USA > Ohio > History of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and other states from the earliest beginnings to 1919 > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18
On Town street then, on the 20th of May, 1850, the Prepara- tory Department of Capital University was opened. Here, and in this year also, the German Theological Seminary became the Theo- logical Department of Capital University. Rev. W. M. Reynolds, D.D., of Pennsylvania College had accepted the presidency of the new institution. He and Prof. Lehmann conducted a summer school with such splendid success that we read in the first catalogue of Capital University : 'The number of pupils having been consid- erable (over sixty) during the summer session, it was deemed advisable at the meeting of the Trustees in the Autumn to organize regular college classes (Freshman and Sophomore) and the Faculty of Letters was also organized by the appointment of Rev. A. Essick, Professor of Ancient Languages, and J. A. Tressler, Esq., Professor of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.' These men, to- gether with the two mentioned above composed the first Faculty of Capital University. During this year the students in all three departments numbered one hundred and eleven. The following year Theo. Wormley, M.D., was added to the teaching force as Professor of Chemistry, Geology, and Natural History. In this second year the enrollment was one hundred and fourteen.
It is to be remembered that this location on Town Street was only to be temporary until a suitable site could be found. The two years spent here, however, were, as is seen above, years of excellent success. Not only did the institution receive the con- stant support of the citizens of Columbus, but it was while here that our institution attracted the attention of the famous Jenny Lind, who was then singing in this country, who left the institu- tion a generous sum of money, proceeds of concerts in Columbus. 1
In the fall of 1853 the University moved to its new home in Goodale park, the site now known as the Park Hotel. The building was dedicated Sept. 14, 1853. The dedication speakers were Rev. C. E. F. Stohlman, D. D.,
136
HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
of New York, and Hon. William H. Seward, at that time U. S. Senator and later Secretary of State under President Lincoln. The beginning at Goodale park was auspicious enough, but much depression and many discouragements were to follow.
In 1860 the terrible Civil War came on. For a time it threatened to draft away all the students. Contributions became smaller and smaller. Had it not been for the self- sacrificing fidelity and devotion, especially of the man at the helm, Prof. Lehmann, as also of the other worthy mem- bers of the Faculty, the institution would undoubtedly have suffered shipwreck.
But, nothing daunted, Rev. M. Loy was called as sec- ond Professor of Theology and as a teacher in the college. This was in 1865.
The war over, the disturbed social and industrial world . began to readjust itself. Brighter days began to dawn for Capital University also. It was about this time (1870-75), however, that the city had practically enveloped the institu- tion, though but two decades before it had been outside the city limits. An uncouth folk was settling that part of the city and the increasing noise, dust, etc., and the wear and tear which had rendered the building quite unserviceable, again impressed upon Synod the necessity of looking for a new location. Several cities and towns offered bonuses for the school but the Board finally decided in favor of a site on the National Pike east of Alum Creek, where the institution still stands. The construction of the new build- ing, which, according to the plans accepted, was to be a dormitory and a dining hall, was started yet the same year, 1874, but was not completed until May, 1876.
CHAPTER V.
1856-1866.
STEADILY FORWARD.
Home Missions.
Broadly speaking, we may designate the Joint Synod as a home missionary effort. When the first teachers and pastors were sent westward by the Mother Synod, they were sent out to gather the scattered brethren of the faith who had gone West into congregations and supply them with the Means of Grace. Out of these missionary efforts our Synod was born; by these efforts she has been sus- tained; in them she has become strong; through them she has become a blessing to others.
In tracing the missionary efforts of our Synod it is impossible to fix a date when we took up home mission work, for we were always at it. Like the child, born of Christian parents, baptized in infancy, reared in a Chris- tian home, confirmed, confessing Christ before the world, cannot point to a particular time in its life when it was converted, so the Joint Synod cannot point to a certain date and say at that time we began home mission work.
Home missions, however, as an organized synodical effort, did begin at a certain time in our history. The efforts and events leading up to and through organized home missions we will follow briefly at this time.
