Walther League Records

C. F. W. Walther was really the initiator of young people's societies. On May 7, 1848, he helped start a youth group at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Louis, the first one in North America among Lutherans. By 1855, 23 congregations had established similar groups. As early as 1851, Walther suggested forming a federation of these groups. This was done in 1854, but it was soon dissolved.

Finally, on May 23, 1893, at Buffalo, New York, "Die Walther Liga” or the Walther League was officially formed and intended to be the youth organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference. By 1895, 43 societies had joined but growth was slow after that until in 1910 it was decided to set up a full-time staff and to use the English language entirely. By 1920, 469 societies had joined. During the 1920’ s the program more than tripled to 1,682 societies by 1930. The number did not increase much until after the war. The post-war feeling led to another boom in numbers of societies, so that in 1964 there were 4,882 societies with a total membership of 109,442.

The Walther League had an executive board that made the policies and initiated major programs. The staff in 1964 consisted of seven executives and 26 office workers. Executive secretaries in the past were O. P. Kretzmann (1934-40), O. H. Theiss (1941-52), and Elmer Witt (1953-present time, as of 1966). The office title was changed to Director of Youth Work, as of 1966.

From the executive offices came various programs of the League. The purpose of the League was summarized in ten points, but later it was summarized in five points, education, worship, fellowship service, and recreation. As a result, there were two main publications. The first was directed to all youth and was initiated in lune, 1892 called Der Vereinsbote. This continued until in 1913 it became known as the Walther League Messenger. Dr. W. Maier served as editor of the Messenger until 1947. The decision was made in 1963 to replace the Messenger with the inter-Lutheran journal, called Arena. Within three years of this Arena merged with One, the publication of the Division of Youth Activity of the American Lutheran Church. The second publication was directed to the leaders of the League and was called the Workers’ Quarterly.

The League's motto was “Pro Aris et Focis", "For Church and Home."

To assist in leadership training, the League promoted Lutheran Service Volunteer schools all over, the Caravanning program, and Camp Workers Council, which included those who worked at Walther league camps such as Arcadia.

The venture in education and services had included the Christian Youth Mission (Bible Reading League), 1950-S3, the Home Mission Builders and Foreign Mission Builders Projects, 1956-57, and the Inasmuch program, 1960-63. The main service project had been supported by the Wheat Ridge Foundation and Sanatorium located in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The work had begun in 1904 and resulted in $225,000 available for building of a tuberculosis hospital, which the Walther League assumed ownership in 1927. The work expanded to have a Social Services Committee. Support for this work mainly came from Wheat Ridge Christmas Seals Campaigns annually. In addition to all this, the Walther League also had supported missionaries and the mission stations in various countries. In 1924, 12 missionaries were supported.

The League worked through District Walther Leagues, Zone Walther Leagues, and congregational Walther Leagues to carry out the various programs. The reshuffle in 1965 of administration meant that the burden of carrying out the International program would lie upon the District Walther League organization.

The Board for Young People of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod was the Synodical organ designed for young people and cooperated with the International Walther League. Executive Board to establish basic policies. This board was in existence since 1920 and consisted of two pastors, two teachers, and one layman. In general, it promoted youth work at District and congregational levels, and was under the Division of Parish Education and Services. The executive staff of the international Walther League worked in Chicago at the Lutheran Youth Building established in 1942 at a cost of $130,000.

Since 1946, the staff was involved in All-Lutheran Youth Leaders’ Conferences held annually to establish points of cooperation among the various Lutheran church bodies. In the Walther League collection are 45 boxes of materials and contains 11,662 items including a collection of wheat Ridge Christmas Seals 1910-1963.

Revised and verified January 2008 by Caroline Honeycutt