# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1890_S6 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) a The Lutheran Pioneer. Letter from New Orleans. Dear PionEER:—A few items from the New readers. which your missionaries labor, we are still however, that a neat little house of worship has| for a child, might be regarded as an insult, | but lately been consecrated, thanks to the gen- |erosity of Lutheran congregations all over the Orleans Mission field may interest some of your | country, and that a beautiful church-bell every Despite the many. difficulties under |Sdnday morning in deep and melodious tones | calls the worshipers from farand near to the house making some headway. The past year has/of the Lord, the services should be better appre- | On the other hand, the long and uncomfortable church benches are, to say the least, very in- convenient fora child; the little feet are dang- ling to and fro and the little hands are holding the slate or book for five hours daily. How would you like such accommodations for your been one of rich blessing. Let us thank God lciated. An accession of 18 communicant mem-| children? What, if our church in the course from whom all blessings flow. Crowded schools have kept the teachers busy. Irregular schol-/ history of the congregation. |are being prepared for confirmation. A con- ars and negligent parents have given them a bers has been made, which is the Jargest in the New eae of a year or so should prove too small to hold the crowd of Lutheran worshipers, would you not help us build a new one? By God’s gracious good deal of extra out-door work. Ingratitude | stitution has been adopted and 14 voting mem-| blessing such a thing might happen, but if it and abuses have not been lacking. Thank God-that-our teachers have courage to face the difficulties, instead of running away from them, | is as follows: 23 have received baptism, 39 have | dren? | bers have subscribed it. The statistical report of this charge for 1889 | should not happen, which is more likely, would you not help us for the sake of these little chil- Years of experience have taught us and to work faithfully in the office God has/been received by confirmation, 4 couples ee that school and church in the same room is as assigned to them without fear and favor and to endure hardships without complaining. By the way, some years ago the PIoNEER brought|municant members. The number of souls are}. coming year. an article, entitled: ‘‘Encourage the Pastor.’’ He needs encouragement and it should be given him by his flock in every manner possible. And the few words of encouragement which the PionEER brought, lifted the sinking spirit of many a hard- worked pastor. But the teacher, what of him? Needs he no encour- agement? Is there a more abused being on the face of the earth than the man who wears out his life in the school house, in the cause of Christian education? A befitting inscription for the tomb