That there may be no confusion in terms, let it be understood that when we speak of home missions we mean the gathering of our scattered brethren in our own country into congregations as well as winning those of no church
(137)
138
HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
connection. By inner missions we mean the ministering to the sin-distressed and needy of the community within the bounds of the congregation or surrounding it. Home
PROF. M. LOY, D. D.
missions gathers the workers together, inner missions puts them to work. And foreign missions, as the name indi- cates, is going to foreign lands and peoples bringing them the everlasting Gospel of salvation. When now we speak
I39
STEADILY FORWARD.
of home missions in this sketch the reader will have no difficulty in understanding just what kind of mission work is meant.
Already in 1823 an appeal covering more than five printed pages of the synodical minutes is addressed to the clergy and laity of the Synod to engage in more aggressive home missionary work. The spiritual destitution on the frontier is graphically depicted. The appeal to carry on to others the great blessings of the Gospel that others have brought to us is brought to the hearts of the people with tremendous force. After one hundred years of experience in the home mission field we can find nothing fundamental to add to that appeal of the fathers. We wish space might permit the publishing of the entire address in this history. Perhaps our Home Mission Board will soon have it pub- lished for us.
In 1824 we find the first extensive report of one of the first missionaries sent out by our Synod. It is that of David Schuh, a part of which appears in the second chapter of this history. The territory covered was that of the "Black Swamp" of northwestern Ohio; territory which has long since lost the appearance of a swamp and has become a garden spot of the State, dotted with prosperous homes and thriving cities and towns and is one of the strongest sections of the Joint Synod.
Year after year the traveling missionaries were sent to the frontier, following the settlers as they pressed far- ther and farther into the West. Many of the pastors serv- ing established congregations were given leave of absence for a month or two each year to labor among the scattered brethren. Thus the most urgent appeals in the home mis- sion field were met in that day. Both money and men were scarce, but by prayer and sacrifice much was accom- plished.
140
HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
In 1825 fifteen dollars were paid to Mr. Reinhard for services as traveling missionary for one month. At the same time the treasurer's report showed that the treasury had a loss during the year of twelve dollars in "bad" money. (Those were the times in our country of counterfeiting and "wild" currency.) Only three dollars more were expended in that year than were needed to replace the "bad" money in the treasury.
The practice of granting the regular pastors a month or two "vacation" to do mission work became the regular method of caring for the new fields on the frontier. And as we look at the situation now, it was about the only thing to do. There were no idle men in the ministry ; none stand- ing around waiting to be sent. The regular pastors could not serve many more than six, eight or ten places and yet the appeal to gather, organize and serve the constantly in- creasing number of brethren in the wilderness was most urgent. For the regular pastors to leave their home fields for a season and minister to the new colonies and thus in a measure take care of them until reinforcements should come seemed wise. This arrangement would also not neces- sitate a great outlay in funds. For example, in 1830 three pastors did missionary service, each for one month at a salary of fifteen dollars, or a total of forty-five dollars for the year. The raising of that sum even in those days would hardly work a hardship on anyone.
After the division of Synod into the two districts, the Eastern and the Western, the work of missions was largely carried on by the individual districts.
In 1837 the Eastern District adopted a constitution for the governing of a "Society of the Eastern District of the Ev. Luth. Synod of Ohio for Home and Foreign Missions." The committee having the framing of the constitution in hand proposed, as instructed, a constitution for a Foreign
141
STEADILY FORWARD.
Mission Society ; in the adoption of this constitution, how- ever, Home Missions was also added to the title.
At the same session of the District it was voted to support a German Lutheran missionary in Pittsburg to the extent of $100.00 per year. Along with the money was sent also this fraternal admonition to the Lutherans of Pittsburg and other places: "To remember their promise at confirmation to be true to God's Word and Luther's doctrine until death and not turn aside to those (branded) hypocrites who do not believe in Christ and His Gospel, but who speak of a Church Union which has not been con- summated in America."
We can read between the lines of this brotherly ad- monition that there were those abroad in Pittsburg who were trying to lure the Lutherans into a disunited "Union." But the brethren there were awake as we learn from the fact that in that very year three Lutheran congregations were organized. The indefatigable missionary Rev. Fred- erick Heyer was the moving spirit in the establishment of those congregations and they still live as leading congrega- tions in the General Council, Missouri and the Ohio Synod.
