Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-27
LUTHERAnS HERE
OF BUT ONE KIND
Rev. I. o. Sothstein Explains History
and Method OF Organization
Of Church.
GENERAL COUNCIL HERE 500,
Predicts Ultimate Consolidation Of al
Branches Into One Outward
Government,
BIZ REV. /. O. N0THsTEIy.


There is often considerable c0nfus-
ion in the minds Of the non-Lutheran
public about the many divisions in the
Lutheran church in this country. Even
so good an authority as Dr. Carol,
who makes out the yearly church sta
ustfcs for the United States, has fall
en- Into the error Of saying that there
are Is kinds Of Lutheraus. What mis-
leads most people is the fact that the
Lutheraus lay very little stress on out
ward forms Of government in the
church. In some parts Of Europe the
Lutheran church is governed by bish-
ops, as in Sweden, for example; in
others there is the cOnsistOrial form
Of government. and in still others
there is practically o congregational
form Of government. In this country
we have various forms Of church gov
eminent. because the Lutherans who
came here from Europe usually trans
planted the form of government to
which they had been accustomed in the
old country. We have here all Va
rieties except the episcopal form,
which was not very well adapted to the
people in their new environment.
Formed Into Groups,
Having come from different lands
abroad the Lutherans Of foreign birth
also spoke different languages, and
thus grew up groups of Lutherans who
associated together on that account
Even those coming from different sec
tion5 Of the same country may have
remained strangers to each other for
long time because of the varying ma
tianal customs or dialects. Yet. what
ever the cause Of their present divis-
ion into many synods. they all hold the
same confession Of faith-The AUgs-
burg confession-the oldest confession
Of faith, outside of the three universal
creeds. in existence. Therefore the
2,352.3S5 confirmed Lutherans Of
North America should really be con
sidered as one body, since they have
the same confession Of faith although
they are not outwardIy organized into
one body.
The value and importance of out
ward union have been felt a long
time ago, and several attempts have
been made to accomplish this end. Al
ready in 1920 the general synod was
formed, principally composed Of local
syuOds using the English language.
This body has grown to number "a
local synods, and has a confirmed
membership Of 32S.5S6 In 1867 the
general council was formed. com
posed mostly of German and Swedish
and some English speaking syuods.
This body also has had a great expau-
sion, now numbering 10 synods and
having confirmed membership Of
504G23. It is this general division Of
the Lutheran church Of America which
viii convene I'm biannuaI session in
Rock Island Moline Sept 9-13. Be
sides this there is the synodical con
ference, begun in 1872, composed
mostly of German synods 90 and hav-
ing a confirmed membership OF
IT'S. 500 The United synod south
formed in 1886 has eight synods, and
50, 74S communicates. These four
great groups will eventually absorb
the remaining Independent synods, and
finally when language difficulties and
differences arising from national char
acteristics have been overcome in the
American melting pot, there will be
one Lutheran federation in outward
government as well as in inward faith.
Antedates Revolution.
But 1t is especially Of the general
council that we are to speak here.
The council embraces congregations
ard synods which antedate the Rev
dictionary war, and some, so new-the
Slavs-that they have not been able
20 attain to synodical organization.
There is q German group, made up Of
the ministerium of Pennsylvania, the
New York. ministerium, the Canada
synod, the Manitoba synod, and a sec
ton Of the Pacific synod The Swed-
ish group is in one synod-the Angus
tana-and the English speaking group
takes in part Of the Pennsylvania min
isterium, the Pittsburgh synod, the
district synod of Ohio, the Chicago sy-
nod, the English synod OF the north
west, the Pacific synod, the New York
and New England synod, the Nova
Scotia synod, and the synod Of Central
Canada, Then there are a few small
groups representing churches among
the Slovaks, Lithuanians, Italians,
etc. The total Of confirmed members,
as stated before. is 504, 023, and the
baptized membership is 769,456
The institutions under the supervis-
ion Of the council are as follows:
Theological seminaries 8. colleges 10,
academies 6, orphans homes IS, homes
for aged IA, homes for epiIeptics and
detectives 3, hospitals 10, hospices 5,
immigrant and seamen's missions 4,
settlements 6. rescue homes 3. misceI-
laneous 9.