The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-03-11
The Progress Of the Lutheran Church.

An esteemed correspondent sends us the fol-
lowing article for publication. 1t is extracted
from a. address delivered at the anniversary OF
the Lutheran Theological Seminary, in Phila-
delphia, by Rev. S. K. Brobst, on "The Prog
ress of the Lutheran Church in America" du-
ring the last thirty years:
Whoever wishes the understand the present
should be acquainted with the past. He who
would work with success in the future must dill
igently study the present condition OF affairs,
and be able to judge them with discrimination
The past the present, and the future are con-
nected with each other; they condition one
another; they belong together and form con-
nected whole, great unity. Let US now,
therefore, take retrospect of the past, and i'm
partially consider the progress ct the Luther
an Church in America during the last thirty
wears, as we'll as also its present circumstances
and needs, both in its dark and its bright as
poets.
First we remark the notable fact, that, in
spite of all the difficulties with which our be-
loved Church has had to contend in this coun-
try especially, no other denomination has, in
every respect, made greater progress during this
period than it has. The following statistics and
historical matter were here presented in support
of this assertion:
1. The increase in the number of ministers,
congregations, and COMMITMENTS. Thirty
years ago there were in the Lutheran Church
in America 500 ministers, 1907 congregations,
and 1876 800 communicates; while it now num-
bers 1850 ministers, 1900 congregations, and
900 communicates. In the last fifteen
years we have more than doubled our number,
for in the year 1850 We numbered 1893 minis
ters, 2,279 congregations and 23l, 700 communi-
cants. We now gain every week, on an average,
six congregations, more than 500 members, and
from TO 8 pastors.
2. The increase in Sunday-schools and liter
ature for the children. The Lutheran Church
of this country numbers about 1000 Sunday
schools and the same number of weekday
schools, in which many thousand children not
only are instructed in the Word of God, but
also in the two chief languages Of the country
and of the civilized world, viz: German and
English In the congregational schools of the
Swedish and Norwegian congregations IN the
West also, the children study two and some
times three languages. No other Protestant
Church in America has half so many such
highly useful and needful schools for the in
struction for the young. In this respect we
Lutherans are far ahead of all others indeed
many of the large, rich English denominations
have no parochial schools at all. The only
large we'll conducted teachers Seminary, under
the charge of the church here in this country,
is Lutheran institution. In it there are now
more than 100 students.
In this respect our condition also, years ago,
was sad enough, for the old parochial schools
established by our Fathers had we'll nigh all
perished, and the most Of those now existing
had not then begun. The number of Sunday
schools, especially of the German, has very
greatly increased in this time.