USA > Ohio > History of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and other states from the earliest beginnings to 1919 > Part 8
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One of the brethren present reported to the Standard as follows: "Love and harmony prevailed among all the brethren, kindness and hospitality was manifested by the whole congregaton. We believe much good was done and will yet be done by the organization of this body in spread- ing the Kingdom of Christ." Indeed much good has been done by this live and energetic District; however, more clouds were to come, n re trials were to arise but here we
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must close our sketch for this chapter, but more of this District later.
Northwestern District.
During this period another district was formed on the territory of the Ohio Synod, viz., The Northwestern Dis- trict Synod. This with some extension has become our "Great Northern District," the most powerful in Synod. Originally the District extended from Cleveland along the canal to the south-eastern corner of Wayne County, then westward through to the western line of Mercer County, then northward to Lake Erie. It was organized May 27. 1851. Rev. G. Cronenwett was elected President and Rev. J. J. Beilharz, Secretary.
This District showed marked vitality from the begin- ning, but it had the advantage of being on good Lutheran soil. Black loam seems to be the native Lutheran element. But we will also hear more of this District farther on in the book.
Our First Church Papers.
The question of how to provide good, wholesome and churchly reading matter for the scattered families of the Church in the West gave the fathers much concern and was the occasion for many a synodical discussion of the subject. Several carly attempts were made to supply the need but they were generally not very successful. At the time of the founding of the Ohio Synod in 1818 there was not a single Lutheran church paper published in the United States. No wonder the founders of our Synod took a good deal of time and were somewhat hesitant in embarking upon the venture. To launch a church paper in the wilder- ness and keep from going into bankruptcy would require
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not only time and literary ability but also considerable busi- ness sagacity.
In 1828, at Canfield, Ohio, church papers were dis- cussed and a resolution passed recommending the Evan- gelical Lutheran Intelligencer, edited by D. F. Schaeffer of Frederick, Md., as an excellent religious paper well calcu-
REV. E. GREENWALD,
First Editor of Lutheran Standard.
lated to promote the best interests of our Evangelical Zion. This paper however was issued only monthly and cost $1.50 per annum. We are not informed that anyone objected to the price or to the fact that it made its appearance at monthly intervals but we would surmise that it was not popular in the West especially since it came from the other
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side of the mountains and would have but little of local in- terest for the western brethren.
In 1829 a synodical committee was appointed to formulate a plan for the publishing of a German church paper. Taking up the initiative of the West Pennsylvania Synod and recommending such changes in the plans as would best suit local conditions in the Ohio Synod the com- mittee urged that the paper be published. It should bear the significant title: Die Evangelische Lutherische Stimme vom Westen (the Evangelical Lutheran Voice from the West). Certainly a fitting title, a kind of Macedonian cry. The sheet was to be large octavo size, nice white paper, appear monthly with 24 pages and cost one dollar. That was a fine project from title to price but, as so often hap- pens with fine paper projects, the plan was never carried out.
As we now look back over that period from 1829 to 1860 when our Kirchenzeitung actually appeared, we feel sorry that the "nice white paper" was not printed over with the message of the Church to her scattered people as well as to all the world in those formative and therefore very important years. We are not surprised that some fell a prey to the wild fanaticism of those days but we are astonished at the fortitude and faithfulness of so many of the clerical and lay members of the church when there was little influence to hold them together save the con- sciousness of a common faith.
All through the thirties the church paper subject was discussed at the various synodical meetings, but there was always a lion in the way. What Synod seemingly could not do individuals attempted but with rather discouraging results. Pastor A. Henkel and Cand. Walker made the at- tempt in 1838 to issue a small church paper. It was not
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a very impressive sheet and because it did not meet the wants of the people it soon ceased to be.
