Strangers to Sisters - Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library: Essays

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II. First impressions: Bethany Lutheran College and the East Madison Case There is a great different between knowing each other and knowing of each other. Before 1920, it can be safely said that there were only intermittent direct contacts between members of the ELS and the Wisconsin Synod. During the 1920s, direct synodical contact between the WELS and ELS would increase tremendously. Two vignettes, the purchase of Bethany Lutheran College and the East Madison Case, will provide fitting snapshots at the state of relations that each synod had with the other at the beginning of the 1920s and in turn give a good baseline by which to measure the growth the fraternal relations between each other in the coming years. The Purchase of Bethany Lutheran College Bethany Lutheran College has been another ambassador of the ELS to many Wisconsin Synod men and women. The location of Bethany in Mankato, MN, so close in proximity to DMLC in New Ulm, would also play a major factor in the growth of fraternal relationships and correspondence between the synods and their officials. But the circumstances surrounding the ELS’ purchase of Bethany proved to create an initially tense situation with the WELS. Bethany began its existence in 1911 as a Lutheran academy for girls run by the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA), a corporation formed by pastors and laymen of the Synodical Conference. 153 Unfortunately for ELEA, the Bethany 153 The leading force behind ELEA was Rev. Albert Winter, the pastor of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mankato, MN, a WELS congregation. The other original men involved were Rev. A.C. Haase and A. Emmel, both WELS pastors in St. Paul. Winter’s zeal for Bethany was not matched with his ability, and many, if not most of the problems that occurred happened because of his poor management. His position within the college seems to have constantly been changing. One source describes him as the president of the board of Bethany during the early years of Bethany (Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, “History of Immanuel -1867-1967,” http://www.immanuelmankato.org/history/1967/history1 (Accessed July 14, 84
experiment never really took off, primarily because its mission was not directly supported by any specific synod of the Synodical Conference and the gross mismanagement of the college. 154 By 1919 financial and educational problems plagued the academy so much that eight students of Bethany, while not being incorporated into DMLC, formed their own unit on the New Ulm Campus and took courses which DMLC offered compatible with their aims. 155 In 1919, the school reorganized and a stock company formed under the direction of leading Mankato businessmen. This committee tried to liquidate the debt by issuing stock to investors in the school. However, shady accounting and dubious business practices led to the even greater erosion of the school’s fiscal standing. 156 There was also worry that Bethany College and ELEA would impinge upon the work of DMLC in that it would be training some of the young women for parochial school work. At the 1919 WELS Convention, held at New Ulm, the newly formed creditor committee of BLC gave DMLC assurance that it would not do this. That convention also appointed two men from the WELS to act in an advisory capacity with 2010). In 1922, Winter resigned as pastor from Immanuel and shortly before the transfer of Bethany to the ELS, he was listed as president of the faculty. Archival correspondence lists him in June, 1924, as the president of ELEA, with W.F. Georg as president of the college. In July, 1924, Winter was listed as the president of the college. In a letter to Hans Moussa, Professor Stindt of DMLC writes, “We feel that the recommendation of our synod be withdrawn as long as Rev. Winters, Rev. Stock, Rev. Georg, and Mr. Keller are connected with the management of Bethany.” (A.G Stindt to Hans K. Moussa, letter, January 8, 1924, WELS-ELS Correspondence 1919-1990: Committee investigating matters regarding Bethany Lutheran College, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Archives, Mequon, WI). 154 Some of the mismanagement reported was the sale of personal property, including musical instruments; out of the building and that the money from the sale had been taken without authority and spent for personal and private use. It was also charged that the office was locked to hide evidence from the eye of the public and the stockholders and officers of Bethany. “Bethany College” The Bulletin: The Official Organ of the National Lutheran Education Association, volume VII, no. 26 (October-December 1924), 1. 155 Schroeder, A Time to Remember, 68-69. 156 The reporters go on to tell that two sets of books were kept, one for the school and one for the corporation. Furthermore, there were no records for the years 1920-1924. Report to the Stockholders of Bethany Lutheran College, pg 4, WELS-ELS Correspondence 1919-1990: Committee investigating matters regarding Bethany Lutheran College, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Archives, Mequon, WI. 85
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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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Page 35 and 36: The Norwegian Synod lived its motto
Page 37 and 38: are sitting, like ourselves, theore
Page 39 and 40: we do? Why stand aloof against a cu
Page 41 and 42: that poor, unscriptural hermeneutic
Page 43 and 44: congregation, not us listeners.”
Page 45 and 46: elieve for them, such as is the cas
Page 47 and 48: 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: accepted a call to serve his sister
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 and 100: Tjernagel contends vehemently that
Page 101 and 102: of the ELS, as well as her wariness
Page 103 and 104: Paul, MN the possibility Ohio and I
Page 105 and 106: Take for instance the procedure ado
Page 107 and 108: meeting has lapsed, I am forced in
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
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2.) By virtue of the work they do,
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Scripture. 257 The ELS, due to its
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Wisconsin, ELS and the faithful of
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Lillegard was the foremost exegete
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“congregation” has a much narro
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this is definitely a Lutheran princ
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What makes the testimony and defens
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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/
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Ylvisaker, S.C. “The National Lut
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Harstad, Bjug. “Sermon of Genesis
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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
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Minutes of the Meeting of The Commi
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Oscar Naumann to C.M. Gullerud, let
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Stuart Dorr to the pastors of the N
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