Chicago Lutheran History: Heinrich Wunder
In 1896, the Lutheran churches of Chicago published a history of their growth in the city beginning with First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, now located on LaSalle and Goethe streets in Chicago. As far as I know, there is no English translation of this document, so I offer this translation to share this history with you. Follow me to get updates about the rest of this work.
In the last section, we left First St. Paul Congregation after Pastor Selle took a call to go to Crete, IL. Shortly after he left, the congregation called Pastor Heinrich Wunder, who would go on to be one of the most important figures in establishing the Lutheran Church in Chicago. History of Chicago From The Earliest Period To The Present Time, volume 1, by A. T. Andreas gives a personal history on page 349:
Rev. Henry Wunder, who has been continuously pastor of St. Paul’s Church since September 21, 1851, was born in Woehrd, Province of Oberfranken, Bavaria, March 12, 1830, son of Conrad and Barbara (Mueller) Wunder. At the age of eleven years, Henry went to the residence of his brother-in-law to receive instruction, having the ministry in view even at this early age. He was prepare for his profession, and in 1846 arrived in Fort Wayne, Ind, and entered an institution of learning newly established especially for German students. In 1848 he was sent to an institution in Altenburg, MO., whence he was transferred to St. ouis. In 1849 he received a call to a Church in Millstadt, St. Clair Co., Ill., where he preached until 1851, when he received a call to the St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Chicago, in the pastorate of which he was installed September 21, 1851. On the 21st of September, 1883, this pastorate had lasted thirty-two years. Mr. Wunder is now president of the Illinois District of the Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States.
Edit: January 1st, 2024. A family member of one of the teachers, J. N. Haase, pointed out that the original document may contain an error regarding the year of his death. It seems likely that J. N. Haase was Johann Nikolaus Haase, who died in 1876 rather than 1896.
Pastor Heinrich Wunder
A Translation of History of The Founding and Growth of Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States
Pastor Heinrich Wunder was called out of Millstadt, IL to the St. Paul Congregation as the successor to Sir Pastor Selle, and on the 21st of September 1851 he was solemnly installed by his predecessor. In Wunder, God gave the congregation a man, to whom he had conferred magnificent preaching and able administration, among other wonderful gifts. In full youthful vigor, he began his great, exceedingly prosperous activity in Chicago. Soon after his installation the congregation called Mr. G. A. Fischer as their teacher. This first Lutheran teacher in Chicago served the St. Paul’s congregation 31 years with zeal and faithfulness, and he slept on the 20th of February 1882.
The congregation grew rapidly under God’s guidance and blessing. The growth of Chicago and that of the school and congregation held the same pace. In the year 1855, the congregation had the joy to be permitted to host the synodical meeting. Also the Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other states, which had organized itself eight years before in this congregation, had become a large body, and under these circumstances it was difficult, costly, and time-consuming for the pastors, teachers, and delegates, to make the long journey to the synodical meeting every year. So, in the year 1854, the Synod had split itself into four districts, namely in the Northern, the Eastern, Middle, and the Western. It was the Western District, at that time encompassing the states of Illinois, Missouri, and Louisiana, which held its first meeting in their church by the invitation of St. Paul’s congregation from the 25th of April until the 1st of May 1855. 38 persons were present, including synodical guests. The reverend general president, Pastor F. Wyneken, gave the opening sermon. In the proceedings, they discussed highly important items, as can be seen by the synodical report. The President of the Western District was Pastor G. A. Schieferdecker, Secretary Pastor C. A. T. Selle, Treasurer Teacher E. Roschke. Of these first officials of the Western District, only the aged Pastor Selle is still alive, the two others were received to the joys of their Lord many years ago.