In 1840 Prof. F. Schmidt of Pittsburg, a member of the Pennsylvania Synod, undertook the publication of a Lu- therische Kirchenseitung. Here, indeed, the name has sur- vived among us to the present time but this particular Kirchenseitung ceased to exist about 1845. The Ohio Synod warmly recommended this paper to her constituents at each synodical meeting but here it was mismanagement rather than a lack of patronage that drove the paper to the wall. Between this time and the appearance of our own Kirchen- zeitung in 1860, the Lutherische Herold edited by H. Lud- wig of New York and the conservative Lutheraner edited by Prof. Walther found a welcome entrance into many German homes of our Synod. It should also be noted that in 1848 the Lutherische Botschafter made its appearance at Canton, O. (Somehow the little city of Canton has al- ways had a way of keeping itself on the map of ecclesias- tical as well as national history). Dr. A. B. Bierdemann was the editor of this venture. It was recognized and rec- ommended by the Joint Synod convening in Columbus the year of its appearance, but, the old story, it did not long survive.
At Canton in 1842 the matter of publishing an Eng- lish religious paper was taken up by Synod. The follow- ing resolution was adopted : "That this Synod publish a weekly religious paper in the English language, to be entitled the Lutheran Standard, which shall be the prop- erty of the Board of Directors of the Theological Seminary at Columbus." It seems that Synod set its teeth this time to carry the venture through. Rev. E. Greenwald of New Philadelphia was to be editor at a salary of $300.00 per year, which was to be paid out of the proceeds of the paper; the price to be two dollars the year in advance.
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REV. E. SCHMID, Pastor, Professor and Editor.
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Sounds a little like counting chickens before they are hatched, but this paper, said the fathers, must be carried through. Thus after a prospectus had been sent out to each Lutheran minister in the United States the first num- ber was issued under date of Sept. 21, 1842. This was making good time, for the resolution to establish the paper was not passed until the 25th of May of the same year. In the meantime publishing facilities had to be secured as well as capital and subscribers.
The press was set up and the paper published at New Philadelphia, the place of residence of the editor, Rev. Greenwald. If we may judge from the copy before us that first number was a credit to the publishers. The sheet was more than four times the size of the current Standard, although it contained but four pages. Opened it would completely cover an ordinary library table.
The editor was rather proud of his print-shop at New Philadelphia. In the first Standard he writes: "The Standard is printed on a new and splendid Smith press, and with new and complete materials, purchased expressly for our paper. We were present when the press was set up and the boxes of materials opened and heard the fore- man and other hands of the office repeatedly exclaim, 'beautiful, excellent, the best we ever saw,' as the contents of box after box was unfolded to view. The handsome appearance of our paper proves the correctness of this con- clusion. The members of the committee are certainly en- titled to the thanks of the church for the energy with which they have prosecuted the objects of their appointment."
As to the Principles of the new paper the editor had this to say: "We consider it a fundamental principle of the Lutheran Church that the Bible is our only rule of faith and practice. The doctrines and order of the Lu- theran Church as exhibited in the Augsburg Confession of
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faith and as believed and practiced by our pious fore- fathers, we conscientiously believe to be preeminently bib- lical. To explain and meekly to defend those doctrines and usages in the columns of the Standard will be our business and our pleasure." That was, indeed, a good, sound position from which to unfurl a Lutheran standard. We are glad to report after a lapse of more than seventy- five years that our Standard still waves from the old ram- parts of our Lutheran Zion. She has never been hauled down. She has weathered many a storm. She has passed through many a battle, but like the Star Spangled Banner she still waves "o'er the land of the free and the homes of the brave."
It was perhaps unfortunate all around that the editing of the paper was usually loaded upon shoulders that were already over-burdened with other work. Rev. Greenwald served a parish of eight congregations while he edited the Standard. Naturally he could not stand the strain very long, so we find that in 1844 he resigned. Rev. S. A. Mealy was elected by Synod to succeed him.
