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Samuel William Schmitthenner, AELC | |
|---|---|
| The Reverend | |
| Church | Lutheran |
| Diocese | Synods of East Godavari, West Godavari, East Guntur, West Guntur, Central Guntur |
| See | Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC) |
| In office | 1969–1981 |
| Predecessor | K. Devasahayam |
| Successor | K. Nathaniel |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 23, 1951[1] by Central Pennsylvania Synod, United Lutheran Church in America[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 23, 1928[2] Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Died | May 17, 2015[2] Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Previous post(s) | Pastor, Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society |
Samuel William Schmitthenner (February 23, 1928 – May 17, 2015) was a Lutheran pastor who served as the President of the Protestant Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India from 1969 to 1981.[3]
Early life[edit | edit source]
His parents, Marian and August Schmitthenner missionaries were in Rajahmundry, India.[4]
Studies[edit | edit source]
S. W. Schmitthenner studied at the Kodaikanal International School in Tamil Nadu and in 1944 moved on to Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he earned a graduate degree in 1948.[4] He continued his studies and earned a Master of Divinity (M. Div.) degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg in 1951.[4]
Gettysburg College honored him with an honorary D.D. in 1977; in 2013, the Kodaikanal International School awarded him the Margaret Eddy Award in honor of his service to the school.[4]
Career[edit | edit source]
S. W. Schmitthenner initially served as a missionary to India from 1952 onwards.[5] He worked as a pastor of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society in Andhra Pradesh, India.[4] During his time in India, Schmitthenner returned twice to America to upgrade his academics. In 1958-1959[1] he attended the Kennedy School of Missions at Hartford, Connecticut, and again in 1966[1] he joined the University of Pennsylvania for studying Indian Sociology.
He returned to the US in 1982 and was the pastor of Faith United Lutheran Parish in Claysburg, Pennsylvania, from that time until 1991.[3]
Family life[edit | edit source]
In 1950, he married his school sweetheart, Ruth Gosselink; Ruth died in 1996 and a year later, he married Barbara Kolumban.[4]
Contribution[edit | edit source]
Template:S-hon| Religious titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by K. Devasahayam[6] 1965–1969 |
President Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church 1969–1981[6] |
Succeeded by K. Nathaniel 1981–1989[6] |
| Preceded by M. Elia Peter, MCI, 1975-1977 |
Chairperson, Board of Governors, Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad 1977-1979 |
Succeeded by B. Victor Emmanuel, STBC, 1980-1982 |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Report of the Secretary, Lower Susquehanna Synod, 2015, p.22. [www.lss-elca.org/Redesign/wp.../Complete-Report-of-the-Secretary.pdf]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gettysburg Times, Samuel William Schmitthenner, May 22, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Rev. Samuel William Schmitthenner Collection - Collection Identifier: ULS-MS-042". United Lutheran Seminary. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Samuel Schmitthenner Obituary". Legacy.com. May 22, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
- ↑ Amanda Caligiuri, Hidden in Plain Sight: Plaque in the Chapel, Gettysburg, 2006, p.5.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Kolluri Luther Richardson, Towards Self-Reliance : A historical survey of the programmes and efforts of Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1927 to 1969, Published by Christopher and Kanakaiah, Vijayawada, 2003, p.78.
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- Kolluri Luther Richardson (2003). "Towards Self-Reliance : A historical survey of the programmes and efforts of Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1927–1969, Published by Christopher and Kanakaiah, Vijayawada".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Michael Bergunder (1999). Die südindische Pfingstbewegung im 20. Jahrhundert: eine historische und systematische Untersuchung. 113. Vol. of Studien zur interkulturellen Geschichte des Christentums. ISBN 978-3-631-33771-4.
- R. Joseph and B. Suneel Bhanu (1993). "Bibliography of Original Christian Writings in India in Telugu".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Martin Senftleben (1992). "Influences of Hinduism on Christianity in Andhra Pradesh. Unpublished PhD thesis, Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati" (PDF). I. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 9, 2008. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ______________ (1992). "Influences of Hinduism on Christianity in Andhra Pradesh. Unpublished PhD thesis, Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati" (PDF). II. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 9, 2008. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - M. Victor Paul (1990). "Parish Renewal in Reflections on Theology Today – Papers presented by the ACTC faculty during the academic year 1988–1989 on Theology and Mission and Ministry of the Church".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - B. C. Paul (1984). "The Emergence of a Church in South India: A Study of the Growth and Development of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church: 1905–1927. Unpublished Th. D. thesis submitted to the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago". Archived from the original on July 12, 2011.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help)