Shortly after the newly formed "little" Norwegian Synod was born, it applied for membership in the Synodical Conference. This action was not startling or earth-shattering in any way. Since 1857 the Missouri and Norwegian Synods had a close relationship. Theological candidates were trained at St. Louis prior to the opening of the seminary at Madison. Jakob Aal Ottesen and Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther discovered in each other "kindred spirits."27 When Dr. Walther had finished his free conferences to discover who was true Lutheran and who was pseudo-Lutheran, he formed the Synodical Conference of which the old synod was a charter member. This membership would continue until the Election Controversy would find the Norwegian Synod withdrawing in order to settle the controversy without interference.
The reörganized synod applied for membership in the Conference. It must be noted that the small group first sought membership as a district of the Missouri Synod. God be praised that Missouri encouraged the Norwegians to remain independant!28 Through this relationship the Norwegians would train their earliest pastors. With this arrangement the synod would not stand alone against the onslaught of error and false teaching from other so-called Lutheran church bodies.
Unfortunately this would not remain. Though the two synods, together with the Wisconsin and Slovak Synods, coöperated in home and world missions and in training pastors and teachers, nevertheless the kindred spirit would take on warts. After the stalwart defenders in Missouri died, a new breeed took over that radically altered the make-up of confessional Lutheranism.
In 1881 there was a split in the Synodical Conference over the doctrine of Election. Ohio and others withdrew since they supported the heterodox teaching. The Norwegian Synod withdrew since participation in the Conference was believed to add tension to the delicate situation already existing in the synod. The Conference survived with the reörganized synod rejoining in 1920.29 But the split in 1955 not only marked the end of a close relationship begun with Otteson and Walther; it also sounded the death knell of the Synodical Conference.
Time and space limit what can be reported here on the Synodical Conference. In brief, the relationship remained close between the members, particularly between the Missouri and Norwegian Synods. Men were trained in Missouri's schools until other members were able to begin and support their own schools. This does not indicate a duplication of services, however. It was merely a preservative of an identity and of the truth. The latter would proved to be true by 1960.
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