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Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther

© John L. Hoh, Jr.

First President of the Missouri Synod: 1847-1850 & 1864-1878, Carl F. W. Walther was born: 25 October 1811in Langenchursdorf, Saxony, Germany. He died: 17 May 1887 in St. Louis, Missouri. In between, God used him in the American Lutheran church and his work left such profound impacts that he was the runaway vote getter in this forum's recent poll of influential American Lutherans.

C.F.W. Walther was educated at the University of Leipzig, after which he tutored for the Loeber family in Cahla from 1833 to 1837. He was ordained on 15 January 1837 and briefly accepted a parish in Braeunsdorf, before sailing to America in 1839 with the Saxon Immigration. In 1878, he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.

On 21 September 1844 he married Emilie Buenger (1812-1885), also one of the original Saxon immigrants.

For forty-six years Walther was the pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Louis. He also taught at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, from 1850 until his death. He served as the president of the Synod from its founding in 1847 to 1850. In 1864 he was again elected president and served until 1878.

He began as the editor of Der Lutheraner (The Lutheran) in 1844 and of Lehre und Wehre (Teachings and Works) in 1855. He worked on both of these publications until his death. Walther authored several books, including Die Stimme unserer Kirche in der Frage von Kirche und Amt (The Voice Of Our Church In The Question Of Church And Office-1852), Die rechte Gestalt einer vom Staate unabhaengigen ev.-luth. Ortsgemeinde (1863), Die Ev.-Luth. Kirche Die Wahre Sichtbare Kirche Gottes Auf Erden (The Right Shape Of The State Of An Independent Ev. Luth. Local Municipality--1867), Amerikanisch-Lutherische Pastoraltheologie (American-Lutheran Pastoral Theology--1872), Brosamen (1876), and Der Gnadenwahlslehrstreit (Of Election--1881). After his death, his lectures on Die rechte Unterscheidung von Gesetz und Evangelium (The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel) were published (1897).

Many of his writings have been translated into English, some of which are still in print:

Church and Ministry, trans. J.T. Mueller. St. Louis: CPH, 1987.
The Congregation's Right to Choose Its Pastor, trans. Fred Kramer, ed. Wilbert H. Rosin. Texts Series No. 1. St. Louis: Concordia Seminary Publications, 1997.
The Correspondence of C.F.W. Walther, trans. Roy A. Suelflow. St. Louis: Concordia Seminary, 1980. Essays for the Church. 2 vols. St. Louis: CPH, 1992.