Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-04-20
IMMIGRANTS FOR
RFIIGI0AIsS 2lKF
Founders of Lutheran Missouri
Synod Came to America to
Gain Religious Freedom.
LEFT MATERIAL ADVANTAGES
Physicians, civi! Officers, Artists,
Preachers and Teachers in Party
Settling in ST. Louis and
Missouri Witds.

Three-quarters of a century ago q
| band Of faithful men and women came
| to our shore to found a religious coun-
try, of the Lutheran persuasion, in
America and became instrumental in
founding the Evangelical Lutheran Syn
od OF Missouri, Ohio and other states.
This body is celebrating the seventy
nth anniversary Of it's organization
during the present year. The organiza-
ton was effected at Chicago on Mon
day, April 26, 1S47.
The causes back of this emigration
must be understood from conditions
prevailing in the homeland of these
emigrants. 1t was not, as usual the
pressure of unfaverable economic con-
d1t1ons in overpOpulated Germany that
induced them TO leave the fatherland
and seek a new home and better living
conditions in America. The emigrants
who ten years after their landing in
st. Louis took the lead in organizing
the Missouri Synod, did not come to
America as beggars. Many quilted
their homeland at considerable sacri-
flee of material advantages. Their
party consisted not only Of Saxon
Weayers and stocking makers, but
there were among them merchants,
men of the medical profession, jurists
officers of the civil government, paint
ers, etc. These people could hope for
very little material adyanta geS in the
new country in which they came to
settle. Their reason for coming to
America was an entirely ideal or
spiritual, one. They were looking for
a home for their religious convictions,
where they could, without hindrance
from the government, worship God &C
cOrding to the dictates of their con-
science ana propagate their faith.
German Religious Intolerance
They were not allowed to do this la
their home country Already long be-
fore the emigration scheme was ma
tured among their leaders they had
suffered considerable because of their
religious convictions. They hailed from
parts Of Germany in which, owing to
the ravages If pietism and rational
Ism, Lutheran confessional fidelity had
become a rare thing. In 1871 the then
Prussian king, Frederick Ill, issued
union-edict by which the amalgama-
ton of the two parts of the Protestant
Church, the Lutheran and the Reform
ed, was to be effected. Prior to that
time these two parties had existed as
separate bodies, maintaining their
separate confession, churches and re-
ligfOus activities. The edict Of Fred
erick III. was unquesti0nably part OF
the Prussian governments scheme for
the Capitalization of power It wrought
q good deal of havoc throughout Ger
many, where church and state were
not separate as in the United States.
Most Of the other German countries
initiated the policy of the Prussian
king and issued similar union edicts
But even in countries like SaXony,
where this was not done, the union
tendency was the dominant tendency
in state and church. AS a result, both
Lutherans and Reformed who still ad
hered to their confessional principles,
but mostly the former, had to suffer
great deal from the intOlerant govern
ments. Permission for organizing a
Free Church, Independent Of state con-
troll, could not be obtained, although
many attempts to get such a permits
sion were made.
Decide on Emigration
Under these precariOus, provoking
conditions the faithful members Of the
Lutheran Church began to think of
leaving their home country and find
ing new homes on the other side of the
Atlantic. The thought of emigration
was cherished for many years before
it could be executed, for even the per
mission to emigrate could not be OBJ
tanned from the intolerant govern
ments in Germany. One Of the men,
who afterwards became the acknOWl
edged leader of the Missouri Synod,
DR.. Walther, writes regarding those
days as follows How gladly would
the believing Lutheran pastor and
layman have surrendered everything
If they could have obtained the per-
mission to separate from the grievOus-
~ corrupted and apostate State
Church and to organize themselves
into a Lutheran Free Church. But it
was absolutely hopeless to think Of
such an official grant at that time"
They saw, accordingly, that their only
way of escape from the tyranny to
which their consciences were subject
ed, which became more intOlerable as
time wore on and which threatened to
stff1e their life Of faitl., was to emf
crate to a country in which religious
liberty was guaranteed.
The leadership under which the
Saxon immigration that came to
America in 1887 was organized proved
inefficient soon after their landing at
New Orleans and later on at st. Louis.
Unspfritual elements were discovered
in this land of erigrants, but the bulk
Of the emigrants were sincere, con-
scfentious Christians. The church
body which they helped to organize
seventy-fve years ago has exerted an
undoubted influence for good not only
on the religious life OF our country,
+ but particularly on the development
of the Lutheran Church.