| |||
 |
 |
 |
 |
CHI News
Loehe Exhibition and Conference in Neuendettelsau
Lutheran Historical Conference Biennial Meeting — Call for Papers
Building Expansion Project Nearly Complete
Outstanding Contributors to Lutheran History Are Honored
Mr. Laurence E. (Larry) Lumpe Honored with Distinguished Service Award
Loehe Exhibition and Conference in Neuendettelsau
An international conference to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Wilhelm Loehe, who played a very significant role in sending Lutheran pastors to America to minister to German immigrants, will be held in July in Neuendettelsau, Germany. His missionaries (Sendlinge) gathered scattered settlers into congregations where they could be fed spiritually with the Word and Sacraments. They also led the settlements of Franconian (Bavarian) Germans near Saginaw, Michigan (Frankenmuth, etc.) and were significantly involved in the organization of the Missouri and Iowa synods. The International Loehe Society, which was organized at Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, in 2005, will be holding its second conference in Neuendettelsau, Germany, July 22-28, 2008. The Löhe-Zeit Museum in Neuendettelsau has prepared a booklet on Loehe's contribution to missions in America and will open a special exhibition on Loehe's life and work on July 23.
Gladys Suelflow-Krause Dies
Gladys Suelflow-Krause, widow of former Institute director Dr. August R. Suelflow, died at her home in DeKalb, Illinois, Wednesday, 2 April 2008. She was born 28 June 1924 in Mequon, Wisconsin, a daughter of the late Emil and Hulda (Riemer) Gierach. On 16 June 1946 she married Dr. Suelflow, and they enjoyed 53 years of marriage before his death in 1999. In 2002 she married the Rev. E. George Krause of DeKalb.
Gladys served as secretary to Dr. Suelflow at the Institute in the early 1950s and then worked for 30 years for Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis. She was research director and editor of five volumes of biographies of some 1,200 pastors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, then served as recording secretary of the faculty, director of campus activities and director of publicity. She also held various offices in the Concordia Seminary Guild.
Gladys was a charter member of the CHI Auxiliary, founded in 1952, and held several offices in the organization. In 1992 she wrote “Forty Years behind the Scenes,” a brief history of the auxiliary, and in 1996 she was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by CHI.
Gladys is survived by her husband, George; a daughter, Kathryn (Rev. Dr. Craig) DuBois, Plymouth, Wisconsin; a son, August (Yvonne Summerfield), Koloa, Hawaii; five grandchildren; a sister, Nora Barthel, Thiensville, Wisconsin; a brother, the Rev. Dr. Lester Gierach, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on 5 April at Immanuel Lutheran Church, DeKalb, Illinois, and 7 April at Trinity Freistadt Lutheran Church, Mequon, Wisconsin, with burial in the Trinity Freistadt Cemetery. A memorial fund will be established in Gladys’s name for Concordia Historical Institute.
Lutheran Historical Conference Biennial Meeting — Call for Papers
The 24th Biennial Meeting of the Lutheran Historical Conference will be held on 11–14 October 2008 at Wagner College, Staten Island, New York. The theme of the meeting is "American Lutherans Engage the World."
North American Lutherans have maintained many ties to communities outside of themselves; first, through continuing ties with Lutheran homelands in Europe; second, through engagement with other religious groups on this continent; and third, through mission and ecumenical contacts outside of North America. (These forms of engagement might also include the ministries of social service outreach, disaster relief and work with newer immigrant communities.) Paper proposals for this conference should examine some aspect of North American Lutheran history as it pertains to one (or more) of these three kinds of engagement. The focus will be on the interaction between North American Lutherans and the wider world and how these interactions strengthened, challenged, diversified or directed the development of North American Lutheran communities. Paper proposers should include a brief statement of how they envision their proposed papers fitting into the conference theme.
Papers are particularly encouraged from younger scholars or first-time presenters who have an interest in some aspect of North American Lutheranism.
