USA > Ohio > History of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and other states from the earliest beginnings to 1919 > Part 4
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The First Conference.
We shall never forget that beautiful October day of 1912 when the Pittsburg Local Conference met in the old church (now a private dwelling-house) where just one hundred years before, the fathers had gathered as the first Lutheran conference on the threshold of a territory larger than all Europe. That was a solemn hour when we, some of us the great grandsons of the fathers, all of us their spiritual children, stood in that time-hallowed place with bared heads and listened to the same words of Scrip- ture that had been read one hundred years before. And
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HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
then with reverent lips, pastor Oglesby (now resting with the fathers) offered one of those prayers which seemed to hold us to the place until a Pentecostal blessing should be poured out upon us. Almost spontaneously the assem- bly burst into singing :
"Wake Spirit who in times now olden,
Didst fire the watchmen of the Church's youth."
Ah! the old cradle in which was rocked the tiny synod- ical body; long since has the child grown to man's estate and we as children's children now return to look with reverence upon the old rock-a-bye.
Present at that first conference were the brethren Stauch, Foerster, Weyer, Huet, Reinhard, Leist; Wey- gandt and Heim as guests. Steck, Butler, Simon and Paul Henkel were absent. All of these men were still under the jurisdiction of the old Ministerium but were given per- mission, on account of the distance from the usual places of meeting in the East, to assemble at some convenient place west of the mountains and there deliberate on how best to supply the ever increasing field with the means of grace. No great theological questions were debated at these meetings. The numerous letters and calls for pas- toral service were necessarily of first importance. And when they had found ways and means for supplying the spiritually destitute in their ever extending territory the time allotted for conference had passed. And as their minutes record, "after pastor Stauch had offered one of those soul inspiring prayers we adjourned."
That there was no friction between the Conference and the Mother Synod is indicated by the minutes of the Minis- terium of 1813. These are the words: "It was a matter of real gratification to the Synod to see that our brethren on the frontier show themselves so active in the spread of
53
THE PIONEERS AND THEIR WORK.
the kingdom of God." However the permission to found a Ministerium of Ohio it seems was not granted in 1817 or subsequently, but "when in the course of human events it became necessary" it seems synods like states became independent, although fraternal relations continued in this case.
STECHER'S CHURCH, WASHINGTON CO., PA. Where the First Lutheran Conference West of the Alleghenies met in October 1812.
In the spring of 1813 the second Special Con- ference was held at Clear Creek, Fairfield Co., Ohio. Eight pastors and three laymen were present. Naturally the problems coming before the conference would be of a missionary character. Foerster's mission field was too
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HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
large but he was loath to relinquish any part of it. A Mr. Mau had been doctrinally led astray but now returned confessing his error. His case was referred to the Minis- terium for adjustment.
The third Conference met Oct. 2-4, 1813, in St. Jacob's Church, Columbiana Co., Ohio. Only four pas- tors and delegates were present. Just a little band indeed but of one heart and one purpose.
A call from the Canton parish for the services of Mr. Weyer was considered and the request granted; also from Salem's in Virginia, to which place H. Weygandt was sent. And now follow two resolutions which give the true Lutheran patriotic ring.
I. "Resolved that the Fourth of July be observed in our congregations as a solemn day of prayer.
2. That the first of Jan. 1814 be observed as a day of Thanksgiving since God has specially blessed our Church in this Western Continent."
The Fourth Special Conference met in Greensburg, Pa., Oct. 22-25, 1814. Four pastors and five delegates were present. Six pastors were absent.
Of special interest at this meeting was the report from the Ministerium of Pa. with reference to certain requests from the Conference. The Mother Synod reported that it would be sufficient if the Conference sent but one pastor as delegate to the annual meeting of the Synod. The priv- ilege of examining the sermons and journals of the ministe- rial candidates was also extended the Conference; also the right to transfer candidates from place to place and enter such transfer upon the candidate's license.
55
THE PIONEERS AND THEIR WORK.
Clerical Orders.
