Chapter 9

2. Indifference. Many foreigners who come here are merely indifferent to the claims of religion. Others are distinctly hostile toward the church. Most of the Socialistic movements of continental Europe, because of the close association of Church and State, fail to discriminate between their respective ideas. Thy condemn the former for the sins of the latter.

3. Infidelity. A materialistic philosophy has undermined the Christian conception of life and the world, and multitudes of those who were nominally connected with the church have long since repudiated the teachings of Christianity.

It is a tremendous problem that confronts us, the evangelization of four hundred thousand Lutherans. If for no other reason, because of its magnitude and because of its appeal to our denominational responsibility, it is a problem worth solving. But it is a challenge to our Christianity and it should stimulate us to an intense study of its possible solution.

Ministers can contribute much toward its solution. It is true our hands are full and more than full with the ordinary care of our flocks. But our office constantly brings us into association with this large outer fringe of our congregations at times when their hearts are responsive to anything that we may have to say. We meet them at weddings and at funerals. We baptize their children and we bury their dead. Once in a while some of them even come to church. In spite of all their wanderings and intellectual idiosyncrasies they still claim to be Christians. And whatever their own attitude toward Christianity may be, there are few who do not desire to have their children brought up in the Christian faith. We have before us an open door.

The churches can do more than they are doing now to win these lapsed Lutherans. Some people are kept out of church through no fault of their own. For example, the rented pew system, still in vogue in some congregations, is an effective means of barring out visitors. Few care to force themselves into the precincts of a private club even if it bears the name of a church.

A pecuniary method of effecting friendly relations is not without its merits. In this city of frequent removals there are many families who have lost all connection with the congregation to which they claim to belong. An opportunity to contribute to the church of their new neighborhood might be for them a secondary means of grace. They become as it were proselytes of the gate. Having taken the first step, many may again enter into full communion with the church.

A Lutheran church, however, does not forget the warning of the prophet: "They have healed the hurt of my daughter slightly." The evangelization of this great army of lapsed Lutherans is not to be accomplished by such a simple expedient as taking up a collection. What most of them need is a return to the faith. Somebody must guide them.

For this no societies or new ecclesiastical machinery will be required. The force to do this work is already enlisted in the communicant membership of our one hundred and fifty organized congregations. We have approximately 60,000 communicants. These are our under-shepherds whose business it is to aid the pastor in searching for "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Shall we not have a concerted effort on the part of all the churches?

We may certainly win back again into our communion many of whom the Good Shepherd was speaking when He said: "them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice, and they shall become one flock, one shepherd."

To accomplish such a task, however, an orderly system must be adopted.

When our Lord fed the five thousand, He first commanded them to sit down by companies. "And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties." These 400,000 souls may first of all be grouped in families. Let us say 90,000 families. These are scattered all over the greater city, most of them in close proximity to some one of our 150 churches. To each church may be given an average assignment of 600 families.

The average number of communicants in each of our churches is nearly 400. Some churches have less, others more. To an average company of 400 communicants is committed the task of evangelizing 600 families, not aliens or strangers, but members of our own household of faith, people who in many eases will heartily welcome the invitation. Some of these 400 potential evangelists will beg to be excused. Let us make a selective draft of 300 to do the work. The task required of each member of this army is to visit two families.

Whatever else may be said of such a computation it certainly does not present an insuperable task. It can be done in one year, in one month, in one week, in one day.

Without presuming to insist upon a particular method of solving this problem, is it not incumbent upon the Lutheran churches of New York to face it with the determination to accomplish an extraordinary work if need be in an extraordinary manner? "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force."

Seventy years ago a great company of Christian men met in the old Luther town of Wittenberg to consider the needs of the Fatherland. It was the year of the Revolution. It was a time of political confusion and of desperate spiritual need. It was then that Wichern, in an address of impassioned eloquence, pointed the way toward the mobilization of all Christians in a campaign of spiritual service.

He was directed to prepare the program. It appeared in 1849 under the title "Die Innere Mission."

It was a clarion call to personal service and it met with an immediate and remarkable response. The movement marked an epoch in the history of the church.

