2023 CHI Awards Banquet honors historians of North American Lutheranism
PRESS RELEASE—CLAYTON, MISSOURI
On November 2, 2023, Concordia Historical Institute (CHI) hosted its 50th annual Awards Banquet and annual members meeting. Every year, the CHI awards banquet honors scholars from across the nation—even, in some years, across the globe—who are moving Lutheran history forward through their research and publications. A diverse group working in a wide range of specializations was present this year. A full list of the awardees is included at the end of this press release.
Rev. Dr. Ken Schurb, Mission Executive for the Central Illinois District and the book review editor of Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, gave the banquet essay. Titled “It’s Been Fifty Years,” Dr. Schurb’s talk looked back on the 1973 New Orleans LCMS Convention, reflecting on lessons we can learn from church history, including the history surrounding the Walkout. Schurb was enthusiastic about the role of historians, whom Martin Luther himself called “the most useful people.” Rather than focusing on the dark or controversial moments, Dr. Schurb, who is a contributor to Concordia Historical Institute’s latest monograph, Rediscovering the Issues Surrounding the 1974 Concordia Seminary Walkout, focused instead on the powerful moments of faithfulness and witness, from which we can all learn.
More than just awards
In addition, the night was also occasion for the annual CHI members meeting and the launch of the 2023 End-of-Year appeal. Members of the institute had a chance to review CHI’s financial status and major updates for 2022. The Institute is in good standing and has also made significant progress on a number of fronts. New collections, increased outreach, a return to pre-Covid research numbers, and promising opportunities marked the year. The final fundraising push for the year also begun. Current members received a brochure outlining current and future projects at CHI of interest to potential donors. The entire brochure, along with additional content, is available online on the CHI website. Additional information will be going out on Facebook and over our email newsletter. For more information about making a one-time or recurring gift to CHI, please contact us or give online today.
About Concordia Historical Institute
Concordia Historical Institute (CHI) is the Department of Archives and History for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. CHI exists to trumpet the treasures of our Lutheran legacy. In addition to its activities as an active archive open to the public for research, CHI also seeks to increase the awareness and appreciation of the church’s history within the LCMS through maintaining two museum exhibits, recognizing major publications on Lutheran history, and sharing the story of our church and her faith with the world. To support CHI’s ministry of honoring Christ by remembering His work among North American Lutherans, become a member of the Institute by calling 314-505-7900 or visiting https://concordiahistoricalinstitute.org/membership/.
Award Recipients for 2022 Publications
Award of Commendation
Major Publications
Farney, Kirk D. Ministers of a New Medium: Broadcasting Theology in the Radio Ministries of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 2022.
District History
Koestering, Johann Friedrich. The Emigration of the Saxon Lutherans in the Year 1838 and Their Settlement in Perry County, Missouri, including an Account of the Emigration and Founding of the Missouri Synod by C. F. W. Walther and a Memorial by J. F. Koestering to G. A. Schieferdecker. Saint Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 2022.
Kolodziej, Benjamin A. Joyful Singing: A Story of Lutheran Sacred Music in Texas. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 2022.
Institutional History
Hartzell, Eric. Inashood: The Story of the Arizona Apache Lutheran Missions and Their Pastors. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Northwestern Publishing House, 2022.
Jass, Stephanie J. Days Filled with Sunshine: One Hundred Years of Camp Arcadia. Brookfield, Missouri: The Donning Company, 2022.
Prahlow, Jim. Lutheran High School Association – Tidings of Great Joy – The History of Our Schools. Evansville, Indiana: Evansville Bindery, 2022. [Saint Louis, Missouri]
Family History/Biography
Brauer, David. Missionary to America: E. A. Brauer, 1819-1896. Independently Published, 2022.
Luecke, Edgar. The Luecke Family of Cleveland, Ohio (1847-2022). Self-published, 2022.