Deadline for paper proposals: 20 April 2008
To propose papers or for further information, please contact the Program Chair:
Mark Granquist
Luther Seminary
2481 Como Ave
Saint Paul MN 55108
mgranquist001 (at) luthersem.edu
651-641-3489
Building Expansion Project Nearly Complete
Work to convert space in the Concordia Historical Institute building to provide additional archival storage space is almost completed. The Spacesaver mobile compact shelving system has been installed. The electrical connection of the second section of shelving still needs to be made, and the floor will be tiled once work on the shelving has been completed.
Left: Lighting installed in aisles of
section one. Lights come on when an aisle is opened or when someone enters an
open aisle.
Right: End panels installed for section two. Electrical connection is still to
be made.
(7 December 2007)
Outstanding Contributors to Lutheran History Are Honored
Individuals who contributed in significant ways to preserving Lutheran history in America were honored at the 33rd Annual Awards Banquet hosted by Concordia Historical Institute (CHI) on the Concordia Seminary campus on November 8, 2007. Sixteen individuals were presented Awards of Commendation for their publications or audiovisual media contributions. Mr. Laurence E. (Larry) Lumpe, was presented with the Distinguished Service Award for his exceptional leadership of the Concordia Historical Institute.
Each year Concordia Historical Institute, the Department of Archives and History of The Lutheran Church—Missouri synod, recognizes individuals, congregations, agencies, or boards for historical publications, for unique contributions to Lutheran literature, or for personal service in the field of Lutheran archival and historical work. Members of the CHI Awards Committee narrowed a large field of nominations to chose this year’s recipients to honor for works that they completed in 2006 to help preserve American Lutheran history.
By category, the honorees are:
Major Publications:
MRS. MARY BETH MUELLER DILLON of Indianapolis, Indiana, for Wittenberg, Missouri, which blends the spirit of human achievements and struggles from the perspective of a well-known Lutheran community in a way that produces a result that is masterful, enjoyable, enlightening, and fun.
DR. RICHARD BAEPLER of Valparaiso, Indiana, for Witness to His Generation: Selected Writings of John Strietelmeier, an intriguing journey into the life and thought of this educational leader whose commitment to the fusion of intellect and faith provided enlightened leadership and insightful perspective during some of America's and his church's most challenging decades.
DR. NORMAN J. THREINEN of Summerland, British Columbia, for Religious-Cultural Mosaic: A History of Lutherans in Canada, a most welcome general history of Lutherans and the Lutheran Church in Canada that is set against the backdrop of Canada's national history. The book is clear, concise, and well-documented.
Family Histories:
DR. JOSEPH M. MENIUS of St. Louis, Missouri, for Menius–Open to Change: A Biographical Historical Sketch of the Menius Name, in which the author not only traces his successes with family history and genealogical research, but also adds a deep, intense fascination that can enthrall the reader or researcher and bring many moments of inspiration and encouragement.
District or Regional Histories:
MR. MICHAEL J. DOYLE of Upland, California, for Feed My Sheep: A History of the Hispanic Missions in the Pacific Southwest District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, a comprehensive work that chronicles the history of forty Hispanic congregations established in the district over the past seventy-five years, as well as tracing the roots of the German/Anglo churches that preceded them.
NORWEGIAN GROVE LUTHERAN CHURCH, Gaylord, Minnesota, for its well-written 125th anniversary booklet that is replete with compelling information that reflects the "personality" of the congregation and demonstrates that the ideals of the founders are carried through even until today.
ST. PETER’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, Fair Haven, Michigan, for St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery: Established 1881, the product of an ongoing research that offers not only the cemetery plat plan, but also genealogical information about those buried in the cemetery, and many photos of the cemetery's gravestones to accompany that information. It is a very well done memorial that is also useful and interesting.
MRS. SANDRA LEE HARPER of Baltimore, Maryland, for Martini Lutheran Church: Chapter and Verse, an exemplary congregational history that demonstrates warm and friendly storytelling, salted with humor that serves to bind the congregation into a close-knit family, equipping its members to tell their story in a most creative way.
