Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-05-27
from the Lutheran Visitor.
Rapid Increase of the Lutheran
Church in the United States.

Church in the United States still living, and
when they entered her ministry there were
less than one hundred Lutheran ministers
in all North America. In the year 1914,
the entire number of Lutheran ministers in
the United States and Canada amounted to
eighty six; more than twice that number
are now added to the roll every year, and
one of the Lutheran Theological Seminaries
in this country graduates at The present time
about half that number every year.
In 1884, twenty years later, and after
the Theological Summaries at Hartwick,
Gettysburg and Lexington were in opera
ton. and nine Synods had been organized,
there were but $50 Lutheran ministers in
the United States In 1850, sixteen years
later, and only twenty years ago, the num-
Der had increased to 757. At this time
there are over 2,100, Lutheran ministers
laboring in the United States, and Canada.
This rapid increase of ministers is moth
ing compared with the increase in number OF
communicates, now amounting to over half
million in this country, if we take all our
scattered members into account, who are as
vet not reached by the labors of ministers,
and who are, Of course, not reported in our
| Synodical statistics.
From 1914 to 1884, period Of twenty
years, the ratio of increase in the number OF
ministers was 800 per cent. the next six
teen years, from 1884 to 1850, the ratio of
increase was again 800 per cent. and for
the last twenty years about the same ratio
of increase in our ministerial ranks is obtain
ed. If we are permitted to estimate the fu-
ture by the past, the Lutheran Church in
this country will have in 1890, between
5000 and 1000 ministers, and in 1910,
abeut 20, 900 Lutheran ministers laboring
in the United States and the Canadas.
No denomination, whether orthodox OF
made such rapid advances for the last fifty
years. Lutheran institutions Of learning,
and other sources of literary cultivation,
such as books and periodicals., are likewise
being increased at very rapid rate; Lu-
theran Churches are springing into life IN
all parts of our land, in many places where
nothing was known Of even the existence
of our denomination and it will not be
long, when ignorance on the part of some OF
our American citizens respecting the
strength the influence, the doctrines and
the usages of the Lutheran Church, will be
thing of the past.
Divine worship and the preaching of the
gospel is at present conducted in four differ
ent languages in Lutheran Churches in this
country, English, German, Swedish and
Norwegian. There is also number Of
Danish Lutherans, who perhaps hear the
gospel preached in their language, although
we know of no exclusively Danish Lutheran
Church in America. (The Danes and the
Norwegians have the same language. y
There arc Lutheran colleges and theological
institutions in the United States, in which
young men receive their education for the
ministry in all Of these four languages.
Thousands Of Lutherans emigrate to
America every year and such is the drain
upon our various institutions Of learning for
Lutheran ministers to supply the want of
these immigrants, that it is with the utmost
difficulty to retain the students at the Col.
lege and Seminary sufficiently long t" enjoy
the benefits of the entire course of instruc-
ton.
lis vain to hope that the Lutheran Church
in America can do much for foreign missions
as long as this state of things continues,
since it is impossible to supply our home de-
! mand for many years to come. Besides that,
churches are needed and being erected ev-
erywhere; colleges and other seminaries of
learning are being established and endowed
in almost every State; new publications are
constantly required our people have need
of all their benevolence for these home de-
mands; and none can keep pace with the
constant and increasing Macedonian cry,
"come over and help u.s."
0, ye weak-hearted Lutheran ministers.
who are constantly comparing your own
church, in disparaging way, with other de-
nominations; yc trembling believers, who
notice and dread the rapid increase of the
Roman Catholic heresy ye faint-hearted
lay members of our church, who are peep
ing over, with a wistful eye, at the large and
influential denominations in your vicinity,
not satisfied with the day, and short day
it is, of small things in your own church;
look at these facts. consider the above men
toned statistics, thank God and take fresh
courage "Walk about zion, and 60 round
about her: Tell the towers thereof Mark
ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces
that ye may tell it to the generation follow
ing. For God is our God forever and ever"
And ye. who have left the church Of your
fathers, because your business did not in-
crease fast enough. OR because you sought to
improve your social standing, or because you
desired to become more influential, or, per-
haps, because you were afraid to bear a
small portion Of the burden of the church
of your first love, struggling for existence,
consider that the day will come, when your
children will be ashamed Of the step their
parents have taken, and gladly return to the
bosom of the mother church of the Refor-
nation.
God is with us; God is for US; God is
exceedingly blessing our church praised be
His holy name. W.