The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity Lancaster, Pennsylvania
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity Lancaster, Pennsylvania Part Two — 1762- 1980 By Dr. George L. Heiges THE CIVIL WAR YEARS 1862 — 1867 Rev. Frederick W. Conrad, D. D. Rev. Samuel Laird. D. D. A successor to Doctor Krotel was selected in the person of Rev. Frederick William Conrad of Dayton, Ohio. A native of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, he had already served parishes in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio, had been an instruc- tor in Wittenberg College and was an associate editor of The Lutheran Observer His work in Lancaster began in March 1862, and immediately his preaching and his pastoral work gave universal satisfaction. He was barely settled in his new situation when he was involved in preparations for a convention of the General Synod of the Lutheran Church in America which was scheduled to convene in Trinity Church on the first of May. On the eve of the convocation the Lancaster Daily Express commented: The meeting will be a very important one and no doubt a very interest- ing one. The delegates are arriving and though there will hardly be so full an attendance as would have been the case but for the national difficulties yet there will be a strong delegation. We understand however that no Southern Synods except Maryland and Kentucky will be represented. When the President of the General Synod gaveled the convention to order on the first of May, there were 258 delegates from the states of Maryland, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Frederick W. Conrad, D.D. 1861 – 1864 representing 26 constituent synods. For seven days deliberations continued in Trinity Church and on the Sunday of the great gathering, clerical delegates oc- cupied pulpits in all of the Protestant churches of Lancaster. Among the justly famous Lutherans in attendance were Father Carl Heyer who in 1841 went to India as the first missionary to that country from the Lutheran Church in Amer- ica, Doctor S. S. Schmucker, the denomination's celebrated author with 44 volumes on theological and historical subjects to his credit, and Doctor W. A. Passavant, founder of a total of twelve hospitals, orphanages, and schools. Complete coverage of the convention was given by the Lancaster Daily Express, even to the extent of using two columns to record the names of the clerical and lay delegates together with the homes in which they were domiciled while in attendance. On the fifth day of the gathering, Doctor Passavant read a report of the "Committee on the State of the Country." Limitation of space in this history will not allow the inclusion of the com- plete report and of the exciting debate which ensued. The following excerpts will be sufficient to indicate the strongly Unionistic sentiment which prevailed in the convention. WHEREAS, We, the representatives of the Evangelieal Lutheran Synod of the United States, connected with the several Synods, assembled in Lancas- ter, Pennsylvania, recognize it as our duty to give public expression to our conviction of truth on this subject, and in every proper way to co-operate with our fellow citizens in sustaining the great interests of law and authority, of liberty and righteousness. Be it therefor RESOLVED, That it is the deliberate judgement of this Synod that the rebellion against the constitutional government of this land is most wieked in its inception, unjustifiable in its cause, unnatural in its character, inhuman in its prosecution, oppressive in its aims, and destructive in its results to the high- est interests of morality and religion. RESOLVED, That in the suppression of this rebellion, and in the maintenance of the Constitution and the Union by the sword, we recognize an unavoidable necessity and a sacred duty which the government owes to the nation and to the world; and that, therefore we call upon our people to lift up holy hands in prayer to the God of battles, without personal wrath against the evildoers on the one hand, and without doubting the righteousness of our cause on the other, that he would give wisdom to the President and his coun- cillors, and success to the army and navy, that our beloved land may speedily be delivered from treason and anarchy. RESOLVED, That, whilst we regard this unhappy war as a righteous judgement of God, visited upon us because of the individual and national sins of which we have been guilty, we nevertheless regard this rebellion as more immediately the natural result of the continuance and spread of domestic slavery in our land, and therefore hail with unmingled joy the proposition of our Chief Magistrate, which had received the sanction of Congress, to extend aid from the general government to any State in which slavery exists, which shall deem fit to initiate a system of constitutional Emancipation. RESOLVED, That we deeply sympathize with all loyal citizens and Christian patriots in the rebellious