Rev. Mealy started off in the issue of Dec. 11, 1844, with an "Editor's Introductory" of approximately four thousand words and in language that indicated fine English scholarship. The doctrinal position taken was also Lu- theran. We must quote just a paragraph from the Intro- ductory on New Measures: "In reference to the system of 'New Measures'-that quaestio vexata, which has so long agitated, and in many instances rent our beloved Church, it will be proper and may perhaps be necessary that we state, once for all, our matured convictions. Against this modern and exciting system, devised for the production of revivals of religion, so-called, as far as in its practical effects it has fallen under our notice, we deem it our im- perative duty to record our decided disapprobation ; not-
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HISTORY OF TIIE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
withstanding the fictitious importance which has been at- tached to it through the instrumentality of some of our ministers in certain sections of the church. To this sys- tem we attribute, mainly, that hurricane of fanaticism which for some years has been sweeping through different portions of our American Lutheran Church."
Rev. Mealy resided in Zanesville, where he also served as pastor. On account of some misunderstanding relative to the management of the Standard he resigned his edi- torial position before completing his first year, refusing indeed for some reason to edit the last six numbers. This action created a bad state of affairs. Here was a printing press in Zanesville with $1800.00 debt, editor gone and about 700 subscribers waiting for their paper.
As Synod at this time was not incorporated and could not legally hold property, the printing plant, as was re- solved in the beginning, was made the property of the Seminary at Columbus by the Synod convening at Lan- caster in 1845. The Seminary Board was, therefore, made responsible for the debt and, in addition, the management of the paper was imposed upon it. In this dilemma the Synod begged Pastor C. Spielmann of Columbus to edit the paper. He reluctantly consented. Pastor W. F. Leh- mann of Somerset was requested to take charge of the pub- lishing of the periodical. This necessitated moving the printing plant from Zanesville to Somerset.
Rev. Spielmann continued to edit the paper until 1848 when ill health compelled him to relinquish this added work. Synod then appointed an editorial committee con- sisting of Rev. Greenwald of New Philadelphia, L. Heyl of Columbus, and Rev. Spielmann, the latter to look after the business affairs of the paper. Under this arrange- ment the Standard really had two editors for a while, Greenwald at New Philadelphia and Heyl at Columbus.
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In 1851 Pastor Greenwald accepted a call to the English Lutheran Church in Columbus and again became sole editor of the Standard, continuing in this capacity until he left Columbus in October of 1854.
In 1847 Rev. Lehmann was called as professor in the Seminary at Columbus. This was a good chance for the Standard to assemble its forces and so it was arranged that Lehmann should bring the press along to Columbus. It was set up in the Seminary building. It would almost seem that the Standard should have had a press mounted on wheels. Rev. Spielmann continued to look after the financial interests of the paper until 1857 when failing health again compelled him to resign. He was succeeded as business manager by Rev. J. A. Schulze.
In looking for a successor to Greenwald in 1854 Synod found Prof. Daniel Worley then holding the chair of mathematics at Capital University. He continued as editor until his removal from Columbus in 1864. As these were the years of the Civil War, many subscribers es- pecially in the South were lost to the Standard. During Prof. Worley's incumbency the paper was printed for sev- eral years at Marysville, Ohio. This was in accordance with the hitherto enforced "circulation" policy of the paper.
In 1864, Pastor M. Loy of Delaware, was appointed editor by Joint Synod convening in Canton. With Loy's incumbency a new day began for the Standard. It, like everything in the West in those days, had been pioneering. It had been wandering for twelve years and was now about ready to settle down. But, again like the pioneers, the paper had rendered valuable service despite its handicaps. We must now leave off tracing the steps of this important publication as it has already carried us beyond our space in this chapter but we will follow it again when we come to the period beyond 1864.
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Seminary Difficulties.
After the unfortunate mix-up on the language question at the Seminary and the consequent removal of both Profs. Schaeffer and Winckler, the institution was practically closed from May, 1845 to June 1847. Naturally the stu- dents scattered. We are told two of them followed Prof. Winckler to Detroit, several went to St. Louis, while one G. Baughman, remained at home and taught district school.
