1. The Mustard Seed. When the Lutheran church in Germany was in its prime it was transplanted also across the waters, into the wilds of America. As early as 1638 the first Lutheran Swedes emigrated to America and founded the first Lutheran congregation in the valley of the Delaware. In 1650 the Dutch had also founded Lutheran churches in the State of New York. The most important of these churches was in the city of New York. It was cruelly oppressed by the Reformed officials. The true Lutheran confessors were frequently fined and imprisoned. As soon as England, however, took possession of this Dutch colony the Lutherans were granted liberty of conscience and freedom of worship.

On New Year's day, 1709, the first German Lutheran congregation, with its pastor, Kocherthal, landed on the coasts of America. They likewise settled in the State of New York and founded several colonies on the banks of the Hudson. The greatest number of Germans settled in the State of Pennsylvania. Since 1742 their most zealous pastor was Henry Melchior Muehlenberg. Together with diligent colaborers he founded many congregations, which afterwards united to form the Pennsylvania Synod. Since 1734 Lutheran Salzburgers were found in the Colony of Georgia. Rationalism and fanaticism, however, made powerful inroads also into this flourishing Lutheran church of America. The time came when very few had any idea of the nature of true Lutheranism.

But the light was once more to shine in this land of the West. In 1839 seven hundred Lutheran Saxons came to America. They brought their pastors, candidates, and teachers with them. After suffering severe persecution they had left their old fatherland to live here, in this land of liberty, in accordance with their most holy faith. A part of them remained in St. Louis and founded a congregation with a Christian school. The most of these faithful confessors settled in Perry County, in the State of Missouri, where they founded a number of colonies with congregations and Christian schools. In the colony of Altenburg a seminary was even erected for the education of ministers. Since 1841 the congregation at St. Louis was served by Carl Ferdinand William Walther as pastor and preacher. This man has proved to be of inestimable blessing for the Lutheran church of America. In 1844 he and his congregation began to issue the Lutheraner in order to gather the scattered Christians around the Word of God. This paper was to be a powerful means to acquaint people with the Lutheran doctrine and to defend it against all error. The very first number was a trumpet that gave a distinct and powerful sound. After reading it, the missionary Wyneken joyfully exclaimed, "God be praised, there are more Lutherans in America!" In the summer of 1838 he had come to this country a candidate of the holy ministry, twenty-eight years of age, in order to bring the Gospel to the scattered Germans. In Germany he had read and heard of their great spiritual need, and their misery had touched Ids heart. After a short stay in Baltimore he traveled inland, toward Ohio and Indiana. He came to the little town of Fort Wayne, where he found a little congregation. Here Wyneken preached several times, officiated at funerals, and baptized. The people learned to love him, and called him as their pastor. From here he journeyed to and fro, and, undaunted by hardships, visited his scattered brethren of the faith, brought them the Word of Life, and gathered them into congregations. In the following years other Lutheran pastors, some of them accompanied by their congregations, also came to America. In this way the Lutheran colonies of the Saginaw Valley were founded.

2. The Tree. In 1845 a number of likeminded pastors met in conference at Cleveland, Ohio, to discuss the founding of an orthodox Lutheran synod. In the following year several of these pastors met in St. Louis in order to consult with Walther and other Saxon pastors concerning the same matter. On this occasion the draft of a synodical constitution was carefully considered together with the local congregation. This draft was later on submitted to an assembly at Fort Wayne. Finally, in 1847, at Chicago, the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States was founded. Walther was unanimously elected president. The members of this synod had recognized that the doctrine restored by Luther and contained in the confessions of the Lutheran church is the true and pure doctrine of the Word of God. Upon this foundation they resolved to stand and in the future carry on together the work of the Lord in this country. And to this day, by the grace of God, they have remained true to this confession. They accept God's revealed Word as the only source of knowledge for doctrine and practice. And the heart of all their teaching is the doctrine of justification of a poor sinner before God, not through his own works and merit, but alone through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. "God's Word and Luther's doctrine pure shall through eternity endure," is the watchword which the synod has not only written on its Lutheraner, but which its members also dearly cherish in their hearts.

For the preparation and education of its pastors and teachers the synod has, in the course of years, established a large number of institutions. The first of these is the Theological Seminary at St. Louis. In this institution Dr. Walther labored with signal blessing as professor, and through his lectures and his many writings became the leader of teachers, pastors, and congregations. He died in 1887. In Springfield the synod has its Supplementary Theological Seminary, in which Prof. Craemer labored for many years. The Seminary for Teachers is in Addison. Its first director was the sainted Prof. Lindemann. The preparatory institutions are in Fort Wayne, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and at several other places. About sixty professors teach at these institutions. Essentially the work of the synod is carried on in the same way as at the time of the fathers. In the same manner as Wyneken missionaries travel about visiting their scattered brethren in the faith and gathering them into congregations. At the same time with the congregation the parochial school is founded and developed for the education of the children in the Catechism.

In 1872 the Missouri Synod joined with other orthodox synods, forming the Evangelical-Lutheran Synodical Conference. At present this is composed of the synods of Missouri, of Wisconsin, of Minnesota, of Michigan, and of the English Evangelical-Lutheran Synod of Missouri and other States. The synods of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan have united to form a general synod and possess several institutions for the education of pastors and teachers. Their theological seminary is at Milwaukee. The Norwegian Synod, which confesses the same faith, also has several educational institutions. The English Synod at present has colleges at Winfield, Kans., and Conover, N.C. All these synods are indefatigable in the work of mission and in the preservation of the pure doctrine.

The mustard seed has become a tree, a tree whose branches cover not only the states of the union and a great part of British America, but whose twigs extend even to South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia; a tree continually growing new shoots beneath which birds of passage from every province of Germany and from every country of the world have found their home, and raise their hymns in the most diverse melodies to the honor and praise, glory and worship of the triune God. Everywhere, nearly all over the globe, is sung: "Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice," and from countless lips Luther's hymn of battle and triumph is heard, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God!"