United Lutheran Church in America. Board of Foreign Missions

The Board of Foreign Missions of the United Lutheran Church in America (See ULCA 19 Administrative History) divided the oversight of its mission work among several secretaries. Paul P. Anspach was called as Secretary for Malaya and China in 1953. His title soon changed to Secretary for Malaya and Hong Kong. In 1958 he began teaching in the School of Missions, and Warren C. Johnson took over the Malaya and Hong Kong work, with Anspach serving as an advisor. Johnson had previously served as Secretary for Japan and Special Gifts, beginning in 1955. David Vikner became Secretary for Japan in 1958.

See ULCA 19 Administrative History, ULCA 19/2 Administrative History.

The Council of Secretaries consisted of the Staff of Secretaries (Cabinet of Secretaries plus Executive Secretary of the Women's Missionary Society) and the Treasurer of the Women's Missionary Society. It met at least quarterly "regarding matters of mutual interest to the two Boards, including finance, literature, and public relations." Other Secretaries of the Women's Missionary Society could be invited to attend as needed.

See ULCA 19/8 Administrative History and ULCA 19/8/2 Administrative History.

See ULCA 19 Administrative History, ULCA 19/7 Administrative History.

Earl Styer Erb served as Executive Secretary of the Board of Foreign Missions of the United Lutheran Church in America from 1952-1962, and of the Board of World Missions of the Lutheran Church in America from 1962-1967. He succeeded Luther A. Gotwald and was succeeded by Arne B. Sovik.

See ULCA 19 Administrative History, ULCA 19/2 Administrative History, ULCA 19/8 Administrative History.

In 1924 the United Lutheran Church in America (ULCA) took over the work of the Berlin Missionary Society (or Society for the Furtherance of Evangelical Missions Among the Heathen in Berlin), centered in Shantung, China. Berlin had begun work in China as early as 1850 in the Province of Kwangtung. In 1898 they expanded their work to the northeast port city of Tsingtao. It was this latter work that was taken over by the ULCA. The ULCA continued the work of the Berlin Missionary Society in the establishment of schools, hospitals, and evangelism programs.

See ULCA 19 Administrative History, ULCA 19/7 Administrative History, ULCA 19/7/2/1 Background.

See ULCA 19 Administrative History, ULCA 19/15/1 Background.

See ULCA 19 Administrative History.

The Executive Committee, elected from among the members of the Board of Foreign Missions (See ULCA 19 Administrative History), was composed of the president, vice president, recording secretary (if a member of the board), and four other members of the board, at least one a layman. The committee was empowered to deliberate and act between meetings of the BFM and reported to it.

See ULCA 19 Administrative History, ULCA 19/8/ Administrative History, ULCA 19/8/2 Administrative History.

See ULCA 19 Administrative History, ULCA 19/5 Administrative History, ULCA 19/5/2/1 Background.

The Cabinet of Secretaries consisted of the secretaries of the Board of Foreign Missions and the Treasurer, with the Executive Secretary serving as chair. When there was no Executive Secretary, the chair was appointed by the Board. See ULCA 19 Administrative History for a list of secretaries and treasurers. They carried on the routine work of the Board, preparing the Board agenda, and reporting to the Board on their individual assignments.

In 1943, missionaries organized and wrote a constitution for the Council of the British Guiana Mission of the United Lutheran Church in America (ULCA).

The Board of Foreign Missions (BFM) declared its right to have a missionary organization on the field but acknowledged the nationals' right to direct their own church work. Dr. Edwin Moll, Administrative Secretary of the BFM, suggested a constitution for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of British Guiana (ELCBG) and a new constitution for the Council of the British Guiana Mission (Mission Council). The Board of Foreign Missions approved both constitutions.

The officers of this new church were president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. The treasurer was also the treasurer of the Mission Council and was appointed by the BFM.

Polity was determined by an annual convention. Between conventions business was conducted by an Executive Committee.

At the time of its organization, the church consisted of six parishes. The parishes were Berbice River; Canje; Corentyne Coast-Seafield; East Coast, Demerara; Georgetown; and New Amsterdam.

In 1956 an internal dispute in the ELCBG resulted in the formation of an Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee recommended that an Administrative Committee take over the work previously done by the Executive Committee, which agreed to abide by the decisions of this Administrative Committee for a period of five years.