Did missions pay in Pittsburg? Perhaps from no cen- ter west of the Alleghenies has our own Synod, and we may include other synods also, received such moral and financial support in all of her activities as has come out of old Pittsburg.
In 1849 we find the Western District organizing a "Society for the Supplying of our Neglected Brethren of the Faith with the Means of Grace of the Church of Christ." The purpose of the Society is clearly set forth in this title. A rather unusual requirement was that in order to vote in the Society it was necessary to contribute at least one dollar annually. The mission treasurer's report
I42 HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
PROF. F. W. STELLHORN, D. D.
I43
STEADILY FORWARD.
for 1853 shows a rather healthy condition although the sums are small.
Total receipts (including $24.96 for foreign
missions ) $430 16
Total expenditures for home missions 229 00
Balance $201 16
The Eastern District for the same year showed :
Receipts
$90 88
Expenditures 30 00
Balance
$60 88
After the manner of the Eastern and the Western the subsequent districts as they were erected or annexed to Synod carried forward the home mission work within and adjacent to their own borders, in some districts perhaps more energetically than in others but all were doing some- thing.
In 1870 the English District petitioned Joint Synod to assume the entire oversight of mission work among us. It was becoming apparent that in order to do the most ef- ficient work and avoid overlapping it would be necessary to centralize the efforts.
At the meeting of the Joint Synod in 1872 the follow- ing action with reference to home mission work was taken : "Resolved : I) That this Synod appoint a Missionary Committee, consisting of a President, Secretary and Treas- urer who shall energetically carry on the work of home missions, and, 2) That the Joint Synod appoint a commit- tee to prepare and submit to the next synod a plan in ac- cordance with which the Missionary Committee shall carry on its work." This committee was composed of the pas-
I44
HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
tors, Trebel, Dornbirer and Helle. In the minutes of the English District of that same year we find this graphic de- scription of conditions in Indiana and Illinois. "I was ab- sent a little over two weeks, traveled about seven hundred miles and preached twelve times, going over nearly three counties in Indiana, besides visiting a city in Illinois.
Such spiritual destitution I have never before seen. The sects, with openly godless men, have swept over the country like a plague leaving devastation and ruin every- where. But wherever we went voices were raised in horror at the state of things; not only by the scattered sheep of our own fold but many others who deplore the wretched- ness so prevalent among them.
To many the Lutheran church and even the Lutheran name was strange. Very many had never before heard a Lutheran sermon. The cry was heard every place we went, 'Why do you not send us a missionary? Why do you not organize congregations here?' We could only reply to these entreaties by saying: 'We will present the matter to Synod and ask its assistance.'"
Synod took up the matter and sent a pastor to take charge of this mission work. He was to establish head- quarters at some central point from which his activities should radiate.
At the meeting of the Joint Synod in 1874 the com- mittee appointed for the purpose submitted a plan whereby the Joint Synod could carry forward the work of home missions, but because of a lack of time the report could not be properly discussed and was held over for next meeting.
We cannot find that any action was taken until 1878. when it was decided that all mission monies should be used only in the mission work of the Synodical Conference. It
145
STEADILY FORWARD.
should be noted here that these were the years when the Joint Synod was a unit in the Synodical Conference and hence was somewhat limited in her activities. In conse- quence, mission work seemed to lag.
Not until 1884, after Joint Synod was again free and independent, did she take up the work of home missions as a synodical enterprise. By order of Synod a mission board was organized and met for the first time October 23, 1884. The brethren, Prof. Theo. Mees, Revs. Rohe, J. Beck, O. S. Oglesby and L. H. Schuh composed this first Board. Rev. Rohe was chosen chairman, Rev. J. Beck treasurer and L. H. Schuh secretary. That the Districts had been active in their local territories we can see from the fact that at the time when Joint Synod assumed direc- tion fourteen missionaries were already in the field.
It was not the purpose of Synod at that time that the Synodical Mission Board should supplant entirely the efforts of the Districts, but should regulate, supervise and promote the efforts of the Districts and have in charge all home mission monies and distribute the same to the Dis- tricts according to their respective needs. This same Board should also have in charge the Church Building Fund and disburse it in the same manner. The Church Building Fund had come to the Joint Synod from the English Dis- trict.
