In the Confessing Church

In April of 1932, Schröder passed the First Theology Exam in Kiel. After attending the theological seminary in Preetz, he served as a vicar in Rendsburg from Easter of 1933 to 1934.

During this time, the German Christians took power in the church in Schleswig-Holstein. In October of 1933, the regional churchwide office required every vicar to join the SA. Schröder became an SA candidate in Rendsburg. He was discharged from the SA in the summer of 1934 since he regularly neglected his SA duty scheduled during Sunday church service.

On October 19 and 20, 1934, Schröder attended the founding meeting of the Aid Association and Council of Pastors of Schleswig-Holsteinin in Rendsburg, which was the predecessor of Schleswig-Holstein’s Confessing Church. His membership card bore the number 48.

In May of 1934, Schröder passed the Second Theology Exam. In his examination sermon on John 20: 24–29, he spoke about the “victory of faith”. He made reference to the eponymous film about the Nuremberg Party Rally and called upon Christians to put their trust in the victory of the Christian faith at a time in which many were prophesying precisely the decline of belief in Christ.

As of the fall of 1934, Schröder was a member of the “Evangelization Council” in Breklum and held numerous lectures on evangelization between 1934 and 1939.