In the year 1863, the congregation bought a plot at the corner of Franklin and Superior street for the sum of $5,400, to build a house of God corresponding to the great size of the congregation. The new church, a brick building, constructed in a beautiful churchly style, was dedicated in December 1864. It cost $30,000. But this beautiful church should only serve the congregation for seven years. During the great fire, by which Chicago was hit on the 9th of October 1871, the church was also prey of the flames and collapsed on the aforementioned day, at 10:00 in the morning. Nothing could be saved out of the same, with the exception of a figure carved out of wood, representing an angel, which had its place over the pulpit. This saved figure of an angel is in the current church next to the altar as a historical decoration. During that great fire, the pastor, teacher and all the members of the congregation, except three, had lost their homes. The whole congregation was scattered apart. But at the congregational meeting called for the next Sunday, all were united again. The heavy hand of God lay on all, which everyone felt, but also all were again powerfully comforted by the old consolation of divine promise. Encouraged by the loving help of the brothers in faith near and far, they went about the work of reconstruction, relying on God’s gracious help, and in December of the same year, the schoolhouse already stood on Larrabee St. In addition, a second schoolhouse was built on the site behind the burned-down church. Now they also vigorously went about the construction of the church, and look! On the anniversary of the great fire, on the 9th of October 1872, the new church could be dedicated. It is a faithful image of the first, and it also cost exactly the same amount ($30,000). God had so magnificently helped, that on the day of the dedication, the congregation had no more debt than on the day before the fire.
In the year 1877, from the 6th until the 12th of June, St. Paul’s congregation again hosted the Synod, namely the Illinois District, which held its third convention. The great wound, which God’s hand dealt, was again healed, so now the congregation could show in this way their love for God’s business and kingdom with their old vigor. For a congregation, the synodical meeting days are commonly not only days at which sacrificial love was very strongly in demand, but also days of rich blessings. 253 synodical guests were present. The honorable general president, Dr. Walther, delivered the opening sermon on 2nd Timothy 1:13–14 and demonstrated: “Why we ought to hold fast to the confession of the orthodox Church of all times with unwavering faith even in this, our time. Thus: 1. By it we hold fast to nothing other than the pure word of God itself. And second, because by it we preserve our freedom from human bondage in things of faith and of knowledge at the same time .
This was the last synodical sermon which Dr. Walther had delivered as the general president of Synod. In the sessions, theses were discussed about union or brotherhood and ecclesiastical fellowship (See Synodical Report of the Illinois District, 1877).
Pastor Wunder had, namely in the years 1857 until 1863, a great deal of missionary work to perform outside of the work in his congregation. As faithful coworkers in this exceedingly blessed work, he had the pastors Muller and later Bener from the Immanuel Congregation. These pastors founded and served congregations at the time in north and middle Illinois, in Michigan, and Wisconsin in Indiana and even in Iowa. This wide ranging mission was operated by both of the congregations, St. Paul and Immanuel in common. For this mission both congregations would call in the course of time the pastors W. Heinemann, G. Löber, and H. Früchtenicht as associate pastors. Gradually independent congregations grew from many of what had previously served as a preaching station. *) But nevertheless, Pastor Wunder still had many mission trips to make, but above all, the work in Chicago was growing a lot. Then there was the fact that Pastor Wunder later also had the office of District President of Illinois to manage. For the sake of the still large external mission work and for the sake of the constantly growing work in Chicago, the congregation of 1864 called the candidate of theology, Johannes Grosse as associate pastor, who held this office, until the St. John congregation was branched off, whose first pastor was Pastor John Grosse. After him, in 1869, Pastor J. W. Duerl was hired as associate pastor of St Paul congregation, who exercised this office until St. James congregation was branched off. In more recent times, Pastors Herman Brauns and Herman Sauer were shared associate pastors with St. Paul’s and St. James congregations.
In October 1872, Herr Christian Schumm was called by the church as a teacher to the underclass of the school; after the death of teacher Fischer, Shumm became his successor. Teacher Schumm died on 16th of November 1895. His successor was Teacher L. Döring. The sainted teacher J. N. Haase established a particularly expensive memorial in the congregation. He was a teacher in the congregation in the summer of 1866 and had worked faithfully until his blessed death on the 26th of July 1896.
The St. Paul’s Congregation is no longer as big as she was especially because of several branches. Their current numbers are: 147 voting and 710 communicant members. She has two schools, two male teachers, and a female teacher and 150 school children. The current two teachers are Johann Dörfler and L. Döring. She is the mother-congregation of all Chicago congregations and, as such she will share the proper love and respect. This again appeared clearly appropriate at the celebration of their golden Jubilee, of which we will describe later in this book.
*)(Note original) Of the many congregations which had been founded by the pastors in Chicago, we name only: LaPort, IN, St. Joseph, Mich, Aurora, Joliet, Champaign and Roc Island, IL. It should be noted that there was no expenditure for such expensive trips from the treasury of the inner mission, because such a treasury did not exist.
