Historical Fiction, Immigration, Perry County, LCMS, Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod 

How did the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod have its beginning in America? The book Except the Corn Die is an excellent novelization of the beginnings of our church body, combining fiction with facts, characters with real people. Together they explain how a group of 700 Saxon immigrants made quite an impact on Lutheranism in America. 

The story begins in Germany, in the early 1800's, when Lutherans were challenged by the rise of rationalism, pietism, and synergism. When Friedrich Wilhelm III called for a "Prussian Union" of Lutheran and Reformed (Calvinist) churches, Lutherans (some who became called "Old Lutherans") resisted. Led by a man named Martin Stephan, one of these groups formed an Emigration Society and made plans to leave their homeland and move to a country where they would be free to maintain congregations that were orthodox and true in doctrine. The challenges to the emigrants were many: organizing and financing the emigration, leaving their local congregations plus their beloved relatives and friends, bearing much criticism from other Germans, enduring the long journey by ship.

Once they arrived in America, life continued to be a great challenge. In fact, some of the people were concerned that they might starve that first winter. The chief problem arose when their leader Bishop Martin Stephan was accused of mismanaging money, making poor decisions regarding land and property for the people in the Emigration Society, and having adulterous affairs with some of the women! What would the future of the Perry County, Missouri, group be? Should they go back to Germany? Should they press on and make America their home? Who would be their new leader once Stephan was forced out of the settlement? The book answers the questions in a very interesting read. An excellent book, full of information, strung together with a good story, a bit of romance, and even some challenging German phrases!