Bishop Stephan and the Origins of the LCMS

[ByzantineDixie]

I was chasing down some information Friday and happened on to this particular article (http://www.ctsfw.edu/library/files/pb/1767) which discussed the Saxons' move to the US. Until I read the article I had not known the Bishop Stephan was not a bishop in the Lutheran church before the Gesellschaf was formed.

Anyway...the article did much to explain to me why the LCMS Lutherans are not so interested in establishing bishops. (Not that I agree with such a stance, of course. Bad bishops happen. Lutherans, in particular, with their Theology of the Cross would know that.)

Thought y'all might enjoy learning a little about the formation of the LCMS if the information is new to you. And...if there is anything suspect in this article...well I'd appreciate knowing that as well. :wave:

[SPALATIN]

I was chasing down some information Friday and happened on to this particular article (http://www.ctsfw.edu/library/files/pb/1767) which discussed the Saxons' move to the US. Until I read the article I had not known the Bishop Stephan was not a bishop in the Lutheran church before the Gesellschaf was formed.

Anyway...the article did much to explain to me why the LCMS Lutherans are not so interested in establishing bishops. (Not that I agree with such a stance, of course. Bad bishops happen. Lutherans, in particular, with their Theology of the Cross would know that.)

Thought y'all might enjoy learning a little about the formation of the LCMS if the information is new to you. And...if there is anything suspect in this article...well I'd appreciate knowing that as well. :wave:

Stephan was just a bad apple period. He had been given the title Bishop by those coming over from Germany. CFW and his brother Otto and others had given him much power and he was nothing more than a Joseph Smith in Lutheran clothing. When the scandal broke they put him on a boat in the river and pushed him over to Illinois.

[filosofer]

Of course, that is not the end of the story, for which we thank God. In other words, confession and repentance followed that, and he began another church. Today that congregation and several others that spawned from that one are part of the LCMS, and he has several descendants who have been faithful pastors in the LCMS.

So, lest we become too smug, let's remember that our primary mission is to bring the forgiveness of sins and restoration to people. And no, this does not condone Stefan's sin or any other person's sins. But it does show us that God is bigger than even our worst sins. And while we end up causing heartache and problems in the Church with our sin, God can even use sinful, fallen creatures. Just ask David, Abraham, Moses, Peter...

In Christ's love,
filo

[SPALATIN]

I was reading part of a book by Mary Todd titled "Authority Vested" where she tells of the beginnings of the LCMS and includes this story of Bishop Stephan.

Evidently he was considered a very charismatic man by Lutheran standards and that he was put under house arrest a few times for holding conventicles or Small groups in the Fatherland. This was against the law because these groups were exclusively Lutheran and not a mix of Reformed and Lutheran which had become the way under the Prussian King Frederich Wilhelm.

Stephan was married and had 8 children, but his marriage was not a happy one. When he and his group were arranging to emigrate to the US his attorneys arranged for a divorce and settlement to make sure they were cared for.

On the way over they had 665 people on 6 ships. They lost 2 ships in a storm in the English channel. Stephan and his clergy were aboard the ship named "OLBERS" and he persuaded them and the others on that ship to name him "Bishop" before they reached the new land. Papers were drawn up and the charters of all the remaining boats signed it giving Stephan the title of Bishop.

It was shortly after this that Stephan was charged with malfeasance and sexual impropriety. His clergy charged him only with malfeasance (he had taken control of a Credit fund that had over $81000.)

After the community had defrocked their bishop there was some dissension among the laity and the clergy were taking charge very quickly.

In 1841, Otto, CFW's brother died and the church he was serving up in St. Louis called CFW to replace him.

It is a quite compelling story that if you can read more about it gives you a better understanding of why the LC-MS is what it is today.