Synodical One of the most important things done by Muehlenberg was the founding of the first Lutheran synod in the still existing "Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of Pennsylvania and adjacent It took place 26 Aug. 1748, and Ger man and Swedish pastors participated in the organization. Before Muehlenberg's death (1787) the second Lutheran synod was organ ized through the efforts of his son, Rev. F. A. C. Muehlenberg, and his son-in-law, Rev. J. C. Kunze (1786), and in the following decades other bodies were formed: the North Carolina Synod (the mother of all the southern synods), in 1803; the synod of Ohio in 1818; the Ten nessee Synod in 1820. Throughout the 19th century such synodical organization took place, partly in consequence of branching off from the older synods, sometimes also in opposition to them, but chiefly on account of the rapid and remarkable expansion of the Church through the coming of immigrants from Europe, especially to the Western States. The entire number of synods now in existence is 62. The internal condition of the Church, however, in the closing years of the 18th and in the first decades of the 19th century, was not a good one. The ravages of two wars left their marks; the problem of transition from German to English worship was not always solved in the right way; but above all the rationalistic and unionistic tendencies in the European churches bore their fruits also in America and left the Lutheran Church in a deplorable state of desolation. The founding of the Missouri Synod (Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Mis souri, Ohio and other States) in Chicago, 26 April 1847, had a most significant influence on the external and internal development of the Lutheran Church in the United States. In 1839 a colony of Saxon Lutherans numbering about 700 souls had come to America, having left their native land on account of the bad condition of their home church, showing itself in the opposition to the Lutheran Confessions and the prevalence of rationalism, and had settled in Saint Louis and in Perry County, Mo. Their leader was Martin Stephen and with him came a number of earnest and devout pastors and candidates. When their leader was found to be a deceiver he was excommunicated, and C. F. W. Walther, one of those younger pas tors, a man of remarkable ability as theologian, preacher, author and church organizer, came to the front. In 1844 he began to edit the semi monthly church paper Der Lutheraner, which rapidly became the organ for confessional Lutheranism. About the same time Pastor F. Wyneken had come to America and had spent some years in serving the scattered Lutherans in Indiana and Michigan. Not being able to take care of the great number of them he returned to Germany and interested the home churches in the work. Especially Pastor W. Loehe of Neuendettelsau, Bavaria, took a very active part in preparing ant sending ministers to America; and these three parties, the Saxon immigrants (Walther, Loeber, Keyl, Fuerbrin ger and others), the Loehian pastors (Sihler, Craemer and others) and Wyneken, combined and organized the Missouri Synod, which has ever stood for strict confessionalism and through its testimony has had decided influence for good upon the whole Lutheran Church, also in foreign countries, although it severed all connection with the German state churches and upholds and emphasizes the principle of absolute separation of church and state. Through the untiring labors of its pastors in home mission work, and through the attention given to the training of the young in parish schools, it has become by far the largest Lutheran synod in America, consisting at present of 23 district synods and extending over practically every State of the Union, to Canada and even to Brazil and Argentina. About the same time (1839) another band of German Lutherans had left Prussia on account of the Prussian Church Union between the Lutheran and Reformed churches (1817) and under the leadership of J. A. Grabau organized the Buffalo Synod in 1845. Some years later (1854) the Iowa Synod was founded, also by German missionaries sent by Loehe, after the Missourians and Loehe had parted on account of doctrinal differences. Finally, the Scandi navian Lutherans must be mentioned. Even before the middle of the 19th century a tide of Scandinavian immigration had set in, leading in the course of time to 'synodical organization. The most prominent was the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod of North America, founded' in 1853 by H. A. Preus, J. A. Ottesen and others. A controv&sy on the doctrine of predestination led to a seoaration and to the forming of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America, in 1890. Prior to this the Norwegian Hauge Synod had been or ganized through the influence of E. Eielsen, originally a lay preacher and adherent of Hauge, a theologian of pietistic tendency. The
largest Swedish Lutheran body, the Augustana Synod, was founded in 1860. Besides these, the Danes, Finns and Icelanders have their own synods. The Slovak Evangelical Augsburg Confession Synod, organized in 1902, is in sympathy with the Missouri Synod.