In 1846 Rev. W. F. Lehmann of Somerset, Ohio, was called to the professorship of Theology but he could not enter upon the duties of this important position until June, 1847, and then only at Somerset. Indeed we may say the institution went to the professor instead of the professor to the institution. Three students: Sutter, Schaeffer and Baughman went down to Somerset and were there taught by Prof. Lehmann. In October of the same year profes- sor and students moved to the erstwhile deserted Seminary building at Columbus. M. Loy, David Henkel and K. Koberlin joined the number. D. M. Martens among others followed in 1848.
Dr. Loy in "Story of My Life" gives a brief account of the prodigious task undertaken by Prof. Lehmann. He writes: "When I entered the Seminary it had but the one professor, who had but recently taken up his work, and of him more was expected than any man could adequately render. But Professor Lehmann was a man of rugged health and great power of physical endurance as well as of stalwart faith and indomitable will, and the work was in good progress when I came. He had reorganized the con- gregational work, forming two congregations, one German, the other English, of both of which he was pastor; and also the Seminary work, forming a preparatory school after the manner of an academy, and a school for the study
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of theology after the manner of a Seminary, of both of which he was teacher. It was a herculean task for which no man was sufficient, but he did what he could and his work was not in vain in the Lord. The work gradually grew, help was supplied as means increased and the institu- tion became one of power and influence in the land."
REV. J. BECK, First Treasurer of Home Mission Board.
It should be noted here that the lack of funds also contributed to the suspension of the work in the Seminary prior to the coming of Lehmann. The following resolu- tion of the Board will give us an idea of the financial em- barrassment then existing : "Whereas in the present
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HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
straitening circumstances of the institution under our di- rection, and in view of the gloomy prospects attendant on its operations, we feel constrained to curtail our expenses on account of the insufficiency of our funds be it therefore Resolved, that we deeply regret the necessity rendering im- perative the dissolution of the happy connection hitherto existing between our highly esteemed Prof. Charles Jucksch and this Seminary and would therefore gladly retain his valuable and faithful services; yet we deplore the financial difficulties which leave us no other but this disagreeable alternative." The situation was indeed distressing; but painful and disheartening as the situation must have been it affords us some consolation now when our church work must be curtailed because we do not have the means for its furtherance. We hope the next century will show an improvement in this regard.
About this time an agitation to remove the Seminary from Columbus was started. Moving in those days seemed to be in the air, in fact, the idea of moving the Seminary has to this day not altogether subsided. The chief reason at that time for the agitation was that Columbus was not a healthful place, at least that the Seminary was located in a malarial section of the city.
Bishop Schweitzerbarth a member of the Board writing from Zelienople has this to say on removal: "Beloved Brother Bishop Roof - We who voted for Columbus have made an egregious blunder, and the sooner we acknowl- edge it and retrace our steps the more will it be to our credit and to the benefit of the church. Columbus is a sick place and a dear one. The sickness is the cause of the small number of students. But you say, 'what is to be done?' Let the directors issue a call to towns in the east- ern part of Ohio to make offers, let them advertise the buildings for sale and move back to Canton or Osnaburg.
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(To the writer that sounds like home.) Mr. Kunze of the latter place told me in 1844 that he had offered them land.
It is generally known that Prof. S. and W. were al- most constantly sick. Of this they talk in Ohio, in Penn- sylvania and in New York. No man called as a professor, no young student wants to go to a sickly place. I am like Cato in Rome, I say: 'Seminar esse movendum.'" [The Seminary must be moved.]
