Kreinheder was born in
Saint Paul, Minnesota. His father, Oscar Carl Kreinheder (1877-1946), was a pastor of the
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the president of
Valparaiso University from 1930 to 1939. After a successful career as a businessman, Arthur Carl Kreinheder went 1950 to study theology at
Lund University in Sweden, living in
St. Laurence Foundation. Already before he had been in touch with
Taizé Community in formation. Briefly, in 1955, he became a novice in the Taize Community. Kreinheder was ordained to the priesthood in 1956 in
Lund by Bishop
Anders Nygren and Bishop
Gustaf Aulen "for ecumenical work in the United States among Lutherans."
The Congregation of the Servants of Christ, a Lutheran monastery in the Benedictine tradition, was established at St. Augustine's House in 1958 when some other men joined Father Arthur in observing the monastic life and offices of prayer. Through father Arthur there was right in the beginning a connection with
Östanbäck Monastery in Sweden after its foundation. Father Arthur was involved in
Christian ecumenism and he was the U.S. secretary of the
League for Evangelical-Catholic Reunion. At the age of 84 Father Arthur Carl Kreinheder died (on Friday, October 13, 1989) in a Pontiac, Michigan, hospital. He had never recovered fully form a stroke suffered in the preceding July. He is buried in the cemetery at St. Augustine's House. ==References==