Christian Cyclopedia

(Fürbringer; June 30, 1810–July 12, 1892). B. Gera, Thuringia; studied theol. at Leipzig 1828–30 with C. F. Walther,* T. J. Brohm,* J. F. Bünger,* and others of the circle led by an elderly candidate named Kühn. Instructor 1831–38 in an institute for boys at Eichenberg, conducted by G. H. Löber*; to Am. 1839 in the Saxon immigration (see Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, The, II); with Brohm and Bünger founded Conc. Coll., Perry Co., Missouri; 1st instructor in classic languages and hist. Pastor Venedy, Illinois, 1840. Helped draw up Mo. Syn. const.; present 1847 at the 1st meeting of the Syn.; became a voting mem. 1848 at the 2d meeting. Pastor of the congs. in Freistadt and Kirchhayn, Wisconsin, 1851 and was drawn into the controversy with the Buffalo* Syn.; his articles appeared in Der Lutheraner. Pres. N. Dist., Mo. Syn., 1854–72, 1875–82. Pastor Frankenmuth, Michigan, 1858–92. At the beginning of the Civil War he called together unmarried men in his parish and persuaded them voluntarily to fill the quota of men demanded from their county in order that husbands and fathers might be exempted from military service. Pastoral wisdom combined with Luth. soundness characterized his pastoral work; his deep learning and simple, popular style made him an effective preacher and catechist; regarded by some as the profoundest thinker among the fathers of the Mo. Syn.

W. G. Polack, “Ottomar Fuerbringer,” CTM, V (1934), 211–217 (reprint in CHIQ, VII [1934], 42–50).