LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 84

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84 THE CONVENTION ESSAY

“The Lutheran Church in Louisiana” CHIQ, XXV
[April 1952], p.31). In 1962 the Synodical Conference
transferred this work to the Missouri Synod with the
result that today it has the largest number of black
clergymen (approximately 62) and congregations (ap-
proximately 140) of all Lutheran bodies in America.

Foreign missions, in the sense in which we use the
term today, had its beginning in the commissioning of
Theo. Naether and Franz Mohn in 1894 for work in
India. Thereafter, in the 20th century, work was begun
in China, Nigeria, the Philippines, Japan, New Guinea,
Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Ceylon, Ghana, the Middle
East and elsewhere. Today the Synod is working in
approximately 30 countries.

Even though the Missouri Synod began with the
exclusive use of the German language, over the course
of years it made a complete transition to English. In-
cluding the languages used here in America and those
currently used overseas, the Synod has preached the
Gospel in more than 30 different languages — truly a
Pentecostal miracle!

But in spite of this, we need to remind ourselves that
only 9% of the world’s population speaks English and
that this 9% has 90% of all Christians, 94% of all full-
time church workers, and 96% of every dollar. This
leaves a mission imperative of staggering proportions!

The Educational Enterprise

At its second convention in 1848, the young synod
received title to its first two educational institutions:
the small log cabin seminary in Altenburg, Mo., and the
tiny practical seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind. Together
these two schools had a faculty of four with an en-
rollment of 16 students. Today these two institutions
alone have a faculty of over 90 and a total enrollment
of 1,100 students. During the years, a system of colleges
and seminaries established and maintained by the
Synod extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific and
beyond the confines of this country to include eight
foreign seminaries. In North America, the two original
seminaries served as the forerunners of three teacher
training schools, a senior college, and eleven junior col-
leges, totaling a faculty of almost 700 and an enrollment
just under 9,000.

We can give only token attention to this entire en-
terprise. The desire to train pastors and teachers for
service in the church lay at the very foundation. As
the Synod grew, the overwhelming need for pastors and
teachers demanded expansion of exisiting institutions
and opening of new schools. Many such preparatory
schools and colleges were established by local Lu-
theran initiative and sacrifices. As the schools’ needs
increased, they were then transferred to the District
and subsequently to the Synod.

In the course of time, more than a dozen junior col-
leges were established. When local initiative seemed
to get out of hand, the Synod, in 1896, urgently peti-
tioned its districts not to found any new educational
institution without permission from the synodical presi-
dency. (Missouri Synod Proceedings, 1896, p. 74)

Parish and High Schools

It is well known that even while the immigrants
were churning the Atlantic, pastors and teachers on
board the ships continued instruction of the children.
Immediately after they arrived in America, parish
schools were established. When the Synod was founded,
it committed itself to the principle of thorough instruc-
tion of the youth in the congregations. Today the sys-
tem comprises almost 1,400 parochial schools and 29
associational high schools taught by a total of 7,675
teachers!

Traces of the establishment of private church-related
“academies” or high schools did not become apparent
until 1867. (C. F. W. Walther, “Die ev-luth. Hohere
Biirgerschule zu St. Louis, Mo.,” Der Lutheraner, XXIX
[1 April 1873], 101)

Because of its importance, we give a glimpse into
the educational philosophy:

If we German Lutherans in America are not forever to
play the role of “hewers of wood and drawers of water”
as did the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:21), and if we wish to
contribute our part to the advancement of the common
welfare of our new fatherland according to the special
gift which God has given us, then the situation dare not
remain as it is. Rather we must establish institutions of
higher learning, and offer more than our parish schools,
regardless of how highly we value them. Certainly, there
are enough American schools whose goal is higher edu-
cation to which we could send our youth. Unfortunately,
however our children would lose their irreplaceable trea-
sure of the German language and nature (in the best
sense). Worse, they would be subjected to the pressing
danger of losing their Lutheran faith... . [Der Lu-
theraner, XXII (1 August 1866), p. 181}

Welfare Services

To what extent did the Synod over the years in-
volve itself with welfare work? Did it carry on a bare
minimum, expand it to the fullest, or ignore it? A. R.
Wentz, dean of Lutheran church historians in America,
describes the Missouri Synod in his monumental history:

One of the largest and most aggressive synodical units of
Lutherans in America is the Missouri Synod. It embraces
nearly one-third of all Lutherans in the land... . Its
zeal for the pure Lutheran interpretation of the Gospel,
its thoroughgoing system of schools and publications, its
rapid transition to the English language, its skillful use
of mass communications, and its great energy spent in
missions and benevolence have given the Missouri Synod
great importance in Lutheranism in this country. [Wentz,
A Basic History of Lutheranism in America (Philadel-
phia: Muhlenberg Press, 1955), p. 209]

Christian benevolence has found ample support in this
large and conservative synod. The lay membership,
stoutly loyal, have shown themselves ready to accept the
responsibilities of Christian discipleship and large re-
sources have been placed at the services of the church
and its agencies. ... [Ibid., p. 227]

The immigrants’ many and varied needs such as
financial support, provision for orphans, poor, ill, and
aged were great. The Synod held that the local con-
gregation was primarily responsible for such assistance.
In his blueprint for the work of the local congregation,
Walther emphasized:

To provide food, raiment, housing, and other necessaries
for the poor, the widows and orphans, the aged and in-
firm, who are unable to procure these themselves and
have no relatives, ... The congregation should also re-

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