In 1961, the Administrative Committee was replaced by an Administrative Council. The Missions Council recommended that its own group be disbanded as no longer necessary, but the BFM denied this request. The BFM did, however, allow the Missions Council to rewrite its constitution. The Council was renamed the Association of Missionaries of the ULCA Serving in the ELCBG.

The Administrative Council was supposed to act for three years, during which time a constitution was to be prepared to turn the church back to the nationals. This constitution was not ready by 1964, so the provisional Administrative Council continued until the new constitution was adopted in 1966. The 1966 constitution renamed the church the Guyana Lutheran Church (see LCA 28/5/5/2).

Although the Board of World Missions (BWM) of the ULCA had administrative oversight of the work in India (see Administrative History, ULCA 19/7), work was conducted on the field by the Council of the India Mission of the United Lutheran Church in America (usually called the Mission Council). The Mission Council was organized in 1920 as a joint effort of the Mission Councils of Rajahmundry and Guntur. This merger was preceded by an Interim Reference Committee in 1918 and a preliminary joint meeting in 1919. A constitution was adopted at the organizing meeting in 1920. Membership was open to all missionaries, including wives. When the Council of the India Mission was established, it was intended that the Rajahmundry and Guntur Councils would continue, but the minutes do not indicate if that occurred after 1922.

Officers were president, vice-president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, corresponding secretary of the Women's Work, and treasurer. Presidents who served are as follows: John Aberly, 1920-1922; J. Roy Strock, 1922-1923; Frederick L. Coleman, 1923-1925, 1935-1937; 1943-47; 1949-1953; George A. Rupley, 1925-1927; Victor McCauley, 1927-1931; Luther A. Gotwald, 1931-1935, 1941-1943 ; Roy M. Dunkelberger, 1937-1939, 1947-1949; Martin L. Dolbeer, 1939-1941; Edmund G. Wood, 1953-1955; William D. Coleman, 1955-1959, 1963-1965; William Powlas Peery, 1959-1963, 1966-1969, 1973-1975; Herbert H.C. Kleiner, 1965-1966; David Lindell, 1969-1971; Harold M. Riber, 1971-1973; Margaret Coleman, 1975- 1979; and Barbara Kolumban, 1979-[1981].

An Executive Committee consisted of the officers and an additional 4-5 members elected from the two fields (Guntur and Rajahmundry) in such a way that representation from the two fields would be equal. The Council met 1-3 times per year, with the Executive Committee acting between meetings.

The Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (see ULCA 19/7/2) was established in 1927, with its direction still coming from the Mission Council. In 1939 the Council of the India Mission reorganized so that it was dealing only with missionaries, missionary work, and mission properties. Other work now came under the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church or of individual boards of various institutions. In 1961 the Mission Council transferred much of its mission-owned property to the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 1963 the ULCA became a part of the newly formed Lutheran Church in America (LCA), and its mission work became part of the Board of World Missions of the LCA. Additional minutes of the Council of India Missions can be found under LCA 28/6/3/1.

See also ULCA 19 Administrative History, ULCA 19/7 Administrative History.

In 1845 a Black American, the Rev. Boston J. Drayton of South Carolina, began mission work in Liberia. It was hoped that his home synod, the South Carolina Synod, would support this work. The synod noted his departure and talked about "prayers, sympathy, and pecuniary aid," but no aid was given, and the synod did not adopt the work. Drayton ultimately dropped the mission work and turned to political activity in Liberia.

It was not until 1860 that the General Synod (see GS 16 Administrative History) officially began work in Liberia, with the Rev. Morris Officer credited with initial work in Muhlenberg. Work followed in Kpelle and Loma counties. The work was continued by the United Lutheran Church in America (see ULCA 19 Administrative History) and then by the Lutheran Church in America (see LCA 16 Administrative History).

ULCA administrative oversight of the Liberia work was assigned to secretaries of the Board of Foreign Missions. These secretaries included C.L. Brown, 1918-1922 (died in Africa, while on a leave of absence to serve under the National Lutheran Council as a Commissioner to East Africa); L.B. Wolf, 1922-[1929]; M. Edwin Thomas, [1930]-1947; and F.J. Fiedler, 1948-1960.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Liberia (ELCL) was organized in 1947, after 87 years of mission status. Even so, much of the leadership of the ELCL was still carried by missionaries. The church became fully autonomous in 1965, with the formation of the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL) and the election of a Liberian churchman, the Rev. Roland J. Payne, as bishop. Bishop Payne had previously served as president of the ELCL.

