rate
with a movement which so truly represents the principles for which we
stand? It will require a considerable addition to the teaching force of
our churches. It will mean an expensive reconstruction of our
schoolrooms. It will cost money. But it will be worth while.

The Problem of Lapsed Lutherans

There are four hundred thousand lapsed Lutherans in New York, nearly
three times as many as enrolled members of the churches.

A lapsed Lutheran is one who was once a member, but for some reason has
slipped the cable that connected him with the church. He still claims to
be a Lutheran but he is not enrolled as a member of a particular
congregation.

Most lapsed Lutherans are of foreign origin. From figures compiled by
Dr. Laidlaw (see "Federation," Vol. 6, No. 4), we obtain the number of
Protestants of foreign origin, enumerated according to the country of
birth of parents, one parent or both. The number of Lutherans we obtain
by subtracting from the "Protestants" the estimated number of
non-Lutherans. Thus:

Protestants Lutherans
Norway .......... 33,344 - 10% = 30,010
Sweden .......... 56,766 - 10% = 51,090
Denmark ......... 11,996 - 10% = 10,797
Finland ......... 10,304 - 10% = 9,274
Germany .........486,252 - 20% = 389,002
Austria-Hungary . 27,680 - 80% = 5,535
Russia* ......... 15,000 - 20% = 12,000
507,708

*Many of the Lutherans who have come to us of late years from
Russia, Austro-Hungary and other countries of South Eastern Europe, are
the descendants of German Lutherans who in the eighteenth century
accepted the invitation of Katharine the Second and Marie Theresia to
settle in their dominions. Others are members of various races from the
Baltic Provlnces.

That is, the estimated number of Lutherans of foreign origin, counting
only the chief countries from which they emigrate to America, is
507,708.

But w

The Lutherans of New York

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