Evangelical Synod of North America
The Evangelical Synod of North America ( to 1927 German Evangelical Synod of North America ), was originally a German-speaking Christian church in unierter tradition in the United States.
History
The church was built in the Midwest of the United States of ethnic German communities in the tradition of the Evangelical United churches in Prussia, which were like the German Uniate churches of that time, strongly influenced by pietism.
As the oldest church, founded in 1833 Bethlehem Church applies in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
1840, the German Evangelical Church Association of the West was founded as an official branch of the Uniate Church Evangelical Church in Prussia ( Prussian Union) in St. Louis. Founders were six German priest who had been ordained in Prussia and pioneered in Missouri and Illinois. The communities were supported by the Basel Mission and German missionary societies, which also evangelized the immigrants, so far it was deists or people who were away of the church.
1850 founded the church in Missouri a private seminar, Eden Theological Seminary, since the training at German universities did not meet the needs of the American frontier. Eden Theological Seminary is now a seminary of the United Church of Christ.
The Church united in 1858 with the German Evangelical Church Association of Ohio, in 1860 with the German Evangelical Synod of the East Uniates, 1872 with the Evangelical Synod of the Northwest.
The Church formulated a creed in brief: Christ alone, faith alone, the Bible alone.
1866, the name was changed to German Evangelical Synod of the West, 1877 to German Evangelical Synod of North America.
In 1884, the church an India mission.
1908 the church belonged to the founding members of the Federal Council of Churches, a forerunner of the National Council of Churches of Christ.
1927, the German was removed from the name, the Church was now called Evangelical Synod of North America.
In 1934, the church united with the larger, liberal part of the Reformed Church in the United States for the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
Size and distribution
The church was mostly prevalent among German immigrants in the Midwest, where then most German emigrants settled (Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin). At the beginning of the twentieth century was the largest part of the literature in German language.
The Encyclopedia Britannica of 1911 indicates for 1909 985 pastors and 238 000 members. 1934, with the merger with the Reformed Church in America had the Evangelical Synod 281 000 members and 1227 pastors.
Known members
Among the best known members of the Evangelical Synod of North America, the brothers Reinhold Niebuhr and H. Richard Niebuhr included.
See also
Evangelical Association, German -speaking Methodist church tradition.
Swell
- United Church ( Protestant)
- Protestantism in the United States