Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Santal Committee of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

As with other Lutheran churches in the United States founded by immigrants, once congregations of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church (DELC) began to increase in number and strength, they showed a renewed interest in foreign mission endeavors. Always present within the DELC was an interest in foreign missions. Some pastors had been trained as missionaries and others served in foreign mission fields. Early on in the DELC's history the church attempted to generate a collective interest in supporting foreign mission work through articles that appeared in the church paper Kirkelig Samler and listings of gifts received for foreign missions. Many articles written about foreign mission work referenced efforts regarding the Santal Mission established in northern India in 1867 by the Hans Peter Børresen, a Dane and Lars Ole Skrefsrud, a Norwegian.

The Santal Mission itself was supported by Danish immigrants in the United States. Danes in America directly supported mission efforts headquartered in Denmark. It was not uncommon among ethnic groups in the United States at that time to send financial support to established mission organizations in their country of origin. Even though founding missionary L.O. Skrefsrud visited Danish congregations in the United States in 1894-1895 to increase interest and support among the Danes for the Santal Mission, gifts increased but those increases were sent to the Santal Committee in Denmark.

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