Strangers to Sisters - Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library: Essays

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Thurow and Abelmann, “Dear brother Thurow, it is true, the shortage of brotherly love and of unity in the Synodical Conference, yes, in our own Synod, is hazardous. I ask you here, that you, as I have attempted to do, examine and judge this matter without bitterness against them…in the light of God’s Word, from brotherly kindness and consideration.” 192 To Abelmann, Bergholz wrote, “May the Lord grant us true humility on our part to do all we possibly can to exercise and practice SEIN FLESSIG ZU HALTEN DIE EINIGKEIT IM GEISTE DURCH DAS BAND FRIEDENS.” 193 With repentance gained from the Wisconsin Synod brethren, working arrangements were established in such a way that benefited both Eastside and Holy Cross in years to come. By 1942, Pastor Erling Ylvisaker of Holy Cross was directing all his parish’s children to Eastside. 194 By 1943, Eastside was the sight of a consolidated school of all the Synodical Conference parishes in the city of Madison. In addition to this, Eastside called two ELS school teachers, Miss Marjorie Lillegard (1944-49) and Miss Gundrun Madson (1949-1955), to teach the lower grades. 195 While the event might not seem that important, it gives a clear indication of the early impressions and early inter-synodical relations of the two synods. First, Wisconsin men knew precious little about the history and mind-set of their sister synod. Granted, 1925 was well before the age of mass media, but the Synodical Conference was still a pretty small world. To further support this contention, it is clear from Tjernagel’s letter that he takes for granted that the Wisconsin men are ignorant about the tender conscience 192 Julius Bergholz to H.M. Tjernagel, letter, December 7, 1925, ELS Presidential Files: 1920s. Evangelical Lutheran Synod Archives, Mankato, MN. 193 Ibid. 194 Commemoration of 25 th anniversary of Eastside Madison, booklet, Congregational History Files, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Mequon, WI. 12. 195 25 th anniversary of Eastside Madison, 14. 100
of the ELS, as well as her wariness to make the same mistakes in the Synodical Conference that had been made in the Old Norwegian Synod. The event also shows an initial lack of brotherly love on the part of the Wisconsin men. Not only did they enter into east Madison unannounced, but Bergholz’s comment to Thurow and his quotation of Ephesians 4:3 to Abelmann are interesting. Why would such a reminder be necessary, unless Thurow and Abelmann, by their attitude and actions had acerbated an already tense situation? Even Bergholz’s surprise and wonder at the emotional tone with which Tjernagel wrote to him adds to this understanding of the events. In short, there is a great difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone. These early faux pas were the result of strangers getting to know one another. Yet this situation was also filled with pleasant surprise. On the one hand, the ELS was preparing for a fight that never came. Much to their joy, their rebuke was heeded and a God-pleasing resolution to the situation was found. Bergholz’s letter, which includes his gentle rebuke of Abelmann and Thurow, show a tremendous amount of graciousness as well as humility. There is more than a gentlemanly politeness here. There is recognition that they have hurt their sister synod and they seek to follow Matthew 5 and Matthew 18 in healing the breach. In addition, the east Madison matter shows a common consciousness already in the 1920s of a foreign spirit filling the Synodical Conference. Both in Tjernagel’s letter to Bergholz and Bergholz’s comments to Thurow, they recognize the importance of not letting the practical work and the visible success trump the clear teachings of Scripture and their application. Finally, this matter shows that both the Wisconsin Synod and the ELS were trying to work their way through a time of cultural and language transition. Tjernagel has no 101
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WISCONSIN LUTHERAN SEMINARY STRANGE
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to gra
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Yet, the Norwegian Synod suffered h
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constitution, the reference to the
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Minnesota had reservations about th
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these two synods into closer contac
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Part I: Getting to know the Scriptu
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strengthening and encouraging the f
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University of Leipzig. 18 His main
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voice, as in an ecstasy, breathed t
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unbelief, in recent times such men
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So will we cling fast to the Lord m
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Koren sees Kierkegaard as a one who
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We acknowledge with gratitude towar
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Of the founders of the Norwegian Sy
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The Election Controversy was really
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ule or judge in matters of faith, n
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The Norwegian Synod lived its motto
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are sitting, like ourselves, theore
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we do? Why stand aloof against a cu
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that poor, unscriptural hermeneutic
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congregation, not us listeners.”
