The+Missouri+Synod

"Of all Protestant denominations, the Lutherans, especially the Missouri Synod and the Joint Synod of Wisconsin, have developed the most elaborate and the mosy extensive system of education. Other Luthern bodies, like the Slovik Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the American Lutheran Church, the Augustana Synod, the National Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the United Lutheran Church in America, while concentrating more on higher education, do have some elementary and secondary schools. The total number of such Lutheran schools in 1960 was 1627 in which were enrolled 194,605 pupils. Lutheran schools are parochial, that is, they are operated by parishes- sometimes by a single congregation, sometimes jointly by two or more congregations. Thus each school is under the direction of a local church or churches, and under the specific supervision of a pastor. Lutheranism was early an American form of worship and was strong by the time of the Revolutionary War. Following the example of him from whom their church took its name, Lutherans in America manifested from the first keen interest in education. At the time of the Revolution, Lutheran synods had more schools than congregations. Nearly every pastor was called as pastor and teacher; this meant that he was to teach the parochial school of the parish. Lutherans who came to America during the gradual advent of public schools continued to establish their own schools. In the early period, the same log cabin served as church, school and parsonage. Not infrequently the Lutheran school was the only school in the community. It then tried to accommodate children of non-Lutherans also. When the Missouri Synod was organized in 1847, it listed among its chief purposes the promoting of parochial schools and the training of teachers. From 1847, when there were 14 schools with 764 pupils, until the present, growth of Lutheran schools has been rapid, In 1960, the number of Missouri Synod schools was 1322 with 159,566 pupils enrolled." Excerpt from //History of Christian Education// by C.B. Eavey