Christian Cyclopedia

1. Organized 1860 at St. Paul under leadership of J. C. F. Heyer* as Die [Deutsche] Evang.-Lutherische Synode von Minnesota und anderen Staaten, also known as the Ev. Luth. Syn. of Minnesota and Other States; est. a working relationship with the Wisconsin* Syn. 1864; joined The General* Syn. of the Ev. Luth. Ch. in the USA 1864.

2. The Minnesota Syn. left the Gen. Syn. and joined the General* Council of the Ev. Luth. Ch. in (N) Am. 1866/67; left the Gen. Council 1871 (see Four Points); joined the Synodical* Conf. 1872 under leadership of J. H. Sieker.* See also Synodical Conference, 1.

3. A coll. was est. at New Ulm 1883/84 (see Hoyer, Otto Daniel August; Luther College, 3). The Minnesota Syn. helped form the Ev. Luth. Joint Syn. of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Other States 1892 (see Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod). Official pub.: Evangelisch-Lutherischer Synodal-Bote.

4. Pres. till 1917, when the Minnesota Syn. became the Minnesota Dist. (or Minnesota Dist. Syn.) of the Joint Syn. of Wisconsin and Other States: J. C. F. Heyer, J. H. Sieker, A. Kuhn,* C. J. Albrecht.*

The name Minnesota Syn. is also applied to one of the syns. of the Lutheran* Ch. in America.

E. Abbetmeyer-Selke, “The Beginnings of the German Lutheran Churches in Minnesota,” CHIQ II (1929–30), 75–81, 108–115; A. Kuhn, Geschichte der Minnesota Synode und ihrer einzelnen Gemeinden, 1860–1910 (St. Louis, 1910); J. P. Köhler, Geschichte der Allgemeinen Evangelisch-Lutherischen Synode von Wisconsin und andern Staaten (Milwaukee, 1925), tr., rev. and updated by author, “The History of the Wisconsin Synod,” Faith-Life, XI, 2–XVII, 1 (February 1938–January 1944), ed. L. D. Jordahl and pub. in book form 1970.