History
In our post about Saints Cyril and Methodius, we discussed at length how these two men are best known for being the Apostles to the Slavs and bringing the Gospel to many Christians in what we would now consider Eastern Europe. This particular detail of these brothers’ lives is especially important to us LCMS Lutherans as Slovak Lutherans have long had ties to our synod.
Just as Cyril and Methodius faced persecution for bringing the Gospel to the Slavs in their vernacular language, Slovak Lutherans have also faced struggles and persecution in their homeland. Lutheranism was adopted by Slavs in the early sixth century, and although it was opposed by local Roman Catholic authorities, it was widely embraced.
Despite persecution, Slovak Lutherans kept their faith and even continued Cyril and Methodius’s work of translating the Bible and their hymns into local languages for all to enjoy. Pastor Jiří Třanovský (1592-1637) translated the Augsburg Confession into Slovak and produced the hymnal “Cithara Sanctorum,” which has even contributed hymns to our own Lutheran Service Book.
Slovak Lutherans in America
When Slovaks started to immigrate to the US at the beginning of the twentieth century, they brought with them their unique flavor of Lutheranism. They formed the Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELC), which affiliated with the Synodical Conference, of which the Missouri Synod was also a part. In 1971 the SELC became a non-geographical district of the LCMS, which it remains today.
If you have ever interacted with the SELC district of the LCMS or know Slovak Lutherans, you know that they take pride in their heritage and independent spirit. We can thank God for their place in our synod in part because after World War II, Slovakia was plunged into the darkness of communist rule and was subject to state-enforced atheism. Many Lutheran churches in Slovakia were damaged, both physically and spiritually. Since the fall of the iron curtain, American Lutherans have helped to rebuild Slovak Lutheran communities, and the LCMS has especially supported these efforts.
Further, because of Slovak Lutherans’ home in our synod and the preservation of their heritage in the US, we are fortunate to still have a good record of the history of these people and their love for their faith, even while much of that historical record has been destroyed in Slovakia. Thus, in the spirit of Cyril and Methodius’s love for the Slavs, a great way for the Lutheran Church to commemorate these men’s work is to learn more about the story of Slovak Lutherans.
We encourage you to read up on the incorporation of the SELC into the LCMS and learn more about these wonderful brothers in Christ. There are a few ways of doing that and sources to consult, but to make it easy for your own education and the teaching of your household, we’ve made a printable for your use! Check out the document below to learn more about a few of the key figures of Slovak Lutheranism and find a timeline of important events. We hope you enjoy!
