Saxon Lutheran Influence in Perry County, Missouri
Written By: Libby Gregurich, Elizabeth Grichnik, Addison Haller, Clayton Morgan, and Nick Winkelman
Perry County was mainly settled by a group of Saxon Lutherans who arrived there in 1839. In the mid-19th century, there were several waves of German immigration for social, political, or economic reasons, however, the immigrants from Saxony in the late 1830s were unique in their religious motives. In Saxony, conservative Lutherans felt that their faith was being watered down by the rationalist movement, which elevated reason and logic over the word of God. They also felt that the unionist policies of the Saxon church, which sought to join various Lutheran groups together under one denomination, stripped them of their religious freedoms. With undercurrents of nationalism and secularism slowly rising in Germany, the Saxon Lutherans felt they could no longer stand to live and practice their faith there. To them, their faith came before their country, and they would do whatever it took to practice in a way that was authentic to their beliefs. Martin Stephan, a pastor from Bavaria who led the conservative Lutheran movement, united a group of 700 Saxon Lutherans to form an emigration society and set out for Missouri in 1838.
On November 3rd, 1838, the Saxon Lutherans began to depart from Bremen harbor and started their voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, headed for New Orleans. The group departed on five ships. The two to depart on the first day were the Copernicus, which set sail first, and the Johann Georg, which left port only a few hours later. Throughout this voyage, Stephan began efforts to consolidate power over the group through psychological methods such as verbal and emotional coercion. The methods worked, at least temporarily, as Stephan was able to seize the role of bishop. Meanwhile, after the Saxons made it to New Orleans, they headed north to St. Louis. While the Saxons were in St. Louis, Americans began to take notice of the group. Specifically, they noticed a sharp contrast between the luxurious life lived by Stephan and the much worse conditions of the rest of the Saxons. This along with other actions by the pastor caused many who had perceptions of Stephan as a dedicated, fiery, and spiritual pastor to begin thinking of him quite differently.
While Martin Stephen is credited with bringing the Saxon Lutherans to America and choosing Missouri as their final destination, his journey ended before he could see what would come of the new Saxon Lutheran Settlement. During the congregation’s stay in St. Louis, it was uncovered that Stephen was not the leader that he was known to be. Rather, he ruled as a dictator, stole from the people, and had unfaithful relationships with other women. These scandalous acts completely turned the church inside out. Some members began to question why they had come to Missouri in the first place and decided the best option was to return home. For the ones who stayed, the only feasible decision was to expel Stephen and try to continue with a sense of normalcy. With Stephen out, the healing process could begin and the plans to settle Perry County were underway.
Following the removal of Martin Stephen, the colony experienced a time of guilt and confusion. No immediate leader stepped forward to fill the void left by the removal of Stephen. Some in the colony questioned the migration entirely. Even the previously unshakeable pastors began to wonder if their church was still a church or a mere mob. As the colony hurtled toward dissolution, two leaders stepped forward. C. F. W. Walther and F. A. Marbach hosted a public debate. In this debate, the two men laid out their plans for the future of the colony. Marbach opted for a more negative view, that the county could not be fixed. Walther, on the other hand, still saw God in the county and believed in its future. The county decided that Walther was the debate winner, and he would go on to lead the county.
In addition to the development of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in Perry County from the large influx of Saxon Lutheran immigrants, the LCMS also became more prominent in other parts of the Midwest in the mid-1800s. C.F. Walther became the first president of the LCMS when it was officially established in Chicago on April 26, 1847. The LCMS has continued to expand over the years from the initial wave of German immigrants. Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, Missouri, recently celebrated its 175th anniversary in its current sanctuary. It dates back to the 1840s when Stephan and his original followers first established the church. Today, places like the Perry County Lutheran Historical Society and the Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum allow descendants of these German Lutherans to learn about their past and help teach outsiders about the rich cultural history of Perry County.
