Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1915-10-14
18TH ANNIVERSARY
OCTOBER IS, 1915
OF THE GERMAN EVANGELICAL
SYNOD OF NORTH AMERICA
TO Be DULY OBSERVED.

On October 18th, 1915. rs years
will have passed since the above
named denomination of this country,
of which the German Church in our
midst is a proud member, has been
organized. The following is a short
history of that denomination.
Many years before this country
had fought its revolutionary war,
thereby wringing Independence and
liberty from England, thousands OF
Germans had come to this country,
settled here, made 1t their home by
clearing and improving the land and
doing their duty as true citizens by
supporting it in decided manner in
the said war and shedding their
hearts blood for the cause OF liberty
immigration continued in spite OF
many difficulties, and in the '2Os
and '30s we find German settlers
even as far west as Illinois, Iowa,
Kansas and Missouri. But they were
entirely without any spiritual guild
ance. Missionary societies in the
Fatherland realized their dire need
and sent a few ordained pastors, to
which all credit and admiration is
due for laboring most unselfishly and
ardently in spite OF great trials and
bitter opposition One Of them, Rev.
E. L. Nollau, of Grayois Settlement,
Mo-, extended an invitation to a
small number of co-workers to
meeting in his church, with these
words: "Our purpose is that as pas
tors of the same church, We should
learn to know each other better and
strive in common to further the vel
fare of the Evangelical Church in
this country. Through brotherly intsr
course we should encourage and
strengthen one another in the work
for the glory of God and the Saviour
Jesus Christ as also for the saliva
ton and blessing of the congrega-
tons IN our care.
October Is, 1910, six pastors were
present at this meeting in a little
birthplace of our Synod;
Karl Louis Daubert, Quincy, Ill.
Edward L. Nollau, Grayois Settle
ment, Mo.
John Jacob Riess, Centerville, Ill.
Hermann Garlichs, Femme Usage,
Mo.
Philip Jacob Heyer, st. Charles,
No.
George w. Wall, st. Louis, Mo.
After mature and prayerful con-
it was decided by these
men to organize themselves as The
German Evangelical Church Associa-
ton of the West, and the following
doctrinal statement was formulated
and subscribed 10 by those present
"The German Evangelical Church
Association of the West, as part
Of the Evangelical Church, defines
the term Evangelical Church as de-
noting that branch of the Christian
Church which acknowledges the Holy
Scripture of the Old and New Tesla
ments as the Word of God, the sole
and infallible guide of faith and
life, and accepts the Interpretation OF
he Holy Scriptures as given in the
symbolic of the Lutheran and Re
formed Churches, the most import
ant being the Augsburg confession,
Luther's and the Heidelberg cate
chisms. insofar as they agree, but
where they disagree, the German
Association of the West
adheres strictly to the passages OF
Holy Scripture bearing on the sub
ject, and avails itself Of the liber'y
Of conscience prevailing IN the Evan
gelical Church"
In the following years the growth
was very slow; it seemed as if God
had intended to try the faith OF
those worthy and courageous pio-
neers. And they were not found
wanting in the scales of God. As
the years went on, more pastors
Joined the Association, more congre-
rich in religious life, became
other German Church or
CARNATIONS, having the same doctrin-
al basis, in the Eastern states, con-
nected with us, thereby strengthen
ing our ranks considerably; this
made necessary a change Of the
name, so that finally having our
churches all over the country, from
San Francisco to New York City,
from Washington to Florida, from
to New York, our denomina'
ton bears the above name.
In the early years we depended on
Germany for new workers; but we
soon found it necessary and more
expedient to have our own seminar
les. Our first theological seminary
was built in 1s4e near Femme Usage,
Warren Co., Mo-, and was started
with one Professor, Rev. VIM. Bin
III I.LI n