ATDDTA (8) Towers of Silence (209:26)

[Keith]

And we are soon introduced to the Missouri Synod, a German-based  
division of the Lutheran Church that promises to "knead [evildoers]  
into shape for the ovens of the Next World."

On April 26, 1847, twelve pastors representing 15 German Lutheran  
congregations met in Chicago, Illinois and founded a new church body,  
"The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other  
States." Walther became the fledgling denomination's first president.  
In its early days the synod was conservative on a number of issues.  
Following Walther's lead, it strongly opposed humanism and religious  
syncretism. It opposed abolitionism based on Biblical passages which  
it taught neither approved of nor condemned slavery. Under the  
leadership of its second President, F. C. D. Wyneken, the Missouri  
Synod poured much effort into caring for German immigrants, helping  
them find a home among other Germans, building churches and parochial  
schools and providing pastors and teachers to serve in them.

As a result, the new synod grew quickly during the 19th century,  
reaching 685,000 members by 1897.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutheran_Church-Missouri_Synod


On May 2, 2007, at 7:19 AM, bekah wrote:

The corpse on an upright piece of wood is a theme of Christianity.

Bekah