LUTHERAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE MID-ATLANTIC LUTHERAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE MID-ATLANTIC V OLUME 23, NUMBER 2 NEWSLETTER S UMMER 2012 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Fall Program: President’s Corner 2 “Early Christian Architecture and Spirituality: Mark Dixon Wins 3 How ELCA Worship Renewal Relates to Early Christian Wentz Prize Electronic Newsletter Principles of Worship Space and Spiritual Presence” 3 Option Presenter: Presentation on Adams Dr. Gerald Christianson, 4 County Slave History Professor of Church History, Emeritus Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg Jack White Obituary 6 A Tale of Two Two Dates!! Lutherans During 7 Slavery Era Gettysburg Program: State College Program: Saturday, October 20, 2012 Tuesday, October 23, 2012 St. James Lutheran Church OR Grace Lutheran Church York and Stratton Streets 205 South Garner Street Gettysburg, PA 17325 State College, PA 16801 For updated information log on to www.lhsmidatlantic.com. Coming in September: Congregational Heritage Workshops SPECIAL POINTS OF By John Deeben INTEREST: The Lutheran Historical Society of opportunity not just for pastors and lay Several speakers planned the Mid-Atlantic will once again host the congregational leaders, but also archi- for Congregational Congregational Heritage Workshops on vists, librarians, church historians, anni- Heritage Workshops Saturday September 15, 2012. The day- versary planning committees, members Four new board members long event will be held in Valentine Hall of congregational and synodical history started their terms on the campus of the Lutheran Theologi- committees, and anyone with an interest following April meeting cal Seminary at Gettysburg, Pennsyl- in keeping and writing history. A.R. Wentz Prize related vania, and will feature several tracks of The planned sessions and speakers to research on American concurrent lectures on a variety of topics include: church history promoting the study, preservation, and Abolitionist Thaddeus celebration of Lutheran history in the Organizing Archives for Small Churches (Rev. Richard Berg, Evan- Stevens, Gettysburg Mid-Atlantic region. Drawing upon the lawyer and Pennsylvania expertise of noteworthy history, archi- gelical & Reformed Historical Soci- politician, was a strong val, and genealogy professionals, the ety, Lancaster); local voice for racial equality workshops offer a perfect educational (Continued on page 5) P AGE 2 V OLUME 23, NUMBER 2 President’s Corner - Summer 2012 The mission of the Lutheran At our last annual meeting four board. Historical Society of the Mid- board members concluded their This is a busy late summer/fall Atlantic is to preserve, to document, service. They were George Hand- for the society and we hope you and to stir interest in the rich Lu- ley, Don Housley, will be able to theran traditions which are the George Mocko, and Judy join us for sev- foundation of the church. Specifi- Simonson. On behalf of eral of our cally, the Society intends to foster the board and the soci- planned events. knowledge and use of Lutheran his- ety, I thank them for On September tory in the synods and congrega- their service. They con- 15, the society tions and among individuals. tributed greatly to the hosts a Congre- life and programming of The mission of the society cen- gational Heri- the society over the years and we ters around exploring and sharing tage Workshop. On October 20 and wish them well. God’s activity in the life of Lu- 23 we will host our annual fall pro- theran Christians who have lived, On May 6 board member An- gram on “Early Christian Architec- worshipped, and served in the Mid- drew “Jack” White died. Jack and ture and Spirituality.” For the first Atlantic region of the United States. his wife Phyllis attended the annual time it will be offered at two differ- Our programming meeting in April at ent locations with one in Gettysburg and activities seek Gettysburg. Jack and the other at State College, PA. “... I invite you to keep to draw people joined the board in As always, I encourage you to into this story [Jack’s] wife Phyllis, his 2010 and for two recruit new members for the soci- especially how it children, and his family in years was a faith- ety. Membership is an important has unfolded in your prayers. Rest eternal ful and energetic our past but also grant him, O Lord, and let participant in the (Continued on page 4) how it develops in light perpetual shine upon life and work of our present. him. ….” the society. His Welcome New Members Much of what we obituary can be study, investigate, and seek to learn found elsewhere in this newsletter. LHSMA welcomes the following new members since our about revolves around people who Several members of the board and Spring 2012 Newsletter: in faith have sought to serve their the society attended his funeral at Lord. St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Individual Members: