The Organization of the Congregation in the Early Lutheran Churches in America

by B. M. Schmucker

Chapter 6. Of the Obligations of the Congregation to its Preachers, Elders and Deacons. Chapter 7. Rules for those who receive alms from the congregation.

In the articles on which the Preachers of the Augsburg Confession in Amsterdam are called, and by which they are to be governed in their whole office and ministrations, adopted in 1607, not only are all the statements of doctrine given in the constitution repeated, but there is this additional provision: "They shall, with good judgment and reasonable prudence, exclude from the use of the Sacraments and of the Ministrations of our Church, Papists, Anabaptists, Schwenkfelder, Calvinists, New Manicheans or Flacianer, and all others, who not only do not hold our doctrine, but also are an occasion of offence, and lead away the simple and weak."

This Amsterdam constitution is one of the most carefully prepared, well digested instruments of the kind ever produced, very full in all needed provisions for the adminstration [tr. note: sic] of the affairs of the congregation, and pervaded by a devout spirit; sound in the faith and watchful of the life of Pastors, Officers and members. It well deserves the prominent place it holds among the sources of Lutheran organization in the New World.

The London Constitution.—St. Mary's Church in the Savoy, was organized in 1692 by the members of the older Hamburg church who lived west of Temple Bar, and received from King William an old Jesuit chapel, which stood on the ground which had belonged to the Duke of Savoy, which was reconstructed in 1694; a new church was erected in the same place in 1768. Its first pastor was M. Irenaeus Crusius, in whose time the constitution was adopted, in 1695. The preface says: "We, the present Pastor and Deputy Vorsteher, have taken the Kirchenordnung used by our brethren in Holland, have caused it to be translated into German, and, except for urgent reasons, have altered nothing therein, in order that our unity might the more clearly appear." The translation is made from the edition of 1682, and Benthem's translation agrees so nearly with it, that the one must have been used by the other; Benthem's preface is dated 1697, the London is dated 1695, and seems to be the earlier.

It is divided into two parts, the first containing the Kirchenordnung covers the ground of the Amsterdam book; the second contains the Order of Service which is not found in that of Amsterdam, where the Antwerp Agenda took its place. The part containing the Kirchenordung is all to which the preface refers when it is said that it was taken almost exactly from the Amsterdam book. It also is divided into two parts, the first of which contains the same eight chapters already described in the Amsterdam book, the ninth in the edition of 1597 having been omitted in 1682. These chapters agree almost verbally with the Amsterdam book. The statements of doctrine are exactly the same, and I have noticed throughout this part no material change, except that the duties of the Amsterdam comforter of the sick are assigned to the pastor. The Second Part differs materially from that of the Amsterdam Book, the chief differences being that there is but one order of congregational officers, Vorsteher, to whom all the duties of both elders and deacons are assigned; there is no comforter of the sick, but only a sexton; the contributing members take part in the election of the pastor as well as in that of Vorsteher; and there is no Consistory, but simply a meeting of the Vorsteher, in which not only does the pastor not preside, but his presence is not mentioned. In so far as these and other minor changes allow, the very words of the Amsterdam book are used. The contents of this part are: Chapter I. Of the Calling and office of Preachers and Deputy Church Vorsteher. Twelve Vorsteher are to be elected by the contributing members, who in important matters shall confer with the Preacher, take counsel from him and from the congregation in case of need, otherwise they shall refrain from molesting each other, except for good cause. The Vorsteher shall meet once a month, and absent members are fined; they each preside in turn for one month. In cases of importance the whole contributing membership are called in, and not alone those who have held office as at Amsterdam. Apart from these changes the provisions are the same as for the Consistory at Amsterdam; questions of doctrine being decided by the pastor alone, as at Amsterdam. Chapter II. Of the Call, Office, Salary and Dismissal of Preachers. Except that the nomination and election of the preacher is made by the whole contributing membership, and that controversies concerning questions of doctrine are to be determined, when they threaten the peace or unity of the congregation, by the decision of one or three German Universities of the Lutheran faith, instead of by the Synod, as in Holland, this article is taken bodily from the Amsterdam book. Chapter III. Of the Call and Office of the Deputy Church Vorsteher. Six Vorsteher are elected annually by the contributing members, without previous nomination, to serve for two years, and at the election when the names of those receiving most votes are announced, an opportunity is given for objection to any of them to be made, and if any be seriously objected to, a new vote shall be taken in those cases. The provision for installation is omitted, so that in all probability there was no imposition of hands. Otherwise, this chapter is taken bodily from that concerning deputy elders at Amsterdam, with the mere substitution of the word Vorsteher. Chapter IV. Of Provision for the Poor. The Vorsteher shall appoint two of their number, every two months, to take charge of the offerings, collections, legacies, etc., for the poor. The offerings for the poor on Sunday were placed in a separate vessel provided in the church. With some slight variations the whole work of the deacons at Amsterdam is here renewed, except that it is assigned to two of the Vorsteher, in turn, for two months. Chapter V. Of the Sexton. That portion of this chapter which refers to Koster and Knapp at Amsterdam is retained, and that concerning the Ziekentrooster omitted. Chapter VI and VII are as at Amsterdam.

We here close the examination of the organization of Lutheran congregations existing in this country when Muehlenberg came, of the influences by which it had been produced, and of the European Lutheran constitutions which then and afterwards formed the basis on which it rested. We go on to describe the gradual formation, under Muehlenberg and the Halle Missionaries, of the constitution, afterwards accepted generally by the American congregations.

HENRY MELCHIOR MUEHLENBERG.

In 1742 H. M. Muehlenberg arrived in Pennsylvania, where he not only ministered to several congregations, but soon became virtual superintendent of all the congregations. He brought the troubled affairs of his own pastorate into order. He gradually guided and was guided to a complete organization of his congregations. He prepared and introduced the well ordered constitutions by which their affairs have been regulated ever since, and which now forms the Order of Government throughout the body of older congregations. His labors and counsels were sought for, in ever-widening districts, until his oversight extended from the middle of New York to Georgia. He gathered the pastors and representatives of the congregations together and formed the United Evangelical Lutheran Ministry, of which union he became Senior; and he prepared the Order of Worship used throughout the churches. Whether authority from the Fathers at Halle and London at the beginning formally charged him with the oversight of the churches, I do not know; but the common consent of all concerned, and their urgent demand of such labor from him, actually made him Senior of the Ministry and Superintendent of the Churches, as well as missionary in chief to the scattered Lutherans in this land. He was called of God to this high office, and the call came through the churches, formally perhaps, certainly really.

And he was admirably fitted for this great work by natural talents and character, by liberal culture with severe formative trials in the attainment of it, and also by the peculiar circumstances and influences which surrounded him before coming to America.

His large mental powers, his force and energy of purpose, his self-forgetfulness and power of endurance, his consuming zeal and devotion of his whole faculties to his work, his tender sympathy and ardent love of souls, together with his admirable judgment and prudence, made him a born ruler of men.