Pastor Louis Harms
I have just been reading the latest edition of “The Lutheran” (the official mag of the Lutheran Church of Australia) and hearing all about past Seminary class mates who are now “presidents” (aka bishops) – the latest is Pastor Greg Pfeiffer who has become President of the WA District.
But what really interested me is this article on Pastor Louis (Ludwig) Harms, who established the Hermannsburg Mission Seminary in Germany in 1849 where many Australian Lutheran pastors received their training in previous centuries. (The central Australia Aboriginal Mission “Hermannsburg” was named after this centre.)
Hermannsburg Seminary was in part inspired by the revival of Pastor Wilhelm Loehe. This revival was both pietistic and catholic in inspiration – both John Henry Newman and our modern day evangelical Catholics would recognise a kindred spirit.
Anyway, there is a conventional picture of Pastor Harms at the top of this post, but check out this picture of Pastor Harms which was included in the article in the print edition of “The Lutheran”.
You may note with interest that he appears to be relaxing in his cassock – was that usual for Lutheran pastors in his day? But what is that in his mouth?
Could it be one of these?
Cherry wood pipe from my own collection
