>The story in my family is that all the immigrant branches of the family >who settled in Oconto belonged to the First American Lutheran Church. >However, there was a rift in the Church membership when the pastor >forbade them to belong to the Oddfellows. I have no idea what year this >was, or why the Oddfellows were "anathema". Many left the First >American, and my grandfather was one who helped build the German >Lutheran Church,( which no longer exists,) and his family went there >until it closed. (Why did it close?) As a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, I can tell you that ANY Lodge membership is highly frowned upon... I believe it is due to the fact that to belong to a Lodge you have to pledge your allegiance to that lodge and that conflicts with the First Commandment... Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.... Randy