The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-08-06
SHORT
HISTORICAL
SKETCH

A convention OF nearly 400 Lutheran
pastors. teachers. professors and lay
delegates Will meet in St. Johns church.
corner a and Third streets, next We'd
nesday morning. the sessions % con-
tInus for a week. The gentlemen pres
ent represent the Lutheran congrega-
lions in Indiana, Ohio. and Kentucky
which are affiliated with tie Evangeli-
cal Lutheran Synod OF Missouri. Ohio,
and other states, generally called the
Missouri synod" A brief survey of
the history OF this synod is highly In
teresting and instructive. because Of It's
miraculous growth after an inconspic-
usus beginning In the former half OF
the past century.
1t was e most curious spectacle that
presented itself to the 1900 inhab-
itants OF St. Louis, No. when in Jan
uary and February. 1882 four steam
boats. bound from New Orleans to St.
Louis. reached their destination. bring
ing with them about $50 inning grants.
naen. women and children. Such a sight
had probably never been witnessed in
St Louis before. The question would
naturally arise: Whence come these
foreigners, and what may be the object
OF their coming? Their language. dress
sad bearing betokened them TO be Ger
mans, and their object evidently was to
find homes for themselves and their
el-D1rsn-
Why had they left their country, the
language Of which they understood, and
had come TO find homes in a land OF the
language and customs OF which they
knew nothing7 Note a feature which
distinguished these immigrants from
thousands OF others that had landed on
our shores. These wanderers OF 1899
were not refu gees from justice. There
was no blot or stain upon their char
acter or honor. Neither had they been
forcibly compelled to leave their Father
land. as had tho salzburg colonfsts in
1892. Nor had they left their old homes
in order to find new fields ID accumulate
wealth or worldly riches; for quite a
number Of them had left positions that
yielded them honor and wealth. and
station among their people.
What. then. could have been their
object in crossing the storm-swept At
lantic? In order to properly understand
the cause OF this German immf grafton
ono must recall the state of affairs in
the Lutheran church in Germany at
that time. Infdelity and rauonalism
swept over Europe. and It seemed as II
the Lutheran church for tho last time
made her funeral rites. In addition to
this the Lutheran church IN Germany
was entranced in this arms Of the civil
law with no prospect OF ever being de-
livered from this unnatural embrace
Ehe was held a captive IN her own
home such was the state Of affairs in
Germany during the first half Of the
ninstsenth century.
Saca Lutherans therefore, as cher
Intied the Gospel doctrine as the great
est OF treasures longed to throw eff
the shachles thai linked their beloved
church to the Etate in a most unholy
alliance But how was this - be ac-
comrllshed? The Teuton immi grants
who arrived here In 1889 came to Ameri-
ca with the purpose Of solving this
problem. Our country embracing in
it's constitution tho beautiful principle
that mo law respecting the establish
mont OF religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof. shall be made by con
Eress" seemed to them to be the Dor
ado" where tho Lutheran church might
revive in her original beauty and gran
deur And thus. as had two centuries
before them this Pilgrim fathers. the
saxon coIonlstS Quencbed the fires on
the hearthstones or their forefathers
and IN due time arrived on the hos
pitsbse shores Of America.
Under the leadership Of Rev. G. f. W
wslcaer. one Of their pastors. they re-
so!vsd 10 spread the truth to the best
Of their ability. In order TO reach the
great multitudes coming to this vast
country. and to bring them the good
tidinss. it became necessary to send
forth men well prepared TO preach the
Gospel These immigrants Of 1899 were
we'll aware OF this and accordingly
their history tells that. no sooner had
they established Congregations Of their
own in ST. Louis ana Perry county. No.
than they set about to erect their first
.'theolo gical seminary" a rude log cabin
with but one door and two windows. in
the wilds OF Perry county, Mo.
Less than five years later, in 1874
Pastor Walther. aided BY his congrega-
ton. began to publish a bi-weekly re
ligious paper der Latheraner." which
became the means Of furthering the
acquaintance between Lutherans in dif-
ferent states of the Union. In the
spring of 1877 twelve Lutheran pastors
and con gregations assembled in Chit
eaSe and organized tho Missouri Synod