The appropriation of the Board for the first year of its work was $2,000, but $2,225 came in, not a large sum to be distributed among fourteen workers, but in some way their temporal needs were met. A few loaves and fishes went a great way then, as even now under the same cir- cumstances.
10
I46
HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
We append the summary of the biennial reports of our Home Mission Board from 1884 to the present year :
Years.
Number of Missionaries.
Contribu- tions.
1884-'86
14
$4,200 89
1886-'88
27
5,039 44
1888-'90
33
12,798 41
1890-'92
30
14,491 50
1892-'94
52
17,848 52
1894-'96
58
18,436 37
1896-'98
56
18,860 49
1898-'00
68
22,838 80
1900-'02
72
28,048 00
1902-'04
75
37,181 86
1904-'06
75
37,803 32
1906-'08
76
54,035 41
1908-'10
103
71,295 23
1910-'12
103
71,166 74
1912-'14
96
73,993 19
1914-'16
117
91,813 96
1916-'18
107
97,506 32
The present activities in our home mission field will be considered in a later chapter.
The Kirchenzeitung.
It may seem rather strange to the casual reader that in a Synod founded already in 1818 and with a large Ger- man constituency it should not have had a German synodi- cal paper launched before 1860. The English Standard was launched already in 1842. There were several reasons, however, to account for the rather late appearance of the German paper. Already in 1829 Synod appointed a com- mittee to issue a German monthly paper under the title of "Die Evangelische Lutherische Stimme vom Westen." Plans were made to issue the paper; the committee even
147
STEADILY FORWARD.
decided that should there be any surplus funds the same should be devoted to Home Missions and Beneficiary Edu- cation. But because of a complication of adverse circum- stances the periodical did not appear.
Subsequently within the territory of the Synod private efforts were put forth and several German papers were issued for a time. There was the Lutherische Kirchenzei- tung, edited and published by Schmidt in Pittsburg, also the Botschafter put out by Dr. Bierdemann, from Canton. But outside of the Synod, both East and West, several good German papers were issued and these found many readers, also within the Joint Synod; so that the German portion of the body was not without some German church literature.
But we can readily understand why the publications beyond the bounds and control of Synod could never serve the purpose of a synodical paper. Synod needed a voice and a medium for the building up of synodical solidarity also among the German brethren. Thus, after an interim of thirty years, the fathers of '59 again took up the project of '29 and carried the work of establishing a German synod- ical paper to a measurable degree of success. Synod re- solved the following in 1859:
(1) "That we publish a German church paper under the title of Lutherische Kirchenzeitung.
(2) "That a committee of three, to be appointed by Synod, supervise the editing of this paper in accordance with the confessions and interests of Synod.
(3) "That the supervising committee make the neces- sary arrangements for the issuing of the paper and that as soon as a sufficient number of subscriptions are secured the paper be issued by the editorial staff as arranged by the committee.
148
HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
(4) "That the paper appear bi-weekly in quarto size at the price of $1.00 per year."
The committee elected by Synod to have the entire matter in charge consisted of the Profs. W. F. Lehmann and E. Schmid with Rev. J. A. Schulze. They went to work at once and in January of 1860 the first number of our own
PROF. R. C. H. LENSKI, D. D., Editor of Kirchenzeitung.
Kirchenseitung appeared before the public. It was well received, and soon passed the Standard in the number of subscribers.
Prof. Lehmann was made editor-in-chief, and Prof. Schmid assistant. For nearly 21 years or until his death Prof. Lehmann filled his position with credit to himself and
149
STEADILY FORWARD.
his Synod. Prof. Schmid in his staunch yet genial and ready manner carried his part of the work for 37 years or until his death.
The Kirchenzeitung was fortunate in always being ably edited. From the beginning it gained and held the conservative forces of Lutheranism not only within the Synod, but also far beyond its bounds. Hardly had the paper started on its mission until it took a prominent part in the discussion of the doctrine of the Church and the Ministry, which was just then being warmly discussed by the Buffalo Synod on the one hand and the Missouri Synod on the other. In the Joint Synod there was at first no unanimity on the subject, but the Kirchenzeitung, taking the lead, contributed much towards the adoption of the theses of 1870 with reference to the Church and Ministry.
