Concordia Theological Monthly 32 (1961): 403-428, 466-482, 526-542. The Historical Background of “A Brief Statement” By CARL S. MEYER Brief Statement of the Doctrilzal Posi- years 1887 to 1932, dividing the history A tion of the livangelical Lutheran of the Synod into ‘three periods, 1847 to Synod of Missowi, Ohio, and Other States, 1887, 1887 to 1932, 1932 to the present. adopted in 1932, is a product of the Mid- It is this writer’s opinion that the Missouri die Period in the history of that church. Synod is approaching the end of the third It reflects the theological c0ncerns of that epoch and that her history can best be un- church body at that time and is condi- derstood and evaluated by seeing her 115 tioned by the relationships between the years divided into three eras, each approx- Missouri Synod and other Lutheran bodies imately the span of a generation. The year during that period. Only to a lesser degree 1887, according to this periodization, does it deal with general contemporary the- would be the terminus d qz~o of the Mid- ological issues. Sociological and ecclcsi- dle Period; the year 1932, the terminzls ad ologicai movements were not major factors yl4C?72. which governed its formulation and adop- The year 1887, then, saw the end of one tion. However, without some undersrand- epoch in the history of the Missouri Synod ing of the sociological, ccclcsiological as and the beginning of another. Forty years well as the ccciesiastical and theological had elapsed since its organization in Chi- factors of this Middle Period of Missouri’s cago, with the election of C. F. W. Walther History, A Brief Strrtemmt seems incotn- as President.] Now this leader had passed plete, unbalanced, warped. on to his reward, his death occurring while What were the forces from within and the 20th convention of the Synod was in from the outside which impinged on the session.” Missouri Synod during this time? What in his presidential address to this trien- was the Missourian reaction to them? Par- nial convention of Synod Schwan recog- ticularly, what were the deveiopments nized : “Approximately with this year’s within Lurheranism, and how did they in- meeting we are beginning a new period in fluence Missouri? What factors in the in- the history of our Synod.” 3 ternal history of the Missouri Synod ought -- to be considered to understand the histor- 1 Proceedings, MO. Synod, 1847, p. 16. [Full bibliographical information of oficial records is ical background of A Brief Statement? not given in this essay. All such records cited are in the Concordia Historical Institute.] I 2 Proceedings, MO. Synod, 1887, pp. 3 f.; TIE MIDDLE PERIOD Der Ltilhewner, XL111 (May 15, 1887)) 76 ff. On Jan. :6, 1887, Walther’s golden jubilee The “Middle Period in the History of as pastor was observed. De? Lutheruner, XL111 (Feb. 1, 1857), 17. The Lutheran Church - k?issouri Synod” 3 I-I. C. Schwan, “Synodalrede,” Proceedings, is the designation we have given to the MO. Synod, 1887, p. 18. 403 404 THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF il UKleP JTATfiNENT This convention resolved, in agreement India.” In 1887, too, two new Districts with the recommendation of the Electoral were created, the Kansas District and the College, that Francis Pieper be the succcs- California-Oregon District,“o nothing new sor of the departed C. F. W. Walther, that in practice but symbolic of the continued he be offered the presidency of rhc Scm- growth of the Synod. inary, and that G. Scoeckhardt be elecred By 1887 the Missouri Synod had reached as professor at Concordia Seminary.4 Sub- its mexure of growrh in relationship to sequently in the same year A. L. Graebner the total population of the country, for was elected to the Sr. Louis faculty.5 there would be no increase percentagewise This change in personnel at the theofog- between 18H7 and 1932 when compared ical seminary, involving the theological with the over-all growth of the country.ll leadership of the Synod, is not the only Ry 1887 the Gnadenwahlnreit had sim- factor, however, which points to a transi- mered down, although echoes of this con- tion from one period to another. troversy reverberated, for instance, on the In the year 1887 the Progymnasizlm at pages of Lehre zlnd Wehrs long after that Milwaukee was taken .over by the Synod? date.” the first educational institution of higher The membership of the Synodical Con- education added to its system since 1857, ference in 1887 consisted of the synods of when the Lehrer-Seminar was made a syn- Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisc0nsin.l” By - odical institution and transferred from Mil- waukee to Fort Wayne.7 0 Proceedings, MO. Synod, 1896, p. 79. MO. Synod, 1887, p. 81. In 1887 the resolution was passed to 10 