Johannes Andreas August Grabau (March 18, 1804—June 2, 1879) was an influential German-American Old Lutheran pastor and

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

. He is usually mentioned as J. A. A. Grabau. Grabau was born in Olvenstedt,

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

(now a part of greater

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

, Germany). He was the son of Johann Andreas Grabau and Anna Dorothea Jericho. Grabau was educated at the grammar school in Olvenstedt (1809–1818), the Magdeburg Gymnasium (1818–1825) and at the

University of Halle Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (), also referred to as MLU, is a public research university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg. It is the largest and oldest university in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. MLU offers German and i ...

(1825–1829). After three years as a teacher in

and Sachsa bei Nordhausen, Grabau was ordained and installed as pastor of St. Andrew's Church in

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Central Germany (cultural area), Central German state of Thuringia, with a population of around 216,000. It lies in the wide valley of the Gera (river), River Gera, in the so ...

in June 1834. Grabau was jailed twice for refusing to use the Prussian union

Agenda Agenda (: agendum) may refer to: Information management * Agenda (meeting), points to be discussed and acted upon, displayed as a list * Political agenda, the set of goals of an ideological group * Lotus Agenda, a DOS-based personal informatio ...

and was permitted to immigrate to America in summer 1839 with members of Lutheran congregations in Erfurt and Magdeburg. They settled in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, where he served as pastor of a Lutheran congregation for 40 years. On July 15, 1845, along with four pastors, Grabau founded "The Synod of the Lutheran Church emigrated from Prussia" (German: ''Synode der aus Preussen ausgewanderten lutherischen Kirche'') which became known as the Buffalo Synod. Grabau also founded the Martin Luther College in Buffalo. Grabau retained control of the Martin Luther College and remained as its rector. The official organ of Grabau's synod after 1866 was ''Die Wachende Kirche'', under his editorship. Grabau was married on July 15, 1834, to Christine Sophia Burgraf, the daughter of Johann Andreas Burggraf and Friedericke Louise Elizabeth Beulke. They had at least three children: Johann, Wilhelm, and Beata. Grabau died on June 2, 1879, in Buffalo, New York, shortly before the 40th anniversary of his arrival in the United States.''Johann Andreas August Grabau (1804-1879) Family Collection, 1840-1866'' ( Concordia Historical Institute

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References

Other sources

* Clifford E. Nelson, ''Lutherans in North America'' (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress Publishers. 1980)

External links

Lutherans - The Buffalo Synod
Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge

A biographical sketch of Grabau from Missouri's Central Methodist College ---- 19th-century German Lutheran clergy 19th-century American Lutheran clergy German emigrants to the United States 1804 births 1879 deaths Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod {{Lutheran-stub