Lutheran Synod of Buffalo

See BUF Administrative History

Johann Andreas August Grabau was born in 1804 in Olvenstedt near Madgeburg, Prussia, the son of devout Lutheran parents. He was educated in Madgeburg and Halle. A man of sensitive conscience, he pledged fidelity to the Lutheran confessions upon his ordination but was required to use the unionistic liturgy of the Prussian Evangelical Church when called to St. Andreas Church in Erfurt in 1834. The dissonance between his ordination vows and the unionistic liturgy's theology created a crisis of conscience. After becoming acquainted with a dissident Lutheran pastor imprisoned in Erfurt, Grabau became more convinced that the creation of the Prussian Evangelical Church was an attempt to overthrow true Lutheran teaching. He discarded the Prussian liturgy and began using the old Saxon church order (Kirchenordnung) exclusively, leading to his suspension, persecution and eventually to two imprisonments. After Grabau was released from prison in 1839 on the condition that he emigrate, he led approximately 1000 Lutheran emigrants from Madgeburg and Erfurt to New York State. Grabau and most of the group settled in Buffalo, where they established Trinity Old Lutheran Church. Besides serving as pastor of Trinity, he also established Martin Lutheran College, later Martin Luther Seminary, for the training of pastors and teachers. Grabau's authoritarian views made him a strict disciplinarian. Members of the ministerium, led by C.F.W Hochstetter, assistant pastor at Trinity, convicted Grabau of teaching false doctrine about the ministry and the church. Grabau refused to accept this judgment, however, which caused a schism in his congregation and eventually in the synod. Grabau continued to act as pastor of Trinity, president of Dr. Martin Luther College, leader of the Buffalo Synod, and editor of the synod's publication, Die Wachende Kirche, until his death on June 2, 1879. Grabau was married to Christiane Sophie Burggraf. Their sons Johann A. and Wilhelm both became Lutheran pastors, and his grandson, Johann N. Grabau also become pastor of Trinity Old Lutheran Church in Buffalo.

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