Because the Inner Mission lends itself in a peculiar way to works of charity it is often regarded as synonymous with the care of the helpless and afflicted. In this use of the term we lose sight of the larger meaning and scope of the work which has made it one of the great religious forces of the nineteenth century. It should therefore be more accurately described as that movement of the nineteenth century which, recognizing the alienation of multitudes within the church from the Christian faith and life appeals [sic] to all disciples of Christ by all means to carry the Gospel to men of all classes who have strayed away and to gather them into the communion and confession of the church. It is a mission within the church and hence bears the name of Inner Mission.

Such a call comes to us at a time when we are confronted with a problem which almost staggers the imagination and when we are offered an opportunity such as no other Protestant church enjoys.

The Problem of Statistics

The word statistics, according to the Century Dictionary, refers not merely to a collection of numbers, but it comprehends also "all those topics of inquiry which interest the statesman." The dignity thus given to the subject is enhanced by a secondary definition which calls it "the science of human society, so far as deduced from enumerations."

No branch of human activity can be studied in our day without the use of statistics. Statesmen and sociologists make a careful study of figures before they attempt to formulate laws or policies.

For church statistics we are chiefly dependent upon the tables of the Synodical Minutes. The original source of our information is the pastor's report of his particular congregation. Unfortunately the value of these tables is greatly impaired by the absence of a common standard of membership.

The New York Ministerium has no column for "communicant" members. There is a column for "contributing" members, but these do not necessarily mean communicants. Among the records of Ministerial Acts, such as marriages and funerals, there is also a column for "Kommuniziert." But even if the Holy Communion were to be classed among Ministerial Acts, it sometimes happens that others besides members partake of the communion. The term "Kommuniziert" therefore does not convey definite information on the subject of communicant membership. For example, a congregation with 160 "contributing members" reports 770 "Kommuniziert." It is hardly conceivable that out of 770 communicant members only 160 are contributing members and that 610 communicants are non-contributors. Otherwise there would seem to be room for improvement in another direction besides statistics.

The New York Ministerium also has no column for "souls," that is, for all baptized persons, including children, connected with the congregation. There are also many blanks, and many figures that look like "round numbers." For thirty years I have tried in vain to comprehend its statistics. _Hinc illae lacrymae_.

The Missouri Synod has three membership rubrics: souls, communicant members, voting members. When however, a congregation of 900 communicants reports only 80 voting members, one wonders whether some of the 820 non-voters ought not be admitted to the right of suffrage. The congregational system favors democracy. It should be remembered also that the laws of the State define the right to vote at a church election.

The Synod of New York has three membership rubrics: Communicants, Confirmed, Baptized. The first includes all members who actually commune within a year. The second adds to the communicants all others who are entitled to commune even if they neglect the privilege. The third adds to the preceding class baptized children and all other baptized persons in any way related to the congregation, provided they have not been formally excommunicated.

The Swedish Augustana Synod has three rubrics: Communicants, Children, Total. "Communicants" may or may not be enrolled members of the congregation. This classification therefore is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive and may account in part, for the discrepancy between the number of Lutheran Swedes in New York and the number enrolled in the Swedish Lutheran Churches.

None of the synodical reports take note of "families." Pastors seldom speak of their membership in terms of families. In the book of Jeremiah (31, 1) we are told: "At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people." The captions of the five parts of Luther's Small Catechism proceed upon the assumption of the family as a unit. It is true we are living in an age of disrupted families, but it would seem that some recognition of the family should be made in the statistical tables of the Christian Church, especially when in the families with which we have to do, most of the individuals are baptized members of the church and have not been formally excommunicated. Until, therefore, we agree upon a common standard, our figures will be the despair of the statisticians. A reformation must come. Without it, we shall not be able to formulate needed policies of church extension.

In view of the complicated character of our membership it will not be an easy task to reconstruct our statistical methods. But it is evident that our missionary and evangelistic work will be greatly furthered when we have exact information in regard to our parochial material. Our figures should include every soul, man, woman and child, in any way related to our congregations, classified in such a way as to show clearly in what relation they stand to the church. A church that does not count its members as carefully as a bank counts its dollars is in danger of bankruptcy.

