Quotations from C.F.W. Walther on Education
The Christian Education of their children was a central concern of the Saxon emigrants to America. He observed:
¶ “Concern for the future of their children in both church and school, was the most compelling reason for the emigration to America.” Another of the Saxon emigrants noted, “To be sure, the principal reason for the emigration was to insure a Christian Schooling for our children.” - C.F.W. Walther: The American Luther, Arthur H. Drevlow, Walther Press, ©1987, page 174
Upon their arrival in America, the first building erected by the Saxons was not a church or even their own homes, but a school. This is the content of an ad expressing their intent for the school:
¶ “We the undersigned, intend to establish an instruction and training institution which differs from the common elementary schools principally in that it will embrace, outside of (in addition to) the general and elementary curriculum, all branches of the classical high school, which are necessary for a true Christian and scientific education, such as: Religion, the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, German, French and English languages; History, Geography, Mathematics, Physics, natural history, Introduction to Philosophy, Music, and Drawing.” - C.F.W. Walther: The American Luther, Arthur H. Drevlow, Walther Press, ©1987, page 175
There can be no doubt that Walther continued to encourage parish schools throughout his life. Toward the end of his career, he wrote:
¶ “May God preserve for our German Lutheran Church the treasure of her parochial schools! Humanly speaking, everything depends on that for the future of our church in America. As all church bodies in America have worked for their own dissolution from the time on when they permitted the state to care for the education of their children, so the most careful cultivation of our parochial schools is and remains, after the public ministry, the chief means for our preservation and continuation.” - C.F.W. Walther: The American Luther, Arthur H. Drevlow, Walther Press, ©1987, page 184
As a good pastor, Walther concerned himself with the content as well as the methods used in the parish schools, and he did others to do the same:
¶ “Where schools have been established, it is absolutely necessary for the pastor to visit them. ... At first glance this part of the pastoral office does seem to be of minor importance. But just be sure of this that primarily from this part one can distinguish between a true pastor of the church and an hireling, between a pastor in name only and a real pastor. For how can someone who does not care about the foundation be seriously concerned about the building?” - C.F.W. Walther: The American Luther, Arthur H. Drevlow, Walther Press, ©1987, page 183
¶ “There are indeed legions of books but as yet there is no text which we can place into the hands of our dear children for the purpose of edifying them without placing them in jeopardy. Most books currently available are cheap moralistic and rationalistic productions that rather than edifying our children will ruin them.” - C.F.W. Walther: The American Luther, Arthur H. Drevlow, Walther Press, ©1987, page 179
¶ “We [are] of the opinion that the current method of teaching the children a little of everything produces shallow, opinionated individuals, who consider themselves experts in all areas while in fact they know very little.” - C.F.W. Walther: The American Luther, Arthur H. Drevlow, Walther Press, ©1987, page 179
