Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-05-30
SECOND time 1T
EVER CAME WEST
General Synod Ct the Evangelical
Lutheran Church to Be
Held in Des Moines.
BEGINS THE SESSION WEDNESDAY
The Lutheran Population In tho United
States Numbers overwhelmingly
of tho General synod Dates
to 1918.

Des Moires. Ia, May 2S.-The general
synod of the Evangelical Lutheran
| church will convene for q ten days
session in Dcs Moines on May 20. This
organization is one of the four general
bodies into which are gathered the
Lutheran congregations of this coun-
try.
The Lutheran population OF the
United States is Z. 3S6,746. of which
number Iowa has 3S2.35O, Minnesota
SI5,442, North Dakota 1O9,614, South
Dakota l39,Ss4, and Nebraska 163,7S2.
The coming of the general synod to
Des Moines will be a departure from
the usual custom of the Lutheran
church, since only once previously has
amy city west of the Mississippi The
only western city which has had the
privilege of securing the synod was
Omaha, Neb., where 1t was held in 1887
Since then all the sessions have been
confined to eastern cities, where the
Lutheran church is stronger.
History of tho synod.
The history of the general synod of
the FNange ical Lutheran church dates
as far back as 1878, in which year the
Initiative step leading to the organiza-
ton of general body by the stat.
sNnods was taken by the synod ol
PENNSYLVANIA, which embraced more
churches and pastors than any other
Synod. AT meeting of this synod a;
Harrisburg in 1878, 1t was resolved that
a movement should be started to bring
all the Evangelical Lutheran synods Iii
the United States into closer connee-
tion with each other and develop a
pan to perfect a general union.
The first effective step looking to the
organization Of such body was taken
IN 1919 at meeting of the synod of
pennsylvania, when committee was
appointed consisting of Rev. Drs. F. d.
schaeffer, j. Daniel Kurtz and j.
George schmucker and Messrs. De-
nEd the delegate Rev. Mr.. Shober 10
tNanline sto the matter and outline a
plan as early as possible. The plan
prepared by this committee was adopt
ed by vote of AZ to s and PROPOSE
ton for general union Of the Evan
sgelical Lutheran church in the United
States" was published and distributed
Enmong all the ministers and delegates
from the various synods, upon which
action was taken by these several
bodies and adopted by at least three
f9nrths of the synods and the president
of the synod of Pennsylvania was in.
structcd to call a convention Of depu-
ties from all the states where Lutheran
churches We're in existence.
TIC itllal clIeCIlnS OF the proposed or
ganization took place at convention
held October %, 1920 at Hagerstown,
Md. in which the following five synods
were represented: New York, Penn
#syvania, North Carolina, Maryland
nd Virginia, there being no delegate
rom Ohio present. AT this meeting j.
ID. INurtz, ID. d., was elected the first
president of the general synod and H.
III. Muhlenberg was elected secretary.
Officers of tho synod.
The present officers of the general
synod are: Rev. S. S. Breckenridge, D.
d.. of Springfield o., president; Rev.
w. e. Fischer, ID. d., Shamokin, Pa,
secretary, and Louis Manns, Cincin-
nattl o.. treasurer. The statistics of
the synod show that there are at pres
ent l.21l ministers, 1876 congregations
and 1G9.5S9 members confirmed in the
general synod alone.
The number of the district synods be-
longing to the general synod has had
a steady growth. decennial exhibit
shows the number of the synods in the
union with 1t as follows:
~ OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
1910
,s.2 10 10
800 ~
iosn e
lEO
The loss between 1860 and 1870 was
due to the civil war which separated
the southern synods from the northern,
which have since been affiliated with
the united synod of the south and the
withdrawal of several others which