It should perhaps be stated here that at that time and for many years to come there were three "clerical orders." Beginning at the bottom we find the Catechists, those who were permitted to instruct in the Catechism, baptize and preach under the oversight of a regular pastor. The next order above was that of the Candidates who in addition to the privileges of the catechists might also administer the Lord's Supper. It was also required of both catechists and candidates that they annually bring testimonials from their respective congregations as well as submit a written sermon. If both were satisfactory their licenses were renewed for another year. After the candidates had continued to do this for three years they were again col- loquized and if all was satisfactory they were ordained at the synodical meetings. The third class consisted of all regularly Ordained Ministers. These composed the Ministerium or "house of the clergy" which alone admin- istered the licentiate. These "orders" are unknown to us now and it is well that they are. But in the pioneer days they were meant to safeguard the flock as well as school the shepherd. Dr. Loy says: "It was a pitiful business, that absurd license system, and it soon died without much controversy as a practice inconsistent with accepted principles."
The Fifth Special Conference convened September 16-19, 1815, in Somerset, Pa. Here the Conference began with a very unusual but quite impressive service. The pastors and their delegates assembled in the parsonage where a number of young people were gathered who had been previously instructed by the local pastor. The en- tire gathering formed in procession at the house and marched to the new church, where after singing and prayer the young people were examined and confirmed.
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HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
Now that was fine. Would it not be possible in our day to have similar services at our conferences where the laity as well as the clergy may participate? We submit the question, especially to our district and local conferences.
The parochial report of that year showed that nine pastors baptized 1157 persons; confirmed 536; communed 1991 ; buried 80 and conducted 21 parish schools.
The Sixth Conference was held Aug. 31-Sept. 4, 1816, in the Courthouse of Lancaster, Ohio. Nine pastors and five delegates were present. Stauch was elected President, A. Henkel, Secretary, and Reinhard, Treasurer.
A number of important requests for pastoral service came before the Conference. Among others was a call from Columbus and vicinity. This is perhaps the first time Columbus is mentioned in Lutheran synodical minutes. Let it not be forgotten that the door to this important center was opened by the call of hungry souls. And while we trust the voices of those who first called have been transformed into songs of adoration yet there are more people in this city today who need the Gospel than there were in that early day. At this convention a letter from pastor Weygandt was read in which he made a very strong plea for the establishment of parish schools. The fathers realized that the many children which they baptized were to be trained up in the nurture and admoni- tion of the Lord and that Christian schools next to paren- tal instruction were the best means of accomplishing this end.
At this meeting it was unanimously resolved to re- quest the Ministerium of Pennsylvania to allow the Con- ference the privilege of forming its own ministerium. The action of the Ministerium in this matter will be given in the next chapter.
The Seventh Special Conference assembled at New
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THE PIONEERS AND THEIR WORK.
Philadelphia, Sept. 21-24, 1817. Twelve pastors and nine delegates composed the meeting. Quite à number of peti- tions were acted upon at this meeting, the field of the Con- ference was widening rapidly. Thirteen hundred and thirty-six persons were baptized in that year.
It seems no action was taken with reference to the permission from the Mother Synod. Perhaps the docu- ment did not reach the Conference during the session and was later added to the minutes by the secretary. Be this as it may the meeting at Somerset in the following year has always been regarded as the first of the general con- ference or synodical meetings, though the fathers speak of Synod as having been organized in 1817. It is as be- tween the resolution to do something and doing it. Usually the later date is the safer.
.
CHAPTER II.
1818-1830.
GATHERING AND ORGANIZING THE FORCES.
The First General Conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Pastors in Ohio and Adjacent States convened in Somerset, Ohio, September 14, 1818. The Special Con- ference which had been meeting since 1812 may now be said to have reached synodical proportions, at least, we may speak of the body as a self-constituted and independ- ent organization. The Ministerium of Pennsylvania however resolved in 1817 "that permission could not be granted to the Conference of Ohio to form a Ministerium of their own but that the Ministerium of Ohio might be commissioned to draw up a plan through which particular difficulties might be removed." It was further resolved "that the ordained preachers of the Special Conference in the State of Ohio, or a majority of them, be allowed to license applicants as candidates or catechists and to renew their licenses from year to year, and that after this each candidate and catechist in Ohio shall send his diary and one sermon to the Ministerium (of Pennsylvania) meeting each year." To what extent this was done we have no means of knowing but fraternal relations were maintained between the synods. For example, in 1819 one copy of the Agenda and twelve of the Ministerial Order were sent Mr. Stauch as a present from the Minis- terium.
The situation was much like that of a mother trying to give up her daughter and to keep her at the same time.
(58)
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GATHERING AND ORGANIZING THE FORCES.