Church bookkeeping ought to be taught in the Theological Seminary. But if the pastor himself is not a good bookkeeper, almost every congregation has young men or young women who are experts in this art, who could render good service to the church by keeping its membership rolls.

Complete records are especially necessary in our great city with its constant removals and changes of population. The individual is like the proverbial needle in the haystack, unless we adopt a method of accounting not only for each family but for each individual down to the latest-born child.* *In order that I may not be as one that beateth the air, I venture to suggest a method of laying the foundation of records that has been helpful in my own work. I send to each family a "Family Register" blank with spaces for the name, birthday and place of birth of each member of the family. The information thus obtained is transferred to a card catalogue in which the additional relation of each individual to the church and its work is noted. In this way, or by means of a loose-leaf record book, available and up-to-date information can easily be kept.

When important records, such as synodical minutes, are printed, several copies at least should be printed on durable paper and deposited in public libraries where they may be consulted by the historian. Ordinary paper is perishable. Within a few years it will crumble to dust. The records might as well be written on sand so far as their value for future historians is concerned.

Congregational histories, pamphlets or bound volumes, jubilee volumes and similar contributions to local church history should be sent to the publlic libraries of the city and of the denominational schools.

In search of recent information the author consulted the card index of the New York Public Library. He found only nine cards relating to Lutheran churches. And yet we wonder why our church is not better known in this city.

EPILOGUE

One seldom finds an epilogue in a book nowadays. Its purpose in the drama was to explain to the audience the meaning of the play. It does not speak well for a writer if the people miss the point of his essay. But it is just like a preacher to say something "in conclusion" to secure, if possible, the hesitating assent of some hearer.

We have reached the 20th century. We are looking back upon 270 years of history on Manhattun Island. What we have done and what we have left undone is recorded in the stereotyped pages of an unchanging past. Our successes and our failures are the chapters from which we may learn lessons for the future. The gates of that future are open to us now.

Where Arensius and Falckner ministered to a feeble flock under inconceivable difficulties, there is built the greatest, certainly the largest, city of the world. From all the races and tongues of the earth men are gathering here to solve the problems of their lives. From Lutheran lands fifty myriads have already come and are living within our walls. Consciously or otherwise they appeal to us, their brethren in the faith, for that religious fellowship for which every man sometimes longs. If we do not respond, who shall interpret for them the religious life and questions of the new world?

From these Lutheran lands, from Scandinavia to the Balkan peninsula, from the Rhine to the Ural Mountains, other myriads will come in the long years that will follow the war. New history is sure to be written for Europe and America. What shall be our contribution to its unwritten pages?

In solving the problems that confront us we shall at the same time help to solve the problems of our city and of our country. The simple faith and the catholic principles of our church should secure far us a wide field of useful and effective service.

APPENDIX

Abbreviations

Synods - Min., Ministerium of New York; Mo., Missouri; N. Y., New York; N. E., New York and New England; Aug., Swedish Augustana; Nor., Norwegian; Fin., National Church of Finland; Pa., Pennsylvania; O.,Ohio; D., Danish; Suo., Suomi (Finnish); U.D., United Danish; Ap., Apostolic (Finnish); NN., National Church of Norway.

Languages - G., German; E., English; S., Swedish; N., Norwegian; F., Finnish; D., Danish; Sl., Slovak, Bohemian and Magyar; Let., Lettish; Est., Esthonian; Pol., Polish; Y,, Yiddish; It., Italian; Lith., Lithuanian.

Heads of Statistical Columns - Lang., Language; Date, Date of Organization; Syn., Synodical connection of congregation or pastor; Comm., Number of communicants; Souls, Number of baptized persons related to the congregation; Syn., Synodical connection of pastor or congregation; P. S., Pupils in Parochial School; S. S., Pupils in Sunday School; W. S., Pupils receiving instruction in religion on weekdays [tr. note: in the table, this column is headed "R.H."]; Prop., Net value of real estate in terms of a thousand dollars.

Signs - * Missions; ( ) Estimated number; -- No report or nothing to report.

