Douglas Island news., 1910-05-18
The Lutheran Augustana
 Synod, t860-19t0

Synod of North America celebrates it's
 semi centennial jubilee at Rock Island,
 Illinois, on the 5th 18th days of June
 next, and as this synod has for several
 years maintained mission in Douglas,
 brief history of the development of
 this church organization may be of
 some interest to the readers of the
 News.
 On the 24th day of April, 1860, seven
 teen Swedish and Norwegian Lutheran
 ministers, and about an equal number
 of lay delegates, representing thirty six
 Scandinavian congregations, met in
 Chicago aud decided to organize the
 above.named synod. These ministers
 and congregations had until then been
 connected with the English Northern
 Illinois Synod, but on account of vital
 doctrinal differences, the Scandinavian
 forefathers felt that they could no
 longer. continue their connection with
 that body. That they were not very
 much mistaken is shown by the subse-
 quent history of the Augustana Synod.
 The congregations represented at the
 Chicago meeting in 1860 were composed
 of poor, newly arrived immigrants. The
 total number of fcommuniCant mem mbers
 in the congregations represented being
 only 3,753 The primitive church build,
 ings nun bered 21, and no other prop
 erty was owned by these fathers. The
 statistics of the Augustana Synod for
 the year 1909 show the number of min-
 isters to be ell, number of congrega-
 tions, 1902; commuuicant members,
 163, ,473; total number of members, 254,- E645: number of church buildings, 965;
 value of church property, $8,077, ,862;
 nun Der of teachers in Sunday schools,
 9.98l: number of scholars in same, 69,- 3l4. In connection with these figures
 it must be noted that the Norwegian churches severed their connection with
 the Augustana Synod as early as 1870
 on account of difficulties arising from
 the difference in language. This separ-
 ation was altogether friendly and was
 accomplished with the best mutual un-
 derstanding, the Norwegian brethren organizing their own synod, which has since developed to large body.
 At the time of the organization of the 'Augustana Synod it was also de- cided to found the Augustana College
 and Theological seminary, which was done, the institution being located at Paxton, H., but some years later re- . moved. to Rock Island in the same state, where it roday owns magnificent buildings, located very beautifully, with commanding view over the city and the Mississippi river
 Besides this central educational in- stitutiou founded by the pious and in- telligent fathers, the Augustana Synod now owns eight other institutions of higher learning. These are; Gustavus Adolphus college, St. Peter, Minn.; Bethany college, Lindsborg, Kans.; Luther college, Wahoo, Neb.; Upsala college, Wentworth, N. J.; Northwest eru college, Fergus Falls, Minn.; Trin- ity college, Rouud Oak, Texas; Mime sota college, Minneapolis, Minn.; and Occur d'Alene college, Occur d'Alene,
 Idaho. These institutions represent a property value of $S83,677, number of students enrolled in 1908 was 3,244 To fittingIy commemorate it's jubilee, the synod has now collected an endowment of S250,000 for Augustana College and Theological seminary. This sum has been voluntarily subscribed and paid in by the Swedish population of the United States. Some very prominent men have from time to time been students at this synod's institutions of learning, men such as the late Governor John A. Johnson, of Minnesota, and
 the present governor of the same great state, the Hon. A. o. Eberhart, not to mention others.
 The synod also owns and supports eight orphan homes, three hospitals,
 two deaconess institutes, three homes for the aged, two immigrant homes and one relief fund, altogether nineteen institutions, representing property value of S84O,57O. During the year
 1908 the orphan homes cared for and
 sheltered 439 orphan children, and in
 the homes for the aged 6l persons were