The Mother Synod was loath to say to her daughter the Ohio Synod. "Go and establish a home of your own," and yet she felt constrained not to be too insistent on keeping her. It was but a natural condition coming in the course of church extension in those days, for which we fault no one. In homes, churches and states such conditions prevail over and over again.
The fathers came together at Somerset much as they had been wont to assemble before in the Special Confer- ence. There was no attempt at innovation. The work of supplying the already existing congregations and preach- ing places with pastors as well as filling the new fields call- ing for laborers was the problem confronting them.
No doubt the reader will be interested in knowing just how a meeting of Synod was conducted one hundred years ago. We will therefore append the minutes of that meeting in an abbreviated form:
The pastors and their delegates met in the church Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Pastor Reinhart then de- livered a sermon on the words of I Peter 2, 21. After this a service preparatory to the Holy Communion was held.
Sunday Morning: At 10 o'clock the pastors and their delegates together with a large audience gathered in the church where Pastor Stauch delivered an edifying ser- mon. Following him Pastor Henkel, Sr., delivered a sermon in English. These were followed by the celebra- tion of the Lord's Supper, Pastors Stauch and Weygandt distributing the same. The pastors with their delegates communed first, followed by the remaining communicants in the usual order.
Sunday Afternoon: At 3 o'clock Pastor Weygandt preached and in the evening Pastor Dill. And then the
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HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
significant words are added : "This ended the business of the day."
Monday Morning, 9 o'clock. The pastors and dele- gates assembled in the church. The President opened the meeting with a fervent prayer which was followed by singing the appropriate verse : "Come, let us in Jesus' Name, etc."
The pastors present were :
Stauch, from New Lisbon, O.
Henkel, from Point Pleasant, Va. Dill, from Germantown, O. Weygandt, from Washington Co., Pa. Leist, from Pickaway Co., O. Reinhart, from Jefferson Co., O.
Huet, from Trumbull Co., O. Henkel, from Somerset, Perry Co., O.
Steck, from Lancaster, O.
Schneider, from New Philadelphia, O.
The following applicants were present :
Michael Wachter, Fredericktown, Md. Carolus Henkel, Point Pleasant, Va.
The following are the lay delegates :
Mr. Rufers with Pastor Stauch.
Mr. Weygandt with Pastor Weygandt.
Mr. Ney with Pastor Leist. Mr. Keiffer with Pastor Reinhart.
Mr. Heg with Pastor Huet. Mr. Lang with Pastor Henkel, Jr. Mr. Mechling with Pastor Steck, Jr. Mr. Minnich with Pastor Schneider.
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GATHERING AND ORGANIZING THE FORCES.
The following pastors were absent :
Steck, Sr., Mau, Tideman, Simon, Heyer, Weyer and Mohler.
The election followed and resulted as follows :
Pastor Stauch - Pres.
Pastor Henkel, Sr. - Sec.
Pastor Weygandt - Treas.
The officers having taken their seats the communica- tions addressed to Synod were handed to the President and numbered. On motion three committees, each consisting of two pastors and one layman, were elected to examine and report on the documents at the afternoon session. An auditing committee was also appointed by the President. And here is our Synodical Treasurer's report of a century ago :
Total receipts $103 40
Total expenditures 12 46
Balance $90 84
*In his report to Joint Synod this year (1918) Treas- urer Conrad gives :
Grand total of all receipts $500,298 87
Grand total of all disbursements 494,429 70
Bank balance $5,869 17
Monday Afternoon: The different congregations reported that they were satisfied with the services rendered by their pastors. All absent pastors sent excuses either
* This sum includes Jubilee Offering and the sum placed at the disposal of the Lutheran Commission for Soldiers' and Sailors' Welfare,
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HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
written or oral and wished God's blessing upon the delibera- tions of Synod.
Petitions for pastors were sent in from Zanesville, Nettle Creek, Champaign Co., Brush Creek and New Market, Highland Co., also Helsel's Cong. near Columbus. Provision was made for supplying these congregations.
ST. PAUL CHURCH, SOMERSET, OHIO.
Tuesday Morning: It was resolved to make it the duty of every pastor in Synod to labor for the establish- ment of Sunday-schools and to admonish the parents and urge upon them the importance of sending their children to these schools. And here is a doctrinal resolution : "That a paper shall accompany the minutes of this year setting forth the difference between our doctrine of Baptism
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GATHERING AND ORGANIZING THE FORCES.
and the Lord's Supper and that of the religionists who oppose us. Pastor Henkel, Sr. will prepare this paper."