portion of our country, and we cordially invite their co-operation in offering united supplications at the Throne of Grace, that God would restore peace to our distressed country, re-establish fraternal relations between all States, and make our land, in all time to come, the asylum of the oppressed, and the permanent home of liberty and religion. RESOLVED, That our devout thanks are due to the Almighty God for the success which has crowned our arms; and whilst we praise and magnify His name for the help and succor He has graciously afforded to our land and naval forces, in ennabling them to overcome our enemies, we regard these tokens of His divine favor as cheering indication of the final triumph of our cause. After the reading of the report, discussion began and continued during the remainder of the day. From the newspaper account of the proceedings it is quite evident that at times the debate was acrimonius and exciting. Perhaps in the long history of Trinity Church there was never any other gathering in Trinity's sanc- tuary to compare in national importance with the meeting there on May 7, 1862 when representative Lutherans debated fully and freely the relation of the Lu- theran Church to the Federal Government and the problem of human slavery. With several amendments the report was adopted after which this resolu- tion was formulated and passed. That a committee of five be appointed to proceed to Washington im- mediately after the adjournment of this Synod and present to the President of the United States a copy of the report adopted by the Synod in referenee to the State of the Country, accompanied by the assurance that our earnest prayers shall ascend to the God of Nations, that divine guidance and support may be vouchsafed to him in the trying and responsible position to which a benignant Providence has called him. On the following day, in the midst of the proceedings, announcement was made that the army under Gen. McClellan had overtaken the retreating rebel army in Virginia and was driving them in utter rout toward Richmond. Great joy was expressed and the whole body at once commenced singing the National Hymn (My Country 'tis of thee). A call was then made that Dr. Henry N. Pohl- man of Albany, New York, lead the Synod in returning thanks to Almighty God and that this be done on bended knees. The Synod in honor of the successful advance of the national forces on the Virginia Peninsula on the same day dis- played a large and handsome flag over the main entrance of Trinity Church. The apparent victorious advance of the Army of the Potomac under McClel- lan failed to take Richmond, and in September General Burnside replaced Gen. McClellan. A s planned, the report from the General Synod was carried from Trinity Church to President Abraham Lincoln who received the committee from Lan- caster with these remarks. I welcome here the representatives of the Evangelieal Lutherans of the United States. I accept with gratitude their assurance of the sympathy and support of the enlightened, influential, and loyal class of my fellow citizens in an important crisis which involves, in my judgement, not only , the civil and religious liberties of our own dear land, but in a large degree the civil and re- ligious liberties of mankind in many countries and through many ages. In the summer of 1863 as both the Federal Army and the Army of the Confederate States in their marches up the Virginia valleys seemed to be con- verging toward Pennsylvania, political leaders on both sides, competent ob- servers and even ordinary citizens realized that the two armies were bound to clash. In the first three days of July the encounter came at the crossroads town of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg remains one of the bloodiest and most spectacular battles fought on the American continent. The Lutheran properties at Gettysburg — the Seminary and the College — lay in the paths of the contend- ing armies and both institutions suffered severe damage. Also for weeks after the smoke of battle had cleared away, the Seminary was used as a hospital for Con- federate soldiers while the College became a hospital for the wounded of the Union Army. However, by fall, both college and seminary were prepared to be- gin the 1863-64 term. In September an appeal from Gettysburg College and Seminary came to Trinity Church for a contribution to help in the restoration of the buildings which had been severely damaged during the memorable three days battle. Trinity Vestry responded to the appeal favorably as an item from the secretary's book attests: Resolved, that a committee of two for each of the four wards of the city be appointed to solicit contributions to aid in repairing the College and Seminary buildings at Gettysburg which were seriously injured by shot and otherwise during the recent great battle fought there between the United States and the rebels- The following are the committees appointed under the resolution: Northeast Ward — John H.