Everything about The Evangelical Synod Of North America totally explained
The
Evangelical Synod of North America (known as the
German Evangelical Synod of North America until
1927) was a
denominational body of
Protestant churches in the United States existing from the mid-1800s until its
1934 merger with the Reformed Church in the United States to form the
Evangelical and Reformed Church.
Centered in the
Midwest, the denomination was a group of
German Protestant congregations of mixed
Lutheran and
Reformed heritage, reflecting the
1817 union of those traditions in
Prussia (and subsequently in other areas of Germany). This union, both in Germany and in the United States, was deeply influenced by
Pietism. The denomination accepted both the Reformed
Heidelberg Catechism,
Luther's Small Catechism, and the Lutheran
Augsburg Confession as its confessional documents; where there was disagreement the individual believer had freedom to believe either. The church eventually developed its own
Evangelical Catechism, reflecting its "united" faith. In keeping with core Protestant convictions, the Bible was considered the ultimate standard of its faith.
The denomination established
Eden Theological Seminary in
St. Louis, Missouri for the training of its clergy; today,
Eden remains a seminary of the
United Church of Christ.
In the early 20th century, the Evangelical Synod became active in the
ecumenical movement, joining the
Federal Council of Churches and pursuing church union. In
1934, it joined with another denomination of German background, the
Reformed Church in the United States, to form the
Evangelical and Reformed Church. This church united, in turn, in
1957 with the General Council of
Congregational Christian Churches to form the
United Church of Christ.
Notable People and Congregations
The oldest Evangelical Synod congregations are believed to be
Bethlehem United Church of Christ in
Ann Arbor, Michigan,
Saint John's-Saint Luke Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ in
Detroit, Michigan, or The United Church in
Washington, DC, each of which were founded in 1833.
The oldest
Lutheran church in
Chicago, Illinois was in fact an Evangelical Synod congregation. The "Deutsche Evangelische Lutherische Sanct Paulus Geminde" (German Evangelical Lutheran St. Pauls Congregation) was founded in
1843 and is now known as
St. Pauls United Church of Christ. ("St. Pauls" is properly spelled without the apostrophe, reflecting its German heritage, as there's no apostrophe in the
German language.)
Reinhold Niebuhr and
H. Richard Niebuhr, two siblings who developed strong reputations during the mid-20th century for their theological acumen, were both members of the Evangelical Synod and its successors.
Further Information
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