The Lutheran Churches of New York Manhattan Name and Location Pastor Lang. Org. Syn. Comm. Souls P.S. S.S. R.H. Prop.

1. St. Matthew, 421 W. 145th....... 0. Sieker ........ G. E. 1669 Mo. 500 1,122 126 365 40 (100) 2. St. James, 904 Madison Av....... J. B. Remensnyder. E. 1827 N. Y. 205 (331) ... 80 12 380 3. St. Paul, 313 W. 22nd........... L. Koenig......... G. 1841 Min. 300 (375) ... 75 40 140 4. Trinity, 139 Av. B.............. O. Graesser....... G. 1843 Mo. 525 674 33 41 34 75 5. St. Mark, 327 Sixth St.......... G. C. F. Haas..... G. 1847 Min. 200 (500) ... 55 55 70 6. St. Luke, 233 W. 42nd........... W. Koepchen....... G. E. 1850 Mo. 1,012 (2,000) ... 350 172 340 7. St. John, 81 Christopher........ F. E. Oberlander.. G. E. 1855 N. Y. 350 1,000 ... 333 39 85 8. St. Peter, 54th at Lex. Av...... A. B. Moldenke.... G. E. 1862 Min. 911 3,000 92 556 47 250 9. Immanuel, 88th at Lex. Av....... W. F. Schoenfeld.. G. E. 1863 Mo. 1,500 6,000 85 500 6l 178 10. St. John, 219 E. 119th.......... H. C. Steup....... G. E. 1864 Mo. 750 1,500 115 254 41 40 11. St. Paul, 147 W. 123rd.......... F. H. Bosch....... G. E. 1864 Min. 1,000 1,500 75 500 130 120 12. Gustavus Adolphus, 151 E. 22nd.. M. Stolpe......... S. E. 1865 Aug. 1,015 2,000 ... 250 37 172 13. Holy Trinity, 1 W. 65th......... C. J. Smith....... E. 1868 N. E. 450 (800) ... 150 12 275 14. Christ, 400 E. 19th............. G. U. Wenner...... G. E. 1868 N. Y. 250 817 ... 152 100 65 15. Epiphany, 72 E. 128th........... M. L. Canup....... E. 1880 N. E. 400 700 ... 190 24 39 16. Grace, 123 W. 71st.............. J. A. Weyl........ G. E. 1886 Min. 803 1,000 ... 260 54 80 17. Trinity, 164 W. 100th........... E. Brennecke...... G. E. 1888 Min. 785 2,500 ... 422 112 85 18. Zion, 341 E. 84th............... W. Popcke......... G. E. 1892 N. Y. 1,250 4,807 ... 1,120 124 112 19. Harlem, 32 W. 126th............. A. F. Borgendahl.. S. E. 1894 Aug. 233 336 ... 125 21 10 20. Washington Heights, W. 153rd.... C. B. Rabbow...... G. E. 1895 Min. 700 1,100 55 250 30 75 21. Redeemer, 422 W. 44th........... F. C. G. Schumm... E. 1895 Mo. 260 400 ... 120 22 (20) 22. Our Saviour, 237 E. 123rd....... J. C. Gram........ N. E. 1896 Nor. 210 300 ... 62 5 35 23. Atonement, Edgecombe at 140th... F. H. Knubel...... E. 1896 N. Y. 410 3,500 ... 544 250 125 24. Advent, Broadway at 93rd........ A. Steimle........ E. 1897 N. E. 503 962 88 163 22 218 25. Our Saviour, Audubon at 179th... A. S. Hardy....... E. 1898 N. Y. 106 554 ... 194 24 26 26. Finnish, 72 E.128th............. K. Maekinen....... F. 1903 Fin. 450 2,000 ... 40 25 ... 27. Holy Trinity, 334 E. 20th....... L. A. Engler...... Sl. 1904 - 700 1,000 ... ... 40 45 28. Esthonian, 217 E. 119th......... C. Klemmer........ Est. 1904 Mo. 50 200 ... ... ... ... 29. Polish, 233 W. 42nd............. S. Nicolaiski..... Pol. 1907 Mo. 100 300 ... ... ... ... 30. Messiah, 10th Av. at 207th...... F. W. Hassenflug.. E. G. 1916 Mo. ... 120 ... 65 7 ... 31. Lettish,* 327 Sixth St.......... P. E. Steik....... Let. .... Pa. ... ... ... ... ... ... 32. Italian,* ...................... A. Bongarzone..... It. .... Mo. 10 27 ... 9 ... ... 33. Yiddish,* 250 E. 101st.......... N. Friedmann...... Y. .... Mo. ... ... ... ... ... ... 34. Deaf,* 233 W. 42nd.............. A. Boll........... E. G. .... Mo. 40 60 ... 20 ... ... Totals..... 15,978 41,485 669 7,245 1,580 3,160

