A Challenge for the Leader

1900 was a particularly difficult year for Concordia in Murtoa. Clashes involving two staff members and the college director, Pastor Peters, came to a dramatic head.
Some years previously, in 1892, Peters had employed Mr Alex Gray to teach a range of subjects, in particular, English. Gray was an Anglican, so this was a somewhat controversial appointment. A theologian was also needed for the seminary arm of the college, so Johannes Kunstmann, a 21-year old graduate from the USA joined the staff the following year. Gray proved to be a popular figure as well as an excellent teacher, attracting many new students to the college, so that it remained financially viable. However, he became rather too self-assured about his position and reputation. He began to make disdainful remarks about the Lutheran church and his fellow teachers, creating rifts between the high school students and those studying theology under the direction of his colleague Kunstmann. Unfortunately, Pastor Peters refused to listen to any criticism of his protégé Gray and labelled any complaints as ‘baseless slanders.’
Inevitably, this troublesome issue needed to be resolved. Gray was finally dismissed in June 1900, charged with open unbelief, the undermining of colleagues, neglect of duties and slander of Lutheran schools.
However, there was damaging fall-out. Although Peters had resigned as college director to concentrate on his duties as parish pastor, Kunstmann was not content to let the matter rest. He had been the main agitator for Gray’s dismissal and in the process had also lost all respect for Peters and any confidence in his leadership. Kunstmann dragged up many old grievances into the public arena, accusing Peters of acting autocratically and hypocritically. The conflict fanned by Kunstmann divided the loyalties of the whole congregation. Yet before any real resolution or reconciliation could be reached, Kunstmann took matters into his own hands, tendered his resignation and left for Germany in 1901.

The photo shows Johannes Kunstmann with his wife and family in 1899. The little boy with the long hair next to Sophia Kunstmann is Martin, born in 1897, and the older boy with the cap is Johannes, born in 1894.
(Thanks to Mark Kunstmann, grandson of Johannes, for providing these details of people in the photograph).