The Lutheran Church in America.
1. THE MUSTARD SEED. When the Lutheran church in Germany was in its
prime it was transplanted also across the waters, into the wilds of
America. As early as 1638 the first Lutheran Swedes emigrated to
America and founded the first Lutheran congregation in the valley of the
Delaware. In 1650 the Dutch had also founded Lutheran churches in the
State of New York. The most important of these churches was in the city
of New York. It was cruelly oppressed by the Reformed officials. The
true Lutheran confessors were frequently fined and imprisoned. As soon
as England, however, took possession of this Dutch colony the Lutherans
were granted liberty of conscience and freedom of worship.
On New Year's day, 1709, the first _German_ Lutheran congregation, with
its pastor, Kocherthal, landed on the coasts of America. They likewise
settled in the State of New York and founded several colonies on the
banks of the Hudson. The greatest number of Germans settled in the State
of Pennsylvania. Since 1742 their most zealous pastor was Henry Melchior
Muehlenberg. Together with diligent colaborers he founded many
congregations, which afterwards united to form the Pennsylvania Synod.
Since 1734 Lutheran Salzburgers were found in the Colony of Georgia.
Rationalism and fanaticism, however, made powerful inroads also into
this flourishing Lutheran church of America. The time came when very few
had any idea of the nature of true Lutheranism.
But the light was once more to shine in this land of the West. In 1839
seven hundred Lutheran Saxons came to America. They brought their
pastors, candidates, and teachers with them. After suffering severe
persecution they had left their old fatherland to live here, in this
land of liberty, in accordance with their most holy faith. A part of
them remained in St. Louis and founded a congregation with a Christian
school. The most of these faithful confessors settled in Perry County,
in the State of Missouri, where they founded a number of colonies with
congregations and Christian schools. In the colony of Altenburg a
seminary was even erected for the education of ministers. Since 1841 the
congregation at St. Louis was served by Carl Ferdinand William Walther
as pastor and preacher. This man has proved to be of inestimable
blessing for the Lutheran church of America. In 1844 he and his
congregation began to issue the _Lutheraner_ in order to gather the
scattered Christians around the Word of God. This paper was to be a
powerful means to acquaint people with the Lutheran doctrine and to
defend it against all error. The very first number was a trumpet that
gave a distinct and powerful sound. After reading it, the missionary
Wyneken joyfully exclaimed, "God be praised, there are more Lutherans in
America!" In the summer of 1838 he had come to this country a candidate
of the holy ministry, twenty-eight years of age, in order to bring the
Gospel to the scattered Germans. In Germany he had read and heard of
their great spiritual need, and their misery had touched Ids heart.
After a short stay in Baltimore he traveled inland, toward Ohio and
Indiana. He came to the little town of Fort Wayne, where he found a
little congregation. Here Wyneken preached several times, officiated at
funerals, and baptized. The people learned to love him, and called him
as their pastor. From here he journeyed to and fro, and, undaunted by
hardships, visited his scattered brethren of the faith, brought them the
Word of Life, and gathered them into congregations. In the following
years other Lutheran pastors, some of them accompanied by their
congregations, also came to America. In this way the Lutheran colonies
of the Saginaw Valley were founded.
2. THE TREE. In 1845 a number of likeminded pastors met in conference at
Cleveland, Ohio, to discuss the founding of an orthodox Lutheran synod.
In the following year several of these pastors met in St. Louis in order
to consult with Walther and other Saxon pastors concerning the same
matter. On this occasion the draft of a synodical constitution was
carefully considered together with the local congregation. This draft
was later on submitted to an assembly at Fort Wayne. Finally, in 1847,
at Chicago, the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and
other States was founded. Walther was unanimously elected president. The
members of this synod had recognized that the doctrine restored by
Luther and contained in the confessions of the Lutheran church is the
true and pure doctrine of the Word of God. Upon this foundation they
resolved to stand and in the future carry on together the work of the
Lord in this country. And to this day, by the grace of God, they have
remained true to this confession. They accept God's revealed Word as the
only source of knowledge for doctrine and practice. And the heart of all
their teaching is the doctrine of justification of a poor sinner before
God, not through his own works and merit, but alone through faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ. "God's Word and Luther's doctrine pure shall through
eternity endure," is the watchword which the synod has not only written
on its _Lutheraner_, but which its members also dearly cherish in their
hearts.
For the preparation and education of its pastors and teachers the synod
has, in the course of years, established a large number of institutions.
The first of these is the Theological Seminary at St. Louis. In this
institution Dr. Walther labored with signal blessing as professor, and
through his lectures and his many writings became the leader of
teachers, pastors, and congregations. He died in 1887. In Springfield
the synod has its Supplementary Theological Seminary, in which Prof.
Craemer labored for many years. The Seminary for Teachers is in Addison.
Its first director was the sainted Prof. Lindemann. The preparatory
institutions are in Fort Wayne, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and at several
other places. About sixty professors teach at these institutions.
Essentially the work of the synod is carried on in the same way as at
the time of the fathers. In the same manner as Wyneken missionaries
travel about visiting their scattered brethren in the faith and
gathering them into congregations. At the same time with the
congregation the parochial school is founded and developed for the
education of the children in the Catechism.
In 1872 the Missouri Synod joined with other orthodox synods, forming
the Evangelical-Lutheran Synodical Conference. At present this is
composed of the synods of Missouri, of Wisconsin, of Minnesota, of
Michigan, and of the English Evangelical-Lutheran Synod of Missouri and
other States. The synods of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan have
united to form a general synod and possess several institutions for the
education of pastors and teachers. Their theological seminary is at
Milwaukee. The Norwegian Synod, which confesses the same faith, also has
several educational institutions. The English Synod at present has
colleges at Winfield, Kans., and Conover, N. C. All these synods are
indefatigable in the work of mission and in the preservation of the pure
doctrine.
The mustard seed has become a tree, a tree whose branches cover not only
the states of the union and a great part of British America, but whose
twigs extend even to South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia; a tree
continually growing new shoots beneath which birds of passage from every
province of Germany and from every country of the world have found their
home, and raise their hymns in the most diverse melodies to the honor
and praise, glory and worship of the triune God. Everywhere, nearly all
over the globe, is sung: "Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice," and
from countless lips Luther's hymn of battle and triumph is heard, "A
Mighty Fortress is Our God!"