The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-29
| UTHERANS ARE
LEADING WITH
MEMBERS
Head Protestant congrega-
tons Of World by Two to
One, Report Declares.

| One, Report Declares.
| The Evangelical Lutheran Church
is the largest Protestant church
in the world, numbering almost
Las many members as all the others
'Ecombined, between 10000, 900 and
90, 900 900. In this country it ranks
third among the Protestant bodies,
its membership being 2,516,OOO com.
mum i c a MT commandments being
confirmed members above the ages
of thirteen or fourteen years. The
constituency Of the Lutheran
Church, nominal members, children,
Retc., was recently given BY DR..
EE. O.. Watson, statistician Of the
Federal Council OF Churches Of
Il Chrfst In America, as being y
O4S,85 members, with 11,7OO pas
tors ministering to 5000 congre-
Igations.
The American Lutheran Church
IFS conducting nearly 200 schools
'lof education seminaries. colleges.
cademies with / 1000 teachers and
lbs 900 students. The largest the
Illogical seminary of any denonni-
nation in the United States is the
Missouri Synod Concofiia Seminary,
in st. Louis, where more than 400
students are preparing for the min.
istry.
Church Strong Here.
In the National Capital the Id.
theran Church has had q steady
/ growth during the last century. The
i Concordia Lutheran Church, TWEEN.
tieth and @ streets northwest, was
Il organized and has carried on since
4 1906. st. Paul's Lutheran Church
II Eleventh and III streets northwest
the Rev. y. r. Huddle, pastor, was
the first English Lutheran church
i organized in this city, about 1S4s.
/ This church has now membership
j of about 600, even though IL Is q
4 the heart Of the business section 81
the city. DIR. j. @. Butler, when
i pastor Of st. Paul's Church, con
i ceived the idea Of building church
as a peace memorial to the men
who died in the civil war. As
chaplain Of the United States Sen
ate for twenty -four years, he inter
ested q number Of prominent men
II VA SAt1NADAlt1ASa ItIIL1Gs anu III W1HICn
Il 1872, he organized the Luther Place
Memorial Church, located at Thomas
Circle northwest, in front of which
islands the figure Of the great re
/ former, Martin Luther.
il Out Of this congregation has
sprung the Keller Memorial, Ninth
street and Maryland avenue north
east, DR.. s.. T. Nicholas. pastor. This
congregation numbers 500 comnuni
cant members and has one OF the
largest Sunday schools in the city
i The Church of the Reformatio lion
Second and b streets south sast. llat
Rev. John Wedley, ID. d., pastor
ID one Of the most active congre
cations in the southeast section
situated practically on Capitol Hill.
i Other Congregations.
i Zion German Lutheran Church,
which continues q German service
once a month, the Rev. Richard
Schmidt, pastor, is rapidly becom.
ing strictly English church. st.
Johns Lutheran, Fourth street
southwest, which was originally q
German church, no longer has Ger.
man services. Among the younger
churches are Epiphany, Sixteenth
land u streets northwest, mission
out of Luther Place; Columbia
Heights Lutheran, Park road and
New Hampshire avenue northwest,
also a mission Of Luther Church
served by Rev. G. II. Butler, son Of
the founder Of Luther Place Me.
mortal: the Church of the Incarna.
ion, Fourteenth and Gallatin streets
northwest, served by Rev. Henry
A NJ. 1ken, jr.: st. Marks Lutheran
/ C.~rch, Ninth and b streets south.
west, of which the Rev. DIR. Hayes
is pastor: st. Stephens, a recently
organized congregation at Sixteenth
street and Rhode Island avenue
northeast, and the old Georgetown
Lutheran Church on Wisconsin
avenue, which was organized be.
fore Washington became the Ma.
tional Capital. -"
i All Of these churches belong to
the United Lutheran Church OF
America, having it's headquarters
at 436 Fifth avenAe. New York
City. In addition, Christ Lutheran
New Jersey avenue near M street
northwest and Trinity Lutheran
Church. belonging to the Missouri
Synod, are strong organizations and
= are doing special work for young
! people in the National Capital
having recently opened a hospice
on Massachusetts, avenue, near
Twelfth street. where living quarters
are provided for their young people
Grace Lutheran Church and st
Matthews are strong congregations
!: under the supervision of the Joint
Synod of Ohio.
Maintains National Home.
The United Lutheran Church OF
:: America maintains it's Nationa1
Home for Aged Persons at Six
: tenth. street and Rhode Island
avenue on tract of twenty-five
acres.
There are about 100 guests al
this home. which is maintained by
the church at large. A recent
board OF trustees, created by nine
adjacent synods, Is contemplating
the locating of new women's
: college in the District of Columbia.
This college will be established
and endowed by the United I,I1
theran Church Of America. The tota'
membership of Lutherans in the
District OF Columbia Is about 5000
They have taken a special interest
IN the civic affairs of the Nationa,
Capital. In religious matters their
representatives have had an honoreG
position. The present pastor OF
: the Luther Place Church. the
Rev. G. M. Diffenderfer, is presi
dent OF the Washington Federation
OF Churches.