16 Bille—A History of the Danes in America. 
During no consecutive five years up to 1894 had the Danes 
succeeded in raising as much as fifty cents per communicant for 
educational purposes; and the educational results attained by 
them are even more insignificant than the contributions. 1 
There can be no doubt that this lukewarmness among the 
members of the Danish church in America is in a large measure 
due to the factional quarrels in the church in Denmark. The 
immigrants in this country who are of a religious turn of mind 
still find it difficult to agree on any settled church policy, be¬ 
cause they belong to different factions; and besides this, they have 
all been thoroughly weaned from any reverence for pastoral 
authority by the agitation carried on by the Grundtvigians and 
Inner Mission people in Denmark. Each man considers himself 
an authority on doctrine and church policy, and gives but little 
heed to the opinions and wishes of the minister, unless these 
coincide with his own. But in order to get a fair appreciation 
of the causes and effects of this failure of the Danish church in 
America it is necessary to give a somewhat detailed history of 
this institution. Indeed, the history of the Danes in this country, 
as a distinct nationality, is most intimately associated with the 
history of the church; for, in spite of its weakness and its fail¬ 
ure to gain the support of the Danes, its policy has had a very 
decided influence on the social, religious, and educational con¬ 
ditions of the Danish settlements. 
THE DANISH CHURCH IN AMERICA. 
The first step toward the formation of a Danish church in 
America was taken by the organization of a society in Den¬ 
mark, 1869, for the purpose of doing missionary work among 
the Danes in America. This society was composed almost en¬ 
tirely of Grundtvigians. Its work consisted mainly in select¬ 
ing and training ministers for Danish congregations in America, 
and in acting as an advisory council to such ministers and con¬ 
gregations. 
In October, 1872, three representatives of this society, A. 
Dan, N. Thomsen, R. Andersen, together with several Danish 
1 This subject will be treated more in detail under the head of the educa¬ 
tional efforts of the Danish church in America. 