At the synodical meeting held in Columbus in 1848 the matter of Seminary removal was thoroughly discussed. In fact, it was the chief subject before the meeting. The committee having in hand the investigations of the whole subject of removal made the following report: "That the city in common with the more level portions of the state is subject to some extent to bilious diseases; that it will, however, compare favorably respecting its healthfulness with any other town or city in central Ohio; that for many years it has steadily grown more and more healthful owing to the fact that, as the soil in the vicinity becomes culti- vated, the main causes of disease are removed; that the northwestern and southwestern extremities bordering on the canal and river are not so healthful as the remaining portions ; that fever and ague have prevailed to a consider- able extent in the immediate vicinity of the Seminary." As to Columbus being a "dear" place, the committee finds the following: "The usual price of board and washing per week has been $1.25 for each student. The price of wood is $1.25 per cord, but during very bad roads and ex- treme cold weather, persons who neglect to provide at the proper season are sometimes compelled to pay even $2.50 per cord. Coal is from eight to ten cents [per bushel, we judge]. The committee is informed that one year ago the Rev. C. Spielmann offered to board the students at one dollar per week, if twenty or more should be in attendance,
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but that this could not be done with a smaller number." After the committee had considered these and other rea- sons pro and con, on the removal the findings were: "Re- solved that it is inexpedient to remove the Seminary from Columbus." This resolution was also unanimously adopted by Synod.
Here is a bit of cheering news from the Seminary : "It affords the Board sincere pleasure to be able to an- nounce to Synod that the Seminary is enjoying a greater degree of prosperity again. Twenty-one students were connected with the institution during the winter session and Prof. Lehmann has discharged his manifold duties with fidelity and zeal. He has strictly adhered in the course of instructions to the regulation respecting the German and English language recommended to the Board by Synod at Lancaster, and adopted by the former."
The reader will be glad to note the estimate placed upon the 1848 session of Synod at Columbus by the secre- tary: "Thus ended the sessions of our Synod which, in view of the transactions, have not been excelled by any con- vention of this body, and in which there pervaded such a fraternal, amiable spirit as has scarcely ever been witnessed in this Synod. The Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio now stands firm upon the Confessions of Faith of the Lutheran Church, as well by a resolution of Synod, as also by three definite articles in the amended Constitution of the Synod and Ministerium."
Capital University.
Though Synod had resolved that the Seminary should remain in Columbus, there was no resolution that the in- stitution should remain on South High St., in a malarial district. The Board considered it a duty to seek out a more healthful place in the same city. At the same time
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CAPITAL UNIVERSITY.
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the advisability of finding a location where a college could also be erected as a "feeder" for the Seminary was favor- ably discussed and acted upon. A lot of four acres and a building arranged for school purposes was found on Town, between Fifth and Sixth Streets. Hither the Seminary was moved in 1850 and the old site and buildings were offered for sale. We here quote from the "Capitalian," which gives a good account of the early days of C. U. :
For many years already Synod had felt the need of an in- stitution in which its youth could be given the proper collegiate training before entering the Seminary. The citizens of Columbus also desired to have such a school in which their gifted young men could be prepared for entrance into the large universities of the East. Since it was thought that one school could well serve the purpose of both parties, it was only natural that they should join hands in establishing such a school. Accordingly a charter was drawn up and signed by the most prominent men of both parties. Among these charter members we find such names as, Spielmann, Goodale, Parson, etc. Joint Synod, however, was, from the very start, to have the greater authority in the management of this institution which now received the name Capital University. That this was the case we see from the fact that its Board con- sisted of ten members of the Seminary Board, four members chosen from each of the districts of Joint Synod, and 'of ten citizens of Columbus who shall be in good repute for morality, intelligence and honesty, and who shall be chosen without reference to the religious denomination to which they may be attached, to be chosen by the Trustees of the Seminary.' It was only later, and after a good deal of trouble, that Joint Synod, seeing that the College was not serving the Church as it should, secured full control of the institution. In the meantime, however, Capital University was the leading educational institution in Columbus.
That the founders of Capital University intended to make it a university indeed we see from that part of the constitution where we read: 'The faculties of the University shall be those of Letters, Law, Medicine, and Theology.' That this was nothing but an idle dream, as some may imagine, is disclaimed by the following state- ment of a student of Capital University in those days: 'At this
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time the school was arranging for a law department, and did make arrangements with the Starling Medical College for students of medicine, and actually discussed the formation of military and kindred departments, all of which, with theology, would have made her a full-fledged university indeed.' But the necessary means were lacking to institute these various departments and so the plan was finally abandoned.
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