The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-10-06
SYNOD
TO MEET HERE
IN CONVENTION
Opening Sermon Will Be
Preached by the President
Next Thursday Evening.


Tho Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Of West Virginia will hold its fifth
annual convention In st. Marks Luth-
eran church. corner Park and Meigs
avenues.
The Evangelical Lutheran church
Ii that body OF Christians which nc
cepts the Augsburg Confession as n
correct statement Of the doctrines
taught in the Scriptures In addition
to this large part OF the church sub
scribes to other confessions. such MS
the Apology OF the Augsburg Con-
fession, the LinRlcald Articles. the
Formula Of Concord, and Luther's
Two Catechisms. The name evan
gelical" signifies that the church
teaches the truths OF the Gospel In
their purity and simplicity. The
name Lutheran" was given to II in
derlsion by Its enemies, but has been
accepted, and has become a title Of
honor.
In practice the Evangelical Luth-
Gran church is conservative. educa-
tional and liturgical, permitting, how
ever, liberty In non-essentials. Great
emphasis is laid on the preaching OF
the Word OF God in It's purity and tho
proper administration Of the sacra-
ments.
The Lutheran church Is the mother
church OF Professionalism. 1t is the
oldest, and numerically, the strongest
branch OF the Protestant church,
numbering in the world, almost as
many confirmed members as all the
res tot the Protestant churches COM
blned.
The S1st day of October, 1917,
that memorable day when Martin
Luther nailed his celebrated ninety
fifth theses to the door Of the castle
church at Wlttenberg is generally ac-
cepted as the birthday Of the Luth-
eran church. Next year will be the
400th anniversary of that great event,
and great preparations are being
made by our church all over the land
for an appropriate celebration.
The first Lutherans arrived in the
United States from Holland in 1921,
settling in New York. Swedish
Lutherans colonlzed Delaware in
1888. And various colonies Of Ger
mans came in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. laying the foun-
dations of the church in this land.
DR.. Henry NJ. Muhlenberg is the pa
triarch of American Lutheranism.
Arriving in 1742 he systematized, or
ganized and greatly extended the
church. The first Lutheran Synod
in America was organized in Phila-
delphia six years after his arrival.
The Lutheran church now ranks
third among the Protestant churches
In the United States, with over $4,000
churches and nearly 100000 COM
municant members. There are four
general bodies besides a number OF
independent synods. The greater
part of these divisions are due to diff
ferences OF race and language. Prob
ably no church has more cosmopoli-
tan membership. The Lutheran
church breaches the Gospel in this
country in English, German, Swed-
fish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandlc,
Finnish Russian Esthonian, Lettlsh,
Lithuanian, Polish, Yiddish, Italian
and other languages. 1t supports In
the United States Twenty-Five theo-
logical seminarles, LOG colleges and
academies, nine deason's mother
houses, fourteen immigrant mis-
sions, and a great number OF orphan
ages, hospitals and other institutions
Of mercy.
The general synod is composed Of
twenty district synods with 1890
churches and $4,000 members. It's
colleges and seminaries are located
at Gettysburg. Pa, Lelins Grove, Pa,
Hartwick, n. Y, Springfield, o., Car?
thage, ILL.,, and Atchison, Kan. It
carries on an extensive foreign mis-
sion work in southern India and Ii
IBERIA.
The synod Of West Virginia is the
youngest synod in connection with
the general synod. 1t was organized
at Fairmont in 1912 by churches for
merly connected with the Maryland
and Pittsburg synods. 1t has thirty
one congregations and about 1000
members. The Rev. Oscar C. Dean, OF
Wheeling, is president. and the Rev.