How the Church Got Here ยท Chapter 10
How did Lutherans come to America, and who are they today?
Lutherans came to America on ships, speaking Swedish, German, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Slovak, and more. Many were strangers in a new land. Today you'll find out how many of them came together as the ELCA, and who worships in it now.
Start this chapterLutherans in America
In 1638, Swedish Lutherans settled along the Delaware River. Dutch and German Lutherans gathered in what is now New York, and Danish Lutherans in the Virgin Islands. For a long time, many churches had no pastor at all.
In 1742, a German pastor named Henry Melchior Muhlenberg arrived in Pennsylvania. He traveled from church to church on horseback. In 1748 he helped form the first Lutheran synod in America. Some call him the patriarch of American Lutherans.
In 1832, Jehu Jones was ordained in New York. He was the first Black Lutheran pastor in America, and he started a congregation in Philadelphia. His story is part of our story too.
Each wave of newcomers started churches in its own language. Over many years, many of those churches joined together. In 1988 three of them came together as the ELCA. Its congregations worship in English, Spanish, and many other languages, and they are called to welcome people of every background.
Read it in your Bible
- Ruth 1:16. Ruth, a woman from another land, tells her mother-in-law Naomi she will go where Naomi goes. Your people will be my people, she says, and your God my God.
Words to know
- Immigrant. Someone who moves to a new country to live. Most Lutheran congregations in America were started by immigrants.
- Muhlenberg. The German pastor who arrived in 1742 and helped Lutheran churches in America organize. He rode for miles to reach scattered congregations.
- Welcome. What newcomers needed, and what Ruth found among God's people. The church at its best is a place where strangers become family.