The Formation and Influence of St. Sebald Lutheran Church

Abstract

The history of St. Sebald Lutheran Church in Strawberry Point, Iowa is one of outreach and influence. Despite being located in a town that seems insignificant on a current map, St. Sebald itself was a hub of religious outreach and had a lasting impact on the region around it. Its establishment in northeastern Iowa altered the faith landscape of the area. The extent of its influence includes the founding of other area churches that count themselves as ‘daughter churches’ of St. Sebald and the beginnings of the Iowa Synod. The German Lutherans who founded St. Sebald also participated in missionary work to the American Indians of the midwest region. They, like other Christian denominations, sought to bring Christianity to the Indian tribes of the area. However, unlike other denominations, their work has been largely ignored or lumped together with other denominations. This practice has diluted the uniqueness of the missions conducted and relationships held by the German Lutherans of St. Sebald with the American Indians of the area such as the story of the two Indian boys. A single monument marks the graves of two American Indians who were part of the mission work conducted by St. Sebald Lutheran Church to the surrounding regions. The lives of these two individuals have been reduced to a single statement on the monument: Here two baptized Indians rest in God. By studying the history of St. Sebald Lutheran Church, I intend to reaffirm the importance and influence of the church as well as those impacted by its foundation. St. Sebald has left an indelible mark that history has condensed into brief mentions, unbefitting its contributions.