the Bethany lawyers, <strong>to</strong>gether with Pas<strong>to</strong>r<br />

Ackermann and Pas<strong>to</strong>r Pieper <strong>to</strong> get the negotiations back on track.<br />

But the December meeting turned out <strong>to</strong> be a fiasco, again, due <strong>to</strong> Ackermann.<br />

Briesen wished <strong>to</strong> meet with Pas<strong>to</strong>r Ackermann before he met with the Bethany lawyers<br />

and Pas<strong>to</strong>r Pieper. But not only was Pas<strong>to</strong>r Ackermann late <strong>to</strong> the meeting, but a<br />

committee from DMLC (Bliefernicht, Hinnenthal, and Stindt) arrived at Ackermann’s<br />

invitation. This DMLC contingent, meeting with Ackermann and von Briesen, made the<br />

Bethany contingent wait for almost an hour before the meeting commenced. When the<br />

meeting was finally called, the Bethany committee refused <strong>to</strong> meet with the DMLC<br />

contingent since they had not been invited <strong>to</strong> the negotiations. The situation was again<br />

168 Report <strong>to</strong> the s<strong>to</strong>ckholders, 20.<br />

169 Ibid.<br />

170 Ibid.<br />

90

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