Tuesday Afternoon: "Resolved that every pastor lift an annual offering in each of his congregations for the education of indigent young men desirous of preparing for the Christian ministry: also, that some of this money be used to send out traveling missionaries." How very modern this sounds. Here is a call to support what we now call the Beneficiary and Home Mission Treasuries. And in a hundred years this call has not changed and for the simple reason that the work and the necessity for it still continue. Indeed, conditions have not changed in 2000 years; the harvest still is plenteous but the laborers are few and the money flows slowly into the Lord's treasury.
Wednesday Morning: Because of a heavy rain Synod could not convene until eleven o'clock. Parochial reports were the order of the morning.
The table follows :
Bapt.
Conf.
Com.
Deaths.
Schools.
Stauch
105
47
388
8
4
Steck, Sr.
181
15
558
33
6
Henkel, Sr.
Dill
96
109
11
5
Weygandt
138
26
385
10
3
Leist
158
40
426
20
8
Reinhart
61
141
4
1
Huet
82
39
453
3
5
Weyer
176
17
306
19
8
Mau
115
56
10
.
Henkel, Jr.
124
22
361
9
6
Steck, Jr.
92
56
231
8
3
Schneider
92
24
137
3
4
Mohler
105
3
1
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HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
After the lapse of one hundred years this is an inter- esting table. The number of baptisms is especially large. In some congregations the tables are now turned and the number of deaths exceeds that of baptisms from year to year. This would seem to indicate a rather morbid vitality among us. As our prosperity and ability to care for larger families increases the number which we actually care for seems to be on the decrease. In those days a family of ten children could be reared in two rooms and a loft, today we often find parents getting nervous pros- tration trying to rear two children in ten rooms and a finished attic. Then they walked or rode horseback six to ten miles to church over roads that were sometimes al- most impassable, now it is impossible for many to get to church with a "super-six" standing before the door.
At this meeting three brethren were ordained to the office of the Holy Ministry at the home of Pastor A. Hen- kel.' They were Leist, Reinhart and Huet. Three faithful workers.
The President extended the thanks of Synod to the members of the congregation for their kind hospitality with the prayer that God would bless them both in time and eternity. In closing, all bowed before the Lord im- ploring His forgiveness and invoking Him to lead them and their flocks like a Shepherd. After singing an ap- propriate hymn Synod adjourned to meet a year hence in Canton, O.
By special resolution at Somerset, a special confer- ence was held in Germantown, Ohio, on Trinity Sunday of the following year. There were present at that meeting 2 pastors, 5 candidates, 5 delegates and 4 ap- plicants, also 4 pastors from the "Reformed side," who were unanimously received as honorary members. A reso- lution presented by pastor Peter Dechaut of the Reformed
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GATHERING AND ORGANIZING THE FORCES.
Church and seconded by pastor Henkel that the pastors of both sides - the mother synods consenting - meet con- jointly in Lancaster, O., and in a fraternal way transact their business. Such fraternizing seems strange to us now but in those days it was in the air. Confessional lines were not tightly drawn. The social instinct in those early communities on the frontier was too strong for sound con- fessionalism, yet the doctrinal admonition attached to the minutes of 1818 has the right ring and the inconsistency of the suggested course soon became manifest.
The Meeting at Canton beginning Aug. 29, 1819, was conducted similar to the Somerset convention of the year before. Ten pastors and eight delegates were present. Eight pastors were absent, all but two with excuses. Stauch was re-elected President and Weygandt Secretary with Reinhart as Treasurer. At this meeting, a petition was presented from Columbus, O., asking for A. Henkel or C. Henkel as pastor.
With reference to the "fraternal meeting" held in Germantown last spring Synod could not for certain rea- sons consider the petition to hold a similar conference next year in Lancaster, at least not until it had a report from the Reformed synod. We cannot find in the subsequent minutes that such a report was ever made.
A letter from Pastor Leist was read in which he rec- ommended David Schuh and Kaemmerer as worthy of the Christian ministry and expressed the wish that Synod would license them as catechists. This was done, and from that day to this our Synod has had its Schuhs, for a while just one, then a pair and now two pairs. They are of good stock and wear well. May their number increase.