Although the Board of World Missions (BWM) of the ULCA had administrative oversight of the work in India (see ULCA 19/7 Administrative History), work was conducted on the field by the Council of the India Mission of the United Lutheran Church in America (usually called the Mission Council). The Mission Council was organized in 1920 as a joint effort of the Mission Councils of Rajahmundry and Guntur. This merger was preceded by an Interim Reference Committee in 1918 and a preliminary joint meeting in 1919. A constitution was adopted at the organizing meeting in 1920. When the Council of the India Mission was established, it was intended that the Rajahmundry and Guntur Councils would continue, but the minutes do not indicate if that occurred after 1922.

Officers were president, vice-president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, corresponding secretary of the Women's Work, and treasurer.

An Executive Committee consisted in such a way that representation from the two fields would be equal. The Council met 1-3 times per year, with the Executive Committee acting between meetings.

The Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (see ULCA 19/7/2/1) was established in 1927. In 1939 the Council of the India Mission reorganized so that it was dealing only with missionaries, missionary work, and mission properties. Other work now came under the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church or of individual boards of various institutions. In 1961 the Mission Council transferred much of its mission-owned property to the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 1963 the ULCA became a part of the newly formed Lutheran Church in America (LCA). Additional minutes of the Council of India Missions can be found under LCA 28/6/3/1.

The Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized in 1927. The jurisdiction of the church is north of Madras, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The church was originally made up of two synods, Rajahmundry and Guntur. These were soon divided into 5 conferences without authority or financial responsibility. In 1937 these conferences became the synods of East Godavari, West Godavari, East Guntur, West Guntur, and Central Guntur, each with its own officers and governance.

The Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Council of the India Mission formed a Joint Committee on Appraisal of Work and Policy. A Memorandum of Association (constitution) was drawn up in 1943, and the new organization went into effect in 1944.

It was then written into the constitution of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church that its president would be an ordained Indian, the vice president an ordained missionary, the secretary a lay Indian, and the treasurer, serving both the church and council, would be elected by both the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Council of the India Mission.

The Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church met in convention annually until 1944 and then biennially, though there were often special conventions called in the off years. This convention elected officers, passed polity documents, and heard reports from committees and boards. The boards at the time of the 1944 reorganization were Finance, Inter-Synodical Relations, Evangelism and Missions, Theological and Religious Education, Andhra Christian College, Education, Publication, Medical Work, and Industrial Work.

In 1961 the council transferred much of its mission-owned property to the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 1963 the ULCA became a part of the newly formed Lutheran Church in America (LCA). Later minutes for the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church can be found with records of the Lutheran Church in America (see LCA 16/6/1/2).

In 1924 the United Lutheran Church in America (ULCA) took over the work of the Berlin Missionary Society (or Society for the Furtherance of Evangelical Missions Among the Heathen in Berlin), centered in Shantung, China. Berlin had begun work in China as early as 1850 in the Province of Kwangtung. In 1898 they expanded their work to the northeast port city of Tsingtao. It was this latter work that was taken over by the ULCA. The ULCA continued the work of the Berlin Missionary Society in the establishment of schools, hospitals, and evangelism programs.

The ULCA mission work was administered on the field by the American Lutheran Mission (ALM) in Shantung, which was reportable to the Board of Foreign Missions. Officers were president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and statistical secretary. The following served as president: The Rev. C.H. Reinbrecht, [1931]-1933 and [1948]-?; Paul P. Anspach, 1934-1940; L. Grady Cooper, 1941-194?. The Executive Committee consisted of the president, vice- president, recording secretary and treasurer.

See also ULCA 19 Administrative History, ULCA 19/5/1/2 Background.

The Joint Committee for Lutheran Work in China (JCLWC) comprised representatives of Lutheran churches in the United States who conducted mission work in China prior to the Communist revolution in 1949. The committee generally met monthly to discuss work being done outside of mainland China, primarily the start of mission work in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The committee comprised representatives from the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church (AUG), United Lutheran Church in America (ULCA), the Lutheran Free Church (LFC), the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC), and the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America (LB). It met in Minneapolis, Minnesota, usually at the headquarters of either the Evangelical Lutheran Church or Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church.