The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1922-05-11
LUTHERAN BODY
CREW RAPIDLY
Beginning With IL Congregations
IS Years Ago, It Now Num-
bers 1900 Pulpits.
METHODS NOT SENSATIONAL
Has Carried Gospel Into Forty-seven
States and Twelve Foreign Coun-
tries by Plain Preaching-Ex.
tensive institutional Work.

| Of the Gospel gathered in Chicago at
! 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
it's seventy-ffth anniversary.
During the three-quarters Of CEN
fury which have passed since Dr.. G. F.
w. Wa1ther, the consecrated leader
Of the Saxon Immigrants in Missouri,
assumed the presidency of this
Synod, this church body has ex-
perienced q growth that is nothing
| short Of phenomenal Its 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
tions It's membership embraces more
the United States and Canada, and
together with other Synods affiliated
in the Synodical Conference 1t 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 -four
| ishing congregations they established
| Christian day 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
I 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 oyercometh the world"
Their testimony is heard in ten diff.
ferent languages in our country, In
| addition to the English, which is be-
| ing used more extensively every year,
especially in missionary work, and the
German, the language of the pioneer
Lutheran workers In Yiddish it tells
the Israelite of Christ as the promised
Messiah; in Italian this Gospel is COM
batting the atheism and religious in
! difference which is becoming so
marked among the sons of Italy in
this country; in Polish, Slovak, Lithu-
anian. Lettish, Norwegian, and Danish
it brings the Gospel to those who have
come from the north of Europe; 1t
greets the Indian in his own tongue, and
| the unfortunate deaf mutes are happy
to be under the spiritual care of men
| trained to bring the message of saliva
| ton in the sign language. For the past
| fifty years, ever since the founding of
the Synodical Conference, it has car
ried on extensive work among the
| negroes of the black belt; it has es-
tablished church schools where the
third generation of colored Lutherans
is now being trained; it has built col
| leges for the higher education Of the
| young negroes in the South. At pub
lie and charitable institutions the mis-
| sionaries Of this church bring light to
the blind, balm to the sick, and spir-
itual riches to the earthly poor. At
its own numerous hospitals. orphan
i ages, infants and old folks homes,
asylums for the care of tubercular
and epileptic patients, thousands are
under the care of missionaries.
! Foreign Missions
But the message which the Missouri
Synod has proclaimed has been too
i powerful to be confined within the
limits Of this country. It has been
preached for many years in Brazil and
Argentina, where some sixty mission
aries are working at present. Mission
aries of this church have gone back to
Europe, where in Germany, England,
France, and Czecho-Slovakda the in
dependent mission congregations Of
the Free Church Of Europe have been
supported for many years. Assistance
has been lent to the establishment Of
an active Lutheran church body In