1889-1908 President Philip von Rohr

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1889-1908 WELS President Philip von RohrPhilip von Rohr

was born in Buffalo, New York, on February 13, 1843, to recent immigrants from Prussia. His father, Heinrich von Rohr, was a former captain in the Prussian royal guards. Yet, he had resigned his commission due to his strong opposition to the Prussian Union—the forced merger of Lutheran and Reformed Churches—which went against the public confession of the Lutheran Church and was a tyrannical oppression on the consciences of thousands of “Old Lutherans.” The elder von Rohr became a pastor and was one of the main leaders of the Prussian Old Lutheran emigration to the United States, where many sought the freedom to teach and worship as genuine Lutherans. This group, based mainly in New York and Wisconsin, founded a new synod in Milwaukee in 1845, commonly called the “Buffalo Synod.”
Philipp von Rohr attended the synod’s Martin Luther College and Seminary in Buffalo. While he did not look back on his nine years of higher education with much fondness, he made some distinct features of Prussian Old Lutheranism his own,

“Pastor Grabau, we are all honored. His example influenced me and others favorably and taught us never to complain of overwork in our parishes. Thanks be to God that we were all imbued with an attitude of complete devotion to our calling.”

This dedication to his calling, instilled by Pastor John Grabau, became a defining feature of Philipp von Rohr’s character. After being ordained in Bergholz, New York, von Rohr served a congregation in Toledo from 1863 to 1866. He then accepted a call to serve St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, a small congregation of nine families in Winona, Minnesota. His pastorate of over forty years was marked by tremendous growth—the congregation swelled to over 1,300 communicant members with 250 students in the parochial school. Von Rohr also helped establish and serve several daughter congregations in the area. His friendly demeanor, impressive physical stature, and level of education earned him high regard, even from the non-German Lutheran community.

While the Buffalo Synod was highly principled, they often struggled with balancing faithfulness to pure doctrine with evangelical practice. In 1866, Heinrich and Philipp von Rohr led a split from Grabau and, what the younger von Rohr called, his “dictatorial attitude.” Philipp von Rohr served as the second (and last) president of the rump Buffalo Synod which he dissolved in 1875. It was too small and scattered to work effectively. Yet, von Rohr did not want to walk alone.

“I was confronted with the question, where to now?”

In 1877, Philipp von Rohr led his congregations and (over the next few years) many of the remaining Buffalo Synod pastors into the Wisconsin Synod. The Wisconsin Synod’s balance of confessionalism and evangelical practice, among other factors, seemed more attractive to the former Buffalo Synod leader than the Missouri Synod, despite their shared “Old Lutheran” heritage.

The attraction was mutual. Von Rohr quickly demonstrated his ability and gifts for leadership within the Wisconsin Synod. He was elected as synod president in 1889 and is credited for the positive development of both missions and institutions. He was a leader in the opposition of the infamous “Bennett Law” in Wisconsin that would have severely hampered religious education in German-speaking parochial schools. He led the synod to replace the burned-down facilities at Northwestern College. The most significant shift—the federation of the independent Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan synods into a joint synod—also took place under his guidance as he remained president of the Wisconsin Synod within the federation. Despite significant obstacles to fully integrating the synods, von Rohr’s leadership was instrumental in leading to a significant spirit of brotherly harmony and cooperation— as seen in his words at the dedication of the new seminary in Wauwatosa in 1893.

“We have tendered [this seminary] to the Joint Synod and thereby demonstrated, with our joyful and willing sacrifice, how urgent it is for us to help our fellow believers and further the wonder work of building God’s kingdom.”

Von Rohr’s death on December 22, 1908, made local headlines and was widely mourned throughout the Wisconsin Synod.

For Further Reading:

  1. Balge, Richard D. 1975. “Von Rohr: A Beloved Brother and Faithful Minister.” Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly.
  2. E.F.D. 1909. “Präses Philipp von Rohr.” Evangelisch-Lutherisches Gemeinde-Blatt, January 1: 1-2.
  3. Mueller, Bruce. 1989. “The Influence of Philip Andreas von Rohr.” essays.wisluthsem.org. May 1.
  4. 1956. One Hundred Years: Centennial Booklet of St. Martin’s Lutheran Church. Winona, Minnesota.
  5. 1895. “Rev. Philip von Rohr.” In Portrait and Biographical Record of Winona County, Minnesota, 187-188. Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company.
  6. Sauer, Philip von Rohr. 1987. “The Rev. Philip von Rohr: Devoted Pioneer Pastor and Leader of the Wisconsin Synod.” WELS Historical Institute Journal 3-20.