Bronx Name and Location Pastor Lang. Org. Syn. Comm. Souls P.S. S.S. R.H. Prop.

1. St. John, 1343 Fulton Av........ T. O. Posselt. ... G. E. 1860 Min. 758 1,800 50 523 69 70 2. St. Matthew, 376 E. 156th....... W. T. Junge....... G. 1862 Min. (200) (500) 46 730 67 37 3. St. Paul, 796 E. 156th.......... G. H. Tappert..... G. E. 1882 Min. 550 2,100 ... 503 103 45 4. St. Peter, 439 E. 140th......... 0. C. Mees........ E. G. 1893 0. 625 1,100 ... 412 64 75 5. St. Stephen, 1001 Union Av...... P. Roesener....... G. 1893 Mo. 280 670 70 200 (20) 42 6. St. Peter, 739 E. 219th......... F. Noeldeke....... G. 1894 Min. 200 400 ... 165 35 10 7. Immanuel, 1410 Vyse Av.......... I. Tharaldsen..... N. 1895 Nor. 50 100 ... 50 (5) 6 8. Bethany, 582 Teasdale Pl........ J. Gruver......... E. 1896 N. Y. 284 612 ... 240 (24) 14 9. St. Luke, 1724 Adams............ W. Rohde.......... G. E. 1898 Min. 346 560 ... 140 32 5 10. St. Paul, LaFontaine at 178th... K. Kretzmann...... E. G. 1898 Mo. 375 811 ... 312 68 20 11. Holy Trinity, 881 E. 167th...... F. Lindemann...... E. 1899 Mo. 197 400 ... 143 (15) 17 12. Emmanuel, Brown Pl. at 137th.... P. M. Young....... E. 1901 N. Y. 205 400 ... 301 27 26 13. Trinity, 1179 Hoe Av............ A. C. Kildegaard.. D. 1901 Dan. 125 250 ... 35 10 15 14. Grace, 239 E. 199th............. A. Koerber........ E. 1904 Mo. 320 550 ... 280 22 25 15. Heiland, 187th & Valentine Av... H. von Hollen..... G. 1905 - 160 250 ... 60 30 ... 16. Concordia, Oak Terrace.......... H. Pottberg....... G. E. 1906 Mo. 260 500 ... 230 45 10 17. Messiah, Brook Av. at 144th..... J. Johnson........ S. 1906 Aug. 155 230 ... 150 (15) 17 18. St. Thomas, Topping at 175th.... A. J. Traver...... E. 1908 N. Y. 200 350 8 250 25 15 19. Holy Comforter, 1060 Woodycrest. J. H. Dudde....... E. 1912 N. Y. 120 500 ... 175 15 5 20. St. Mark, Martha at 242nd....... O. H. Trinklein .. E. 1913 Mo. 104 300 ... 125 5 15 21. St. John, Oak Terrace........... J. Gullans........ S. E. 1913 Aug. 170 251 ... 83 6 2 22. Trinity, 1519 Castle Hill Av.... Paul G. Sander.... E. G. 1913 Mo. 70 225 ... 108 10 3 23. Fordham, 2430 Walton Av......... F. H. Meyer....... E. G. 1915 0. 178 382 ... 145 20 10 Totals..... 5,932 13,241 174 5,360 732 484

Brooklyn Name and Location Pastor Lang. Org. Syn. Comm. Souls P.S. S.S. R.H. Prop.