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elieve for them, such as is the cas
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Chapter 2 The Wauwatosa Theology Th
Page 49 and 50: Hoenecke developed and passed on to
Page 51 and 52: Third, one dare not limit this auth
Page 53 and 54: For Hoenecke, the way we let Script
Page 55 and 56: It may never be forgotten, that the
Page 57 and 58: inging unity to the various Luthera
Page 59 and 60: A fuller analysis of the Wauwatosa
Page 61 and 62: One of the chief terms used by orth
Page 63 and 64: None of this is to say the Wauwatos
Page 65 and 66: the church unperverted. It thus has
Page 67 and 68: synods over the years. But as will
Page 69 and 70: We believe it best to wait until 19
Page 71 and 72: Finally, the doctrinal controversie
Page 73 and 74: E.B. Schluetter, and delivered the
Page 75 and 76: students. Ylvisaker had resigned hi
Page 77 and 78: teaching English, Norse, Latin, Alg
Page 79 and 80: Waltonite, and scare ‘em into ret
Page 81 and 82: DMLC were fraternal visitors at the
Page 83 and 84: accepted a call to serve his sister
Page 85 and 86: experiment never really took off, p
Page 87 and 88: point. Bethany had not been entrust
Page 89 and 90: the internal shake-up at Bethany an
Page 91 and 92: growing tense, not only among those
Page 93 and 94: ehind the back of the Wisconsin Syn
Page 95 and 96: With such deep sentiments and histo
Page 97 and 98: weight around, intruded upon a very
Page 99: Tjernagel contends vehemently that
Page 103 and 104: Paul, MN the possibility Ohio and I
Page 105 and 106: Take for instance the procedure ado
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Page 109 and 110: Dear Gullixson! I had just sat down
Page 111 and 112: to them what they should speak and
Page 113 and 114: conferences. By entering into a rel
Page 115 and 116: Chapter 2 Relations confirmed and s
Page 117 and 118: sent out by a Chicago group, I shal
Page 119 and 120: have good reasons to refrain for ex
Page 121 and 122: Tjernagel: Today conditions have be
Page 123 and 124: At the Synodical Conference convent
Page 125 and 126: The ELS, in her desire to mediate a
Page 127 and 128: Such remarks are telling not only o
Page 129 and 130: America, Elling Eielsen. Eielsen in
Page 131 and 132: But even the faithful few who had l
Page 133 and 134: establishes all functions of the mi
Page 135 and 136: 2.) By virtue of the work they do,
Page 137 and 138: Scripture. 257 The ELS, due to its
Page 139 and 140: Wisconsin, ELS and the faithful of
Page 141 and 142: Lillegard was the foremost exegete
Page 143 and 144: “congregation” has a much narro
Page 145 and 146: this is definitely a Lutheran princ
Page 147 and 148: What makes the testimony and defens
Page 149 and 150: terms. He is persuaded now that the
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III. The Fehner Case (1949-1953) Th
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Immanuel during a difficult time. B
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there would not be any scouting at
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Bethany Lutheran College and the Ev
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The trouble makers had then proceed
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pro and some con. To make matters w
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congregation, and that our privileg
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cease such offensive practice.” 3
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teachings of these revered teachers
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pastor’s point of view, that both
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How much of this can be attributed
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alarming rate. The water of controv
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where the one advocating them refus
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Reim: challenges Harms’ limitatio
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gave public testimony to the interc
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efusing to accept the Brief Stateme
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Yet, there does remain a present va
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ecclesiastical details or the weigh
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The study of this era shows that th
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Aaberg, Theodore
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Schroeder, Morton A Time to Remembe
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http://www.blts.edu/essays/korenUV/
Page 195 and 196:
Ylvisaker, S.C. “The National Lut
Page 197 and 198:
Harstad, Bjug. “Sermon of Genesis
Page 199 and 200:
Zimmermann, Paul. “Scripture Inte
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C.M. Gullerud to Hugo Gamber, lette
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Gervasius Fischer to C.M. Gullerud,
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John Brenner to Norman Madson, lett
Page 207 and 208:
Minutes of the Meeting of The Commi
Page 209 and 210:
Oscar Naumann to C.M. Gullerud, let
Page 211:
Stuart Dorr to the pastors of the N
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