Wyman, Sharon M. Power, Passion, and Faith: Emmy Carlsson Evald, Suffragist and Social Activist. Saint Louis, Missouri: Open Books Press, 2022.* [Augustana Synod]
Other
Stephenson, John R. translator, Wilhelm Löhe. Aphorisms on Church and Office Old and New. Saint Catherines, ON: Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary. 2022.
Congregational History/Anniversary
Duda, Judith M., Alicia Hubert Duffy and Paul W. Wehr. Like a Mustard Seed: A Century of Faith. Oviedo, FL: Saint Luke Lutheran Church, 2016.
Articles
From Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly
Haupt, Benjamin. “A Review of Herman Koppelmann’s Essay ‘Walther and Missions’”. Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly 95:2 (Summer 2022). pp. 25-36.
From the Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference
Granquist, Mark. “American Lutheran Reactions to the Labor Movement in the 1890s.” Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference 2020 (2022). pp. 73-89.
Other Articles
Corzine, Jacob. “Wilhelm Loehe’s 1866 Sermons on the Lord’s Supper.” Lutheran Quarterly 36:2 (Summer 2022). pp. 151-165.
Phetsanghane, Souksamay K. “A Translation of August Pieper’s “Hitler and the Protestant Church of Germany,.”” .” WELS Historical Institute Journal 40:1 (2022). pp. 34-43.
Honorable Mention
Major Works
Wetzel, Benjamin James. American Crusade: Christianity, Warfare, and National Identity 1860-1920. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 2022.
District/Regional History
Bryce, Benjamin. The Boundaries of Ethnicity: German Immigration and the Language of Belonging in Ontario. Montreal, Canada: Mc-Gill Queen’s University Press, 2022.
Institutional History
Missouri North: The History of the Lutheran Church – Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2022.
Family History/Biography
Robertson, Christopher Hunt. The Alsatian Bieber (Beaver) Clan: German – American Educational and Mainline Protestant Leaders of Pennsylvania, North Carolina, the Midwest, and Beyond. Google Books, 2021 (e-book).
Congregational History/Anniversary
History of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Malcolm, Nebraska, The – Celebrating Our 100th Anniversary (1922-2022). Self-published, 2022.
Articles
From Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly
Cario, William R. “Healthcare in Lutheran Higher Education: Enhancement of Vocation at Concordia University.” Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly 95:3 (2022). pp. 56-72.
Loest, Mark A. “The First Convention of the Missouri Synod in 1847.” Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly 95:1 (Spring 2022). pp. 11-31.
From the Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference
Diefenthaler, Jon. “Remnant of Unity: Lutheran World Relief at Seventy-Five Years.” Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference 2020 (2022). pp. 185-195.
Grindal, Gracia. “The Context Behind the Founding of the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church (Mindekirken).” Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference 2020 (2022). pp. 114-136.
Hall, Mirko. “Jumping for Heavenly Joy: Laestadian Lutherans and Extreme Evangelicalism in Early Twentieth-Century Minnesota.” Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference 2020 (2022). pp. 137-153.
Williams, Kim-Eric. “The Gloria Dei Records Project.” Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference 2020 (2022). pp. 196-206.
Wilson, Jonathan. “The Mission, Ministry, and Legacy of Charles Anderson, General Synod Home Missionary to Swedish Immigrants.” Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference 2020 (2022). pp. 52-72
Other Articles
Granquist, Mark. “The Uses and Misuses of History.” Word & World 42:3 (2022). pp. 217-218.
Kolodziej, Benjamin. “Translations, Traditions, and Transformations: Catherine Winkworth and the Lutheran Chorale in English.” Concordia Theological Quarterly 86:3-4 (2022). pp. 303-338.
Moeller, James. “The Big Blank Ledger.” WELS Historical Institute Journal 40:2
Scaer, David P. “Justification in the Theology of Robert D. Preus.” Concordia Theological Quarterly 86:1 (January 2022). pp. 43-56.
Weerts, Christine. “Betty Anderson: A Life Dedicated to Faith, Justice, and Community.” Lutheran Forum 56:1 (2022). pp. 49-56.
