A Day in the Light for the Synod of the Northwest

Abstract

Carl J. Busse’s essay recounts the theological crisis and doctrinal trials that shook the English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the Northwest in the 1950s. The essay centers on three pastors—George Crist, John Gerberding, and Victor Wrigley—whose teachings reflected modernist theology, denying biblical infallibility, miracles, and core doctrines such as the virgin birth and resurrection. Their views prompted formal heresy trials, led by Synod President Paul Bishop and Synod Prosecutor Charles Burmeister. While Crist was found guilty and removed from ministry, Gerberding and Wrigley were ultimately cleared under controversial circumstances, despite holding similar views. Busse argues that these events marked a turning point for the Synod, which abandoned its autonomous stance and joined the more liberal Lutheran Church in America in 1963. The essay highlights the importance of doctrinal clarity and the dangers of theological compromise, portraying the trials as a brief “day in the light” before doctrinal decline. —Abstract generated by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4)