General Bodies.— Most of the 62 Lutheran synods in the United States are combined in larger °general organizations.° The oldest of these is the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States of America, formed in 1820 through the efforts of the Pennsylvania ministerium, at that time the largest Lutheran synod in America. The Gen eral Synod aimed at a union of all Lutherans, but, when the Pennsylvania Synod withdrew in 1823, it comprised for some years only a number of smaller English synods. Gradually it grew, the Pennsylvania Synod again united with it and in 1860 it embraced 26 synods. However, during the Civil War the synods south of the Potomac withdrew, and in 1866 the Pennsyl vania Synod again severed its connection on account of the liberal and unionistic standpoint of the general body. The General Synod had formally declared that it stood on common ground with the Union Church of Germany and did not consider the distinctive doctrines separating the Lutheran and Reformed churches essential. It was more intent on fraternal re-. lations with other denominations than on union with Lutherans of strict confessional princi ples. (S. S. Schmucker and the "Definite Plat form°). The withdrawal of the Pennsylvania Synod soon led to the organization of the General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America in Fort Wayne, Ind., 20 Nov. 1867, under the leadership of C. P. Krauth, C. F. Schaeffer, G. F. Krotel, W. J. Mann and others. The confessional basis was stated to be the doctrines of tl.e Unaltered Augsburg Confession in its original sense. A number of Lutheran synods, English and Ger man, joined this General Council, also the Swedish Augustana Synod, not, however, the Missouri Synod, nor the Ohio Synod, because the General Council, though more confessional than the General Synod, did not take a definite standpoint on the so-called °four chiliasm, altar and pulpit fellowship, and secret societies. The Iowa Synod maintained a friendly attitude toward the General Council, but did not join it. In 1872 the Evangelical Synodical Conference of North America was formed by the Missouri Synod, the Ohio Synod, the Wisconsin Synod (founded in 1849 by Muehlhaeuser and others, joined the General Council, hut withdrew in 1869), the Minnesota Synod (founded in 1860, joined the General Council, but withdrew in 1871), the Illinois Synod and the Norwegian Synod. It waS: founded on a strict confessional basis as laid down in the Lutheran Confessions, and became at once the largest general organization in America; and although the Ohio Synod left this general body in 1881 on account of a con troversy over the doctrines of election and con= version, and also the Norwegian Synod severe& its connection in 1883 on account of internal, troubles, the Synodical Conference is still the lay, gest general body. In 1886 the Southern synods which had withdrawn from the General Synod at the time of the Civil War formed a new general body, The United Synod of the. Evangelical Lutheran Church in the South, prising eight smaller synods. The jubilee year of the Lutheran Reformation (1917) developed two important combinations. The three Norweg ian synods mentioned above joined and formed the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America; and the General Synod, now more confessional than formerly, the General Council, and the. United Synod in the South took action and formed a union called The United Lutheran Church in America, which action was formally ratified 15 Nov. 1918. The synods of Wisconr: sin, Minnesota and Michigan, which had formed what may be called a general organisa-: tion in 1892, have rearranged their organiza tion into a general body consisting of six dis trict synods, but retaining their membership in the Synodical Conference.
Church Polity.—According to Lutheran principles the congregation is the unit of church organization, the source of all authority cised by the Church and the final court of peal. Congregations combine and themselves into synods for conducting the Church work on ,a larger scale and'for the sake of mutual assistance and oversight; but the synods have no power except that which, the congregations confer upon them; they are purely advisory bodies. It must be said, how-, ever, that while these principles are conceded. by most Lutheran organizations, not all bodies. conform to them in practice, some of them side of the Synodical Conference allowing synods a greater power and placing greater weight upon their decisions.