On the "Lodge Question," Predestination," "Justifica- tion," "Unionism," and many other vital questions in the life of the Church the Kirchenzeitung would sometimes strike very hard and wound severely ; sometimes personali- ties would creep in and hinder rather than advance a good cause, but these thrusts indicated the earnestness rather than the belligerency of the contenders. Indeed, during the 58 years of its existence the Kirchenzeitung has done a great work. It has been bread for the soul of many a father and mother among us. The rising generation will not un- derstand it as well and read it perhaps less, but be it so, it has long since justified its existence.
We can yet but mention the names of the men who have edited it so well during these many years. After Lehmann came Dr. Stellhorn as editor-in-chief, then Rev. C. H. Rohe, Rev. E. A. Boehme and the present incum- bent, Dr. R. C. H. Lenski. As assistant editors after Schmid came Dr. Stellhorn, the Revs. A. W. Werder, E. A. Boehme, K. Hemminghaus, H. J. Schuh, C. C. Hein, J. H.
150
HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
Schneider and Prof. W. Schmidt. And for many years Rev. J. A. Schulze served as business manager.
The Synod and the Civil War.
The work of the Church was of course affected by the devastating influences of the Civil War. While our Synod was not torn asunder by that great conflict as were some of the other synods of our Church (yes, even entire churcli bodies were riven from east to west), yet she felt the heavy drain upon her young manhood. In many of her homes there was mourning for the son and brother who never returned. But though at times there were tearful eyes and hearts depressed, the brethren, nevertheless, went manfully forward, faithful to Christ and loyal to the Gov- ernment.
President H. Lang, in his opening address before the Northern District in 1861, has this to say with reference to the perilous situation into which the country had been plunged : "In these times of distress I would admonish the members of Synod to urge their respective congrega- tions to special and earnest prayer, that, in our land once so prosperous, but now groaning beneath the horrors of civil strife, God would remove from our borders the clash of resounding arms.
As citizens of this country in which we have already enjoyed so many blessings and in which our Church has been permitted to grow and prosper unhindered, I regard it as our sacred duty to observe the day set apart by the President of our land as a day of supplication and prayer." At the same session Synod solemnly resolved that this should be done. Practically the same action was also taken by the other districts of the Joint Synod.
We have no means of knowing how many of the men
15I
STEADILY FORWARD.
of Joint Synod volunteered in the service or were drafted, nor do we know how many gave their lives on Southern battlefield, but, knowing something of the spirit of our Church and her attitude to the powers that be, both in times of peace and war, we are sure that practically every man was at his place of duty for God and his country.
In going over the records of our Synod during that period of stress and strife we are impressed with the even tenor which the fathers maintained in their church work. They did not fly from one thing to another as so many church bodies did at that time and are doing again in the present conflict. The fathers of our Synod were not "up in the air" as to what they should do but went right on in the midst of the conflict rendering "unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."
The same calm, loyal and withal throughly Christian spirit we find in a brief editorial by the sainted Dr. Loy in the Lutheran Standard of June 1, 1865. As the reader will notice it refers to the assassination of Lincoln and the day of humiliation and mourning following. We give it in full :
A Day of Mourning.
"Between the happy festivals of Ascension and Pente- cost comes the day of humiliation and mourning appointed by the President of the United States, on account of the assassination of our late President. The nation has deeply felt the loss which it has sustained in his death and has ex- pressed its detestation of the shocking crime by which it was brought upon us. The appointment of such a day is in accordance with the country's thought and feeling.
We are far from joining in that degrading fanaticism which would deify a sinful man with the purpose of hon-
152
HISTORY OF THE EV. LUTH. JOINT SYNOD OF OHIO.
oring him. It does no man honor to affirm of him what can properly be said of no mortal; it tends rather to ren- der him ridiculous. But we doubt not that our readers sincerely deplore the loss of a ruler who loved his country and labored for its welfare, and that the call to keep the day as one of mourning is therefore cordially complied with.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.