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This Month in Lutheran History
[Monthly Index]
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- May 1
- 1912 - E.L. Arndt organized the Evangelical Lutheran Mission for China.
- May 2
- 1507 - Martin Luther celebrated his first mass.
- May 3
- 1530 - In an effort to bridge the split between German and Swiss Reformers,
Philipp Melanchthon began a revision of the Augsburg Confession.
- 1891 - Friedrich August Craemer who was sent by Wilhelm Loehe to found the
mission colony at Frankenmuth, Michigan, and served as the president of the Fort Wayne (later Springfield)seminary, died.
- May 4
- 1876 - Friedrich C.D. Wyneken, pastor of St. Paul, Fort Wayne, and Trinity,
St. Louis, circuit rider in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, and the second president of the LCMS (1850-1864), died. Wyneken's
"Notruf" (distress call) was instrumental in bringing dozens of pastors from Germany to do mission work in the United States.
- May 5
- 1525 - Frederick the Wise died. As the Elector of Saxony, Frederick was Martin
Luther's prince and, though a devout Catholic, went to great lengths to protect Luther from the papacy.
- May 6
- 1527 - Charles V's army, including German, French and Spanish troops, sacked
Rome. Although the soldiers, after their victory, drunkenly declared they would make Luther the new pope, Charles permitted Pope
Clement VII to retain his secular powers.
- 1816 - The American Bible Society was organized. Bible societies developed as
a result of Protestantism's emphasis on personal bible study.
- May 7
- 1887 - C.F.W. Walther died. Walther served as the first president of the
Missouri Synod.
- May 8
- 1521 - During the Diet of Worms, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, made
a secret pact with Pope Leo X to declare war on France.
- May 9
- 1760 - Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf died. A reformer within 18th century
German Lutheranism, Zinzendorf witnessed much of the splintering of Lutheranism. He is considered to be the founder of the
Unitas Fratrum (Moravian Church).
- May 10
- 1522 - Martin Luther published the first part of his New Testament translation.
- May 11
- 1530 - Philipp Melanchthon completed his first revision of the Augsburg
Confession. Several other revisions would follow.
- May 12
- 1521 - Henry VIII of England burned Martin Luther's writings in front of
St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Henry later wrote: "If Luther will not be converted, let him and his writings be burned together."
- May 13
- 1810 - Friedrich C.D. Wyneken was born. Wyneken served as the second president
of the Missouri Synod.
- May 14
- 1565 - Nikolaus von Amsdorf died. A friend and co-worker of Martin Luther,
Amsdorf fought for a faithful following of Luther's doctrines after Luther's death.
- 1890 - Rosa Young was born. Young was instrumental in bringing Lutheran
work to African-Americans in Alabama.
- May 15
- 1911 - The English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri and Other
States joined The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod to become the English District.
- May 16
- 1529 - Martin Luther published his Small Catechism.
- May 17
- 1839 - The "New York Group" of the Saxon Immigration, or "Berliners,"
including J.F. Buenger, arrived in Perry County.
- 1959 - The first Missouri Synod baptisms in Korea took place.
- May 18
- 1528 - Martin Luther began the first of three sermon series on the
Catechism. These sermons were the basis for the Large Catechism and Small Catechism Luther would write the following year.
- 1816 - G.E.C. Ferdinand Sievers, founding pastor of the mission at
Frankenlust, Michigan, as well as other missions throughout Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota, was born.
- May 19
- 1936 - The Missouri Synod opened its African mission.
- May 20
- 1891 - The English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri and Other
States was organized.
- May 21
- 1559 - The first Lutherans were burned at the stake for heresy in Spain.
- 1882 - The first issue of the Lutheran Witness was printed. The
Witness is the official publication of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod.
- May 22
- 1542 - Pope Paul III called the Council of Trent to deal with
the Reformation and renewal in the Church.
- May 23
- 1893 - The Walther League was organized in Buffalo, New York.
The League was the youth organization of the Synodical Conference.
- May 24
- 1547 - After a year of fighting throughout Germany, Charles V's
army defeated the Lutheran army at the Battle of Muehlberg, essentially reclaiming Germany for the Holy Roman Empire.
- May 25
- 1521 - Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, issued the Edict of
Worms, condemning the Reformation and placing Martin Luther under a ban.
- May 26
- 1536 - Martin Bucer convinced the German Lutherans and the
Swiss Refomers to come to some agreement and sign the Wittenberg Concord.
- 1812 - Friedrich August Craemer was born.
- May 27
- 1564 - John Calvin died. The French reformer's theology
provides much of the basis of the Reformed Church tradition.
- 1898 - J.H.P. Graebner, who emigrated to America in 1847 with a
group of Wilhelm Loehe's Franconians, established a colony at Frankentrost, Michigan, and served as pastor in St.
Charles, Missouri, died.
- May 28
- 1577 - The last of the Lutheran Confessions, the Formula of
Concord was issued. The Formula confessed the Scripture as the only rule of faith and dealt with various
doctrinal controversies.
- May 29
- 1637 - Georgius Trzanowski died. Trzanowski's strict orthodoxy
had a profound influence on Slavic Lutheranism, so profound, in fact, that he is often referred to as the "Polish
Luther".
- 1905 - Heinrich Schwan died. Schwan served as the third president
of the Missouri Synod.
- May 30
- 1839 - The Saxon Immigrants deposed Martin Stephan as bishop
in Perry County, Missouri, on charges of immorality, mal-administration and false doctrine.
- May 31
- 1930 - The Lutheran Hour radio program was organized.
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