Rev. Michael Hadwin Fischer Papers

Michael Hadwin Fischer was born December 23 1875, and was son of the late Thomas Fischer, of Maple, Ontario, and Mrs. Agnes (Walker) Fischer in Ethel, Ontario, Canada.

After elementary schooling at Concord, Ontario and preparatory studies at James Avenue Collegiate Institute, he entered Susquehanna University, Sellingsgrove. In 1898 and graduated with highest honors and the degree in bachelor of arts in 1902. Three years later he was graduated from the theological department of the same university and in that year was ordained to the Lutheran ministry by the Susquehanna synod. After four years of study with Illinois Wesleyan university, he received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from that institution in 1910.

His first pastorate was in Grace Lutheran church of Wilkes-Barre which he served from 1905 to 1909. From 1909 to 1912, he was pastor of St. Luke's Lutheran church of Williamsport and developed it in that time from a small mission congregation to one of the largest and most active churches of the city.

During his later years as pastor of the Williamsport charge, Doctor Fischer guided the development of training groups for Sunday school teachers and superintendents. His work in that connection led to his call in 1922 by the Pennsylvania State Sunday School association to become its religious education director. He took a great interest in the development of summer training camps and teacher training work.

He continued in that position with the state Sunday School association until he accepted a call in 1925 to fill the new east Pennsylvania chair on English Bible and Religious Education at the theological seminary here, and had served in that position since that time.

When the Pennsylvania Sunday School association held its convention in Gettysburg several years ago, Doctor Fischer was responsible for the arrangement of the successful program. In addition to his duties at that seminary, Doctor Fischer continued to serve the church in this county ad over a much wider area in religious education leadership.

Doctor Fischer had been a member of the Parish School and Religious Education board of the U.L.C. for the last 12 years and at the time of his death was its treasurer. In 1928 he was largely responsible for the adoption by that board of a program for the development of summer teacher training camps patterned, with some improvements after the state Sunday School association plan which had been originally drawn by him.

Camp Nawakwa was a result of that program and has demonstrated the success of the program by growing to accommodate 1,500 young people this year and to become financially self-supporting. Doctor Fischer had been its director since its establishment in 1928. He was chairman of the committee on Religious Education of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches and was a director of the council. He held membership in the International organization. One of Doctor Fisher's most important recent services to his church was his work as chairman of the committee on ways and means which guided the merger of the four synods of the Lutheran church in this state. He has an active part in the accomplishment of that merger and church leaders have said that it was due largely to the efficient management of Doctor Fischer that the merger was so speedily and successfully carried out.

In 1925 Doctor Fischer published a volume, "The Story of Jesus," which has been translated into several foreign tongues and used widely on foreign mission field. He also was a frequent contributor to religious and education journals. He was secretary of the Susquehanna synod from 1913-1917 and was a trustee of the Tressler Orphans Home at Loysville from 1917 until 1922. In 1922 he ended a nine year term as a director of Susquehanna university. In 1913 he had been a delegate to the General Synod and the United Lutheran church in 1920. He had served as secretary of the publishing committee of the International Journal of Religious Education.