At this meeting several of the brethren were earnestly admonished to keep within the rules of the "Ministerial
5
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HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
Order" in the administration of their stewardship. This indicates that in those days as now not everything was al- ways and altogether orderly. The fathers had their troubles too with those who wanted to be a law unto them- selves disregarding the rules that were made for the com- mon good; and even in doctrinal matters some would as- sume liberties which the Word of God or the Confessions of the Church did not allow.
At this time there was a movement on foot in the East to form a General Synod of all Lutheran bodies. The matter was duly presented to the Ohio Synod at this meet- ing in Canton. A "Proposed Plan" was presented by the Pennsylvania Synod accompanied by a fraternal letter from the President of that body. The "Plan" was care- fully considered and adopted in the hope that a united body would be of greater influence and blessing in the Lord's kingdom. Following this matter to the end we find from the minutes that the "Plan" was discussed again in the following year at Zanesville, and that a committee was appointed to bring recommendations before Synod. The following is the report of the committee: "From the re- ports of the Synod of New York and the Carolina Synod we conclude that the purpose of the 'Plan' to form a cen- tral synod cannot be attained; we therefore move that the resolution adopted at Canton be rescinded, and that we allow the matter to rest until we have had opportunity to examine the constitution of the central synod. If the same then meets our approval we will adopt it, if not, we do not care to involve ourselves further in the matter." In the following year at Somerset President Stauch read the Constitution (Grundverfassung) of the General Synod before the entire assembly. Each one was given the op- portunity of expressing himself on the same. By resolu-
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GATHERING AND ORGANIZING THE FORCES.
tion however, the matter of adoption was held in abeyance for another year, pending further consideration.
As per resolution we find Synod next year at Greens- burg discussing the constitution of the General Synod, article by article, and finally resolving to send two men to the next meeting of the Synod and there in love confer with the members of the same. J. P. Schmucker and Steck, Jr. were elected to go.
The next year 1823 at Circleville, a letter from the Senior of the Pennsylvania Synod was read in which he reports that the Synod of Pa. resolved that for the present they would not send any delegates to the General Synod and that it is his conviction the resolution of last year authorizing Schmucker and Steck, Jr., to attend the meet- ing of the Gen. Synod should be rescinded. This was done, and the Secretary instructed to notify Pastor Schmucker of the action. This seems to have been the last official action taken by our Synod with reference to uniting with the General Synod. Superficially considered, it might seem like a matter of stubbornness on the part of the fathers in not uniting with the general body. There would have been some advantages to the church at large if such a union had been effected. But the daughter was not inclined to join a body from which the mother synod held aloof and indeed a synod, that for practical reasons had but recently achieved its independence would not be inclined to turn right around and enter a general body. It was a case of watchful waiting.
Third Conference, Zanesville 1820. Here a name appears which was destined to play an important part in the extension of the church in Western Pennsylvania. The name is Schweizerbarth. This brother made applica- tion to be received into synod ; in the examination however,
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HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
while he showed a proficiency in the ancient languages, he lacked sufficient knowledge of theology and he was not licensed. The next year at Somerset he passed a satisfac- tory examination. And this was by no means the last heard of this man. He became a leading figure in the church of Western Pa. He resided for many years at Zelienople, from which place he served eleven stations in Butler and Beaver counties. He was somewhat eccentric, invariably styling himself as "Bishop" and wearing his clerical robe on all ministerial and some domestic tours. We were told by some of the older people of our congrega- tions in Western Pa. that they could remember seeing Schweizerbarth come down the street with his long flowing robe followed by a crowd of children for whom he inva- riably carried a pocketful of peppermint drops. He was also fond of debate and as occasion offered could become a master of invective. All regularly ordained pastors he addressed as Bishop and the English language he dubbed as Irish. Here is an example from the minutes of the Eastern District of 1838: "Bishop Schweizerbarth informed Synod that he had not delivered the sum of $50.00 which according to the 22nd resolution of the New Lisbon synod (1835) had been appropriated to assist the students Gottlieb Basler and Conrad Schutt." The reason which determined him to withhold said donation from the first was, "because he would rather go to the Irish Seminary at Gettysburg than to the German Hoch Schule at Columbus," and from the latter, "because he preferred a wife to the study of theology." Synod approved his action.
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