Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-04-27
LUT7HE:RAN body
Grew RAPIDLY
Beginning with II Congregations
IS Years Ago, 1t Now Num-
bers 4,30O PuIpits.
METHODS NOT SENSATIONAL
Has Carried Gospel Into Forty-seven
States and Twelve Foreign Coun-
tries by Plain Preachinq-Ex-
tensiVe institutional Work.

On April 26, 1917, twelve ministers
of the Gospel gathered in Chicago at
a meeting which was destined to mark
the beginning of one of the most re-
markable movements in the history
of the Christian Church in the United
States, and formed what is now known
as the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of
Missouri, Ohio and other states, the
church-body which this year celebrates
its seventy-ffth anniversary.
During the three-quarters of a cen
fury which have passed since DR.. G. F.
w. Walther, the consecrated leader
of the Saxon immigrants in Missouri,
assumed the presidency of this
Synod, this church body has, ex-
perienced growth that is nothing
short of phenomenal It's pastors have
increased from the original twelve to
1900; its congregations from the six
teen that were represented in Chicago
on the day of organization to $500
with 1000 additional preaching sta
tons. It's membership embraces more
than one million souls in all parts of
the United States and Canada, and
together with other Synods affiliated
in the SynOdical Conference it forms
the largest Lutheran church body in
the world.
The secret of this growth is to be
found in the fact that from the very
beginning this church was determined
to accept the great missionary chal-
lenge that came from the unchurched
masses in this country. With sacri-
fees almost unknown in these days,
the first missionaries of this church
blazed the trail for the Gospel through
the West long before the railroads
pushed their way across the prairies
They entered the cities and towns Of
the East and besides founding mis-
sions that today are large and flour
ishing congregations they established
| Christian Gay schools for children,
where in addition to the instruction in
the elementary branches, the Bible
and the principles of Christianity were
given prominence.
Home Missions
Since the trials and struggles Of
those pioneer days this home mission
ary effort has increased to such an
extent that with the exception of
South Carolina every state in the
Union is represented in the home mis-
sion field of this church. From Maine,
| where the determined members of the
! first mission congregation have built
| Lutheran church with their own hands,
/ TO California, where this body has for
| MANY years carried on extensive home
| mission work from the frozen north
| lands of the Alberta and Saskatchewan,
where the first Canadian Lutheran col
| lege has been erected to recruit young
| men for the missionary task in the
| great Northwest. into the very heart
| of Mexico, where Lutheran mission
! aries are now active in the cause Of
| salvation in the industrial and COM
| mercial centers Of our country and in
| isolated settlements where the Gospel
| has never been preached before, these
! ambassadors Of Jesus Christ are daily
winning new victories for the faith
"that overcometh the world"
Their testimony is heard in ten diff