DR. C. T. AUFDEMBERGE of Flagstaff, Arizona, for They Had a Good Band, which offers a very engaging history of the Saline Valley Band, which operated under the auspices of St. John Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Kansas, from 1917 to 1939, as well as the story of other local and church bands that thrived in Kansas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Journal Articles:
DR. WILLIAM R. CARIO of Mequon, Wisconsin, for "One Blessing after Another: A History of Concordia University Wisconsin" in Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, Summer 2006, a thoroughly researched article that makes an important contribution to the history of the schools that comprise the Concordia University System, and does so in a very entertaining and interesting manner.
DR. ALBERT COLLVER of St. Louis, Missouri, for "Lay Elders–A Brief Overview of Their Origin in the Missouri Synod: Implications for Elders Today" in Concordia Journal, January 2006. Beginning with a helpful exploration of C. F. W. Walther's writings on the office of lay elder in Lutheran congregations, Dr. Collver traces the contested and sometimes ambiguous history of this category of service as practiced in Lutheran churches in America. This history, as Collver presents it, offers valuable insights with contemporary application, and this study exemplifies the usefulness of historical research to inform present practices in the church.
REV. BENJAMIN T. G. MAYES for "Reconsidering Grabau on Ministry and Sacraments" in Lutheran Quarterly, Summer 2006. Rev. Mayes applies his considerable talents to an old argument that has haunted conservative Lutherans, both within the Missouri Synod and in its relationships with other church bodies. By a careful re-reading of the important source materials (such as Grabau's Hirtenbrief) in the original German, Mayes proposes a more positive analysis of Grabau's views on church and ministry than has traditionally been the case. His article is an excellent example of the historical theologian's craft, and his arguments deserve attention even from those who disagree with his conclusions. That is high praise for this young scholar.
REV. ROLF PREUS of Mayville, North Dakota, for "The Old Ministry Debate in the Synods of the Synodical Conference and in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod Today" in Pieper Lectures, Vol. 10, which gives recognition to and highly values history as it provides a clear and concise analysis of issues surrounding "call" and "ordination" in the synods of the former Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America.
REV. JON VIEKER of St. Louis, Missouri, for "'Who from Our Mothers' Arms': The Story of the Hymnals that Came before Us" in Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, Spring 2006, an easy-reading essay on the history of hymnology in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod that is especially of interest with the recent publication of a new service book for the Synod.
Mr. Laurence E. (Larry) Lumpe Honored with Distinguished Service Award
Mr. Laurence E. (Larry) Lumpe of St. Louis, Missouri, was presented with the Distinguished Service Award for his exceptional leadership of the Concordia Historical Institute.
Larry Lumpe has served as the Institute's vice-president for nine years and is presently its interim president. Appointed by President A. L. Barry in 1998 to the Concordia Historical Institute's Board of Governors, he was elected by the membership of the Concordia Historical Institute in 2003. Mr. Lumpe served as the Institute's interim director in 2001.
Mr. Lumpe is invaluable in all matters pertaining to the financial affairs of the Institute, and is especially valuable to the Institute in its development activities as an advisor to the director and in making calls to donors and foundations. He has given of his time and energy most recently as the Institute's development officer for the Museum and Building Expansion Project. He has persistently held before the board the vision of a quality museum, which is now in the process of becoming a reality. Mr. Lumpe has conducted himself throughout his years of service as a true ambassador of the Institute.
Larry Lumpe has also served his church faithfully in many other capacities, including serving as the Director of Development of the Missouri District LCMS (1981-89), Executive Director of the Lutheran Hour Ministries (1989-96), and Gift Planning Counselor for the Lutheran Hour Ministries (1996-98). He served on the International Lutheran Laymen's League Board of Governors from 1974 to 1988 in various offices, and served on the board of directors and stewardship board of the Missouri District—LCMS. He is a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Des Peres, Missouri, where he has served as president of the congregation. He is married to Carol and they have three grown children.