Proceedings, l1 Znfra, p. 408. authorize the Foreign Mission Board to in- 12 Fltancis] P[ieper], ” ‘Widerstehliche’ augurate a foreign mission, perhaps on the und unwiderstehliche Gnade,” Lehre und island of Ceylon,* although it was not until Wehre, XXX111 (April and May 1887), 117 1894 that Theodor Naether and Franz to 125; ibid., XXX111 (June 1887), 160-167. F{rancis] P[ieper], “Zum Thatsachenbestand Mohn were commissioned for service in des letzten Lehrstreits,” ibid., XXX111 (Septem- ber 1887), 251-254. F[rancis] P{ieper] in “Kirchlich-Zeitge- F{rancis] P[ieper), “Das lutherische und das schichtliches,” Lehre und We&e, XXX111 Ohio’sche Gcheimnisz in der Lehre von der (June 1887 ) , 176. In italics in this report. Bekehrung und Gnadenwahl,” ibid., XXXIV Similarly in 1901 Theo. Buenger, “Etliche (February 1888), 33-42. Ziige aus der Geschichte der Missouri-Synode,” Flrancis] P[ieper], “1st es wirklich luthe- Pmceedings, MO. Synod, Iowa District, 1901, rische Lehre, dasz des Menschen Bekehrung und p. 90. wrote: “Mit dem Tode des seligen Dr. Seligkeit nicht allein von Gottes Gnade, sondern Walther am 7. Mai 1887 ist der erste Abschnirt in gewisser Hinsicht such von dem Verhalten der Geschichte unserer Synode zum Abschluss des Menschen abhangig sei?” ibid., XXXVII gekommen.” (October 1891) , 289-294; ibid., XXXVII 4 Proceedhgs, MO. Synod, 1887, p. 30. (November 1891), 321-328; ibid., XXXVII (December 1891), 361-365; ibid., XXXVIII 5 Proceedings, MO. Synod, 1890, P. 30. (March 1892), 65-70; ibid., XXXVIII (April 6 Proceedings, MO. Synod, 1887, pp. 42, 43. 18921, 104-106; ibid., XXXVIII (May 1892), 7 Carl S. Meyer, “Teacher Training in the 129-132. Missouri Synod to 1864,” Concordia Historical This list could be amplified by listing articles Znstzhte Quarterly, XXX (Fall 1957), 97 to from subsequent years. 110; ibid., XXX (Winter 1957)) 157-166. 13 Proceedings, Synodical Conference, 1888, 8 Proceedings, MO. Synod, 1887, p. 66. PP. 3,4* Tf IB IIISTC)RlCAL BACKGROUND OI: A BRIEF STATEMENT 405 1932 two small synods had been added, became the English District of the Mis- and the Minnesota Synod had merged with souri Synod.’20 These organizational aspecrs the Wisccmsin Synod,“’ )‘?t there had been do not describe the language transition; no radic;4 tr;instorrnation in the character they merely illustrate a few specific de- of that ieder;ltion during the 45 years. velopments. The publication of A Brief These arc fiiciors that point co the year Statement in a bilingual edition is another 18ti7 as the beginning of a11 C?pUCh in the illustration of the language transition. history of the Missouri Synod, an epoch In 1837 Pieper, commenting on the wIlich ~ndcd in the year 1932. ‘I’his is said future of the Missouri Synod after its first in the realization that the pcriodization of 50 years, acknowledged the necessity of history is hazardous. Ir might be urged, working in the English language. Three for instance, that the dates 1903 and 1935 fourths of the candidates were prepared, or 1887 and 193s u~ould be better tcrmini. he said, to work in the English language, The year 1332 saw not only the adop- if necessary. Among the 180 students at tion of /l Brie/ Staterrzc~t,‘~ it also marked St.Louis preparing for the ministry only the second time that the Proceedings of the 26 were foreign-born. The internal growth Missouri Synod wetc published in contra- of the Synod pointed to the need of con- distinction to the Vcrhnndl~~en.‘~ The tinued German as Kirchensprache; the change in title already in 1929 is indicative main task of the Missouri Synod for the that bjr and large the language transition next decades would be in German, even had been almost completed, a transition in though immigration had virtually ceased.*l process since I91 1. The organization of In 1929 he spoke of the need of a zwei- the English Evangelical Lutheran Confer- spriichiges 1Clirzisterium, a topic which had ence of Missouri had taken place already occupied the convention of the Synod.22 in 1872; I7 in 1887 the Missouri Synod de- Not the perpetuation of German culture clined the petition of a number of English but the propagation of the Lutheran herit- Lutheran congregations to form a separate age was the task of the church, whether in English Mission of the Missouri Synod; I8 German or in English.23 in IS88 the Constitution of the General The “English” question was trouble- English Evangelical Lutheran Conference some. If a minority in a congregation did of Missouri and Other States was not understand English, a majority did not adopted; it) in 1011 the English Synod have the right to deprive them of German services. English missions were needed. I4 Proceedings, Synodicnl Conference, 1932, PP. 3,4. 15 Pi-oceedings, No. Synod, 1932, p, 154.