[7. Reformation Introduced in the North]
Hans Tausen, a Danish monk, had studied at Wittenberg and heard Luther. On his return to Denmark he preached the Evangelical doctrine, and it was adopted in 1536 as the religion of the country.
In about the same manner it went in Sweden. Two brothers, Olaf and Lars Pehrson, had studied in Wittenberg, and brought the Evangelical faith home on their return. It was in 1544 adopted as the religion of the country.
Norway was but poorly prepared for the Reformation. Education was poor. A German monk named Anton preached the Evangelical doctrine in Bergen in 1528. His preaching found favor with the citizens, and the bishop, an indolent man, moved to his residence outside of the city; but we find no account of any general awakening. Anton afterwards became priest in the city.
Norway was at that time united to Denmark. When the Reformation, therefore, was introduced into that country, it was as a natural consequence established in Norway, in 1537. At first it found small favor with the people, who remained Roman Catholic, and in several places even used violence against the Evangelical clergy. Little by little, however, the Evangelical doctrine became better known and found more favor with the people. This was owing more to the bishops Geble Pedersen in Bergen, Jens Nilsen in Oslo and Jørgen Eriksen in Stavanger than to anybody else. Eriksen has been called “the Luther of Norway.”
[8. The Lutheran Church in the United States of America]
The Lutheran Church was transplanted to North America in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries by the immigration of Lutherans from France, Holland, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland and other lands.
The Lutheran Church in America has always been in spirit and loyalty, in character and institutions, an American Church.
According to the “Lutheran World Almanac for 1927-1928” there has been a growth in membership from 900 in 1562 to 4,112,680 in 1927.
The Lutherans of America are divided into 21 general bodies, as follows: United Lutheran Church, consisting of 35 constituent synods, 1,311,167 baptized members; Joint Ohio Synod, 256,575; Iowa Synod, 214,257; Buffalo Synod, 11,083; Jehovah Conference, 1,500; Augustana Synod, 308,943; Norwegian Lutheran Church, 488,108; Lutheran Free Church, 43,094; Eielsen Synod, 1,200; Church of the Lutheran Brethren, 1,600; United Danish Church, 29,259; Danish church, 19,200; Icelandic Synod, 7,936; Suomi Synod, 35,300; Finnish National Church, 8,032; Finnish Apostolic Church, 50,000; Missouri Synod, 1,086,953; Joint Wisconsin Synod, 212,558; Slovak Synod, 13,131; Norwegian Synod, 7,611; Negro Mission of Synodical Conference, 5,123.