While googling for a John George Staerke upon the request of David Weber I came upon Wilhelm Staerkel. I had always heard that he was a Reformed pastor in Norka and also that he had served in the USA in Wisconsin before returning to Russia. I also had understood that he served in a Reformed Church in the USA. Imagine my surprise when I came upon the following information in Volume 21 Nr. 1 April, 2003 and Vol. 21 Nr. 2 November, 2003 of the Journal of the WELS Historical Institute. WELS = Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. At the time when Pastor Staerkel served in this synod (many of its pastors had received their education at the Basel Mission Seminary) it was called the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Wisconsin and Other States. It later merged with the Michigan and Minnesota Synods to form a larger church body. Here is what happened when Pastor Staerkel served in the Wisconsin Synod and I quote from the sources above which are posted on the internet (someone has translated the proceedings of the synod from its convention) Pages 12 - 13 "During the course of the past winter it happened that one of our pastors, W. Staerkel, published two books, which not only contained very unsound and non-Lutheran doctrine about the End Times, but also promoted heterodoxy into which he had fallen. Confronted by the Southern Conference of which he was a member, he was not to be swayed to listen with open ears and heart to correct advice and truth. Because of this a complaint was lodged against him by this conference to which I took the occasion to deal with him but without any kind of successful result. I invited him to come to Watertown for further discussion. But instead of accepting this invitation, he requested his release from the synod altogether with the note that he was thinking of returning to the Russia Volga Colony, his homeland. I gave him a recommendation together with a note stating that he had fallen away from the Lutheran doctrine and until the end of his membership with us had closed his heart to advice and truth, and that God, our Lord, in grace would open his eyes and heart and restore his soul from the wrong path." (I believe that this was written by John Bading, the president of the synod) Pages 11 - 12 of another Journal of the WELS Historical Institute and again, a translation of the early proceedings of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Wisconsin and Other States: "The third committee take the liberty first of all to declare to the synod concerning the complaint against Pastor J. Hoffmann (he was accused of mistreating his deceased father and then claimed that the departed soul of his father could appear before him) and W. Staerkel. The same reads: 2. "Concerning the complaint against Pastor W. Staerkel the committee expresses its regret that he with his return to his fatherland made it impossible to deal with him about his views on eschatology [last things]. It believes, however, that it must agree with the Southern Conference in its professed judgment against the booklets by Pastor W. Staerkel and it recommends to the Hon. synod to publicly announce the statement expressed by the Hon. president to Pastor W. Staerkel as an expression of the synod's thoughts. Respectfully, W. Wicker, F. Kleinert, Jul. Roeske, Ph. Koehler, H. Hoffmann"-------------------------------------------------------"After this, the following certificate of departure was read: "Possessor of this, Pastor Staerkel, born in Russia, has labored as a Lutheran pastor in the state of Wisconsin in North America since the year 1865 and was a member of the Evang. Lutheran Synod of Wisconsin and Other States. Pastor Staerkel, we believe, worked in his congregation in Wheatland blessed by the Lord, for which reason we must sincerely regret, that Pastor Staerkel has let himself be misled by chiliastic hopes and expectations to depart from the bounds of our Lutheran Confessions and through the publication of two booklets on the subject to offend all true Lutherans. May the Lord lead Pastor Staerkel from the path of error back to the Lutheran Confession, may he open his heart which is closed to correction to our beloved confessional truth and may he accompany him on his further journey to his fatherland with his grace, and crown his residency and labor in his homeland with blessing for the building of his kingdom." Watertown in the state of Wisconsin in North AmericaIn the name of the Ev. Luth. Synod of Wisconsin and other StatesJ. Bading, President Just as a note of interest, I had my first year of college at Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin in 1969-70. It was the pre-ministerial college of the Wisconsin Ev. Luth. Synod that has since relocated to Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota. In reference to many who, during Christ's ministry who wanted a political and earthly Messiah, Jesus stated before Pilate in John 18:36 "My kingdom is not of this world." Article 17 of the Augsburg Confession is very short and to the point. We do know, however, that there was a lot of "going east to Mt Ararat or to Palestine" to await the Seconding Coming of Christ among our ancestors and especially among some of the Black Sea and Caucasus Germans. Horst Gutsche