About The Author
Wallace H. McLaughlin was born on March 29, 1902 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Wagner Memorial College, Staten Island, New York, and Philadelphia Theological Seminary (Mt. Airy). In 1924 he was ordained and installed as Associate Pastor of Transfiguration Lutheran Church, Philadelphia (United Lutheran Church).
Convinced of the Doctrine of Verbal Inspiration, he entered the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. During 1927–1928 he did post-graduate work (leading to Master of Sacred Theology degree — 1936) at Concordia Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri (LC–MS; see note p. 83). From 1927 to 1938 he was the pastor of a mission congregation on mainland China, and Professor at Concordia Theological Seminary, Hankow, China. During the year of 1937 he was joined in China by Lavina Ahrens where they were married on July 4. He was Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1940–1951.
Convinced of the compromising stance of the Common Confession (1950) he helped organize the Orthodox Lutheran Conference. In 1951 he was elected the first president of the OLC; and between 1952 and 1959 was Professor at the Orthodox Lutheran Seminary, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
From 1959 to 1971 he was Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Golden Valley, Minnesota (LCR). Upon the dissolution of the OLC and after a period of independence from any church body, he helped organize the Lutheran Churches of the Reformation in 1964. In 1971 he became the first Dean and Theological Professor at the Martin Luther Institute of Sacred Studies, Shepherd, Michigan. In 1974, Dean McLaughlin observed the 50th Anniversary of his entrance into the Lutheran ministry. He served at the Martin Luther Institute until his departure from this life on February 9, 1976.
His convictions he imparted to hundreds of Christians in his pastoral care, and to dozens of theological seminary students. The thousands of individuals, on two continents and in three states (Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Michigan) whom he served in various capacities, know that there was a man, who, though quiet and unassuming, was a mighty instrument in the hand of the Lord, our Saviour, for the presentation and preservation of His eternal Word of Truth.
Soli Deo Gloria!