Chambersburg, PA on May 10. I Marianne Brock - Mechanicsburg, PA The governance of our society invite you to keep his wife Phyllis, Walter Carlson - Lancaster, PA is entrusted to the board of directors his children, and his family in your Jon & Nancy Keller - Kutztown, PA elected at the annual meeting. I prayers. Rest eternal grant him, O Jane Pippert-Brown - Lancaster, PA want to thank them for their will- W. Thomas & Barbara Vossler - Lord, and let light perpetual shine ingness to serve and help the soci- Gettysburg, PA upon him. ety fulfill its mission. I see God at Kim Eric Williams - West Chester, PA work in this group of people and in The board has appointed Judy Please notify us of any the ways they dedicate and commit Simonson to fill Jack’s board seat corrections to the list. their time and energy to the society. and we welcome Judy back to the LHSMA 2012 - 2013 Board of Directors Officers Other Board Members Board Emeriti Stephen Herr John Deeben B. Bohleke Kevin Hepler Phil Teigen Charles Glatfelter President Secretary Peggy Brookshire Susan Hill James B. Vigen Michael Kurtz Mark Oldenburg Lee Knepp Maria Erling Barbara Luebbe Annabelle Wenzke Fred Wentz Vice President Treasurer John Fehringer Judy Simonson L UTHERAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE MID-ATLANTIC P AGE 3 Mark Dixon Wins 2011 A.R. Wentz Essay Prize Submitted by Jim Vigen Mark Dixon, a Ph.D. Student at Princeton Theo- chatological activity, the Bible’s power to move people logical Seminary, has been named the winner of the to faith and repentance, and an immediate pastoral con- 2011 A.R. Wentz Essay Prize by the Lutheran Histori- cern for the flock”. cal Society of the Mid-Atlantic. The announcement Dixon is a 2006 graduate of Concordia College in was made at the Historical Society’s Spring Program Moorhead, MN, of Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN, and Annual Meeting on April 17, 2012. 2011, and currently a Ph.D. student at Princeton Theo- Dixon’s winning essay is entitled “Henry Melchior logical Seminary. Dixon is a member of the Evangeli- Muhlenberg: A Biographical and Market-Historical cal Lutheran Church in America. Dixon currently Examination,” a paper which he also presented at the serves as an editorial assistant to the Rev. Dr. Paul American Academy of Religion’s 2011 Upper Midwest Rorem, editor of Lutheran Quarterly. Other honors Regional Conference. Dixon’s essay examined include the Goethe Stipend (2012), a Princeton Theo- Muhlenberg’s theology, homiletics and polity through logical Seminary Fellowship and Merit Tuition Scholar- the lens of the patriarch’s Journals and Korrespondenz. ship (2011), an ELCA Grant for Advanced Theological Dixon then went on to analyze Muhlenberg’s ministry Education (2011) and the G.M. and Minnie Bruce Prize using the historical-sociological methods of Roger in New Testament Studies from Luther Seminary Finke and Rodney Stark as set forth in their 2008 work (2011). “Churching of America 1776-2005: Winners and Los- The Abdel Ross Wentz Prize ($2,000 award) is ers in our Religious Economy.” Dixon concludes his biennially presented to the author of the most out- analysis by declaring Muhlenberg a “winner”, albeit, standing essay or research paper dealing with American “by accident” by which the author means, Muhlenberg Church history. The award is in honor of Abdel Ross did not set out to be successful at church planting, but Wentz (1883-1976), a leading historian, teacher, pastor, “to serve Christ’s church, which as he understood it was administrator and international world figure. Dr. Wentz shaped by Lutheran symbolical documents...the ideal was a professor and past President of Gettysburg Semi- ‘winner’ or church growth pastor is one who does not nary and also taught for two years at Lutheran Theo- focus on growth, but on the central things: God’s es- logical Southern Seminary, in Columbia, SC. ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER NOTICE! The Lutheran Historical Society of the Mid‐Atlantic will start offering its annual newsletter (3 issues per year) in electronic form (PDF file format) to inter‐ ested members. If you would like to receive the newsletter electronically, please send an email to newsletter editor John Deeben at [email protected] and put “LHSMA Newsletter” in the subject heading. Members who elect to receive the news‐ letter electronically will NOT have a hardcopy sent to their mail‐ ing address in an effort to reduce postage costs. P AGE 4 V OLUME 23, NUMBER 2 Spring Program Presentation Addresses Adams County Slave History By Sue Hill Presenters Debra Sandoe McCauslin and Timothy and their children were required to register at the court H. Smith shared a history of slavery in Adams County, house. In addition, children of slave mothers worked Pennsylvania at LHSMA’s Spring Program held April for the mother’s master until age twenty-eight when 17, 2012 at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Get- they were manu- tysburg.