Immanuel Lutheran Church (Altenburg, Missouri)

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Altenburg, Missouri
37°37′51.2394″N 89°36′30.24″W / 37.630899833°N 89.6084000°W / 37.630899833; -89.6084000
Location 8234 Main St,
Altenburg, Missouri 63732
Country United States
Denomination Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
History
Founded November 2, 1857
Founder(s) Pastor Schieferdecker
Administration
District Missouri District

Immanuel Lutheran Church is an LCMS (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod) church in Altenburg, Missouri.[1]

History

Schism

Immanuel Lutheran church’s was founded by members of Trinity Lutheran church in Altenburg. In 1856, a church schism in Altenburg resulting from the dispute concerning so-called Chiliasm (German ‘chiliastenstreit’) led to the formation of Immanuel Lutheran church.

Georg Albert Schieferdecker (1815-1891), took over as pastor of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1850 following the death of Pastor Loeber.[2] The beginning of the dispute arose in the spring of 1856 when the Western District of the Missouri Synod held its sessions in Altenburg. After two days of discussion concerning questions over the future and universal conversion of Israel and the so-called thousand-year reign—a dispute surrounding the interpretation of Revelation 20—the synod passed resolutions rejecting and condemning all forms of Chiliasm. Two members of the synod along with a deputy declared they were not in agreement with these resolutions. One of these members was the Pastor Gruber, who was the oldest minister of the synod at that time. The other member was district president Georg Albert Schieferdecker.

The incident had its influence on the congregation in Altenburg, which then numbered almost 100 members. Shortly after the resolution had been passed, parties rose up for and against the verdict. Pastor Röbbelen was against Chiliasm and his declarations found approval with many members of the Altenburg congregation. Over the next year the debate led to division within the congregation. At the session of the Missouri Synod in 1857 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, charges of heresy were levied against Pastor Schieferdecker. The charges led to even deeper division and the subsequent resignation of Schieferdecker. The synod declared that any member of the congregation who did not agree with the resolutions of the Synod, was forthwith expelled from the Synod and the congregation, and were deemed followers of a heretic. Approximately one-third of the members ignored the synodical decision and followed their former pastor out of the church.[3]

New Congregation

On the day after this schism, on November 2, 1857, a new church was incorporated under the name "Immanuel Congregation". The congregation joined the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa, which later merged into the American Lutheran Church.[4]

At first church services were held in people's houses but construction of a blockhouse to serve as a temporary church was begun; it was dedicated seven weeks later at the first service celebrating Christmas. Work was begun in early 1858 on a larger stone church, which was dedicated on the Second Sunday of Advent, 1858.

The schism that led to the division and creation of a new congregation in Altenburg was also felt in New Wells, Missouri. There, the congregation separated into two opposing sects.[5]

Immanuel rejoined the Missouri Synod in 1988. Worship services are no longer conducted in German, but at Christmas Eve services the congregation still sings "Silent Night" in German before singing it in English.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Lutherans.com http://www.lutherans.com/churches/church_info.php?church_id=14937
  2. ↑ Mississippi Valley Architecture-Altenburg http://www.krjarch.com/altenburg.asp
  3. ↑ http://www.archivaria.com pg. 6 http://www.archivaria.com/Altenburg/Altenburg6.html
  4. ↑ cyclopedia.lcsm.org http://cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=S&word=SCHIEFERDECKER.GEORGALBERT
  5. ↑ http://www.archivaria.com pg. 18 http://www.archivaria.com/Altenburg/Altenburg18.html
  6. ↑ Linda Redeffer (November 17, 2007). "Counting blessings, Southeast Missourian Newspaper".
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