Walther was the first President of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. He said, “A Christian congregation cannot simply claim that there are state funds for the poor and homes for them, which they also support . . . Here where Church and State are separated, the church should not allow its sole care for its poor to be taken away.” Walther certainly had in mind the poor within the congregation, but this also extends to the poor and needy outside the congregation. He goes on to say, “Indeed, each individual Christian should demonstrate his kind readiness toward everyone, also toward the stranger (including those of different belief) . . .from ” History Worth Repeating: C.F.W. Walther and Wilhelm Löhe on Mercy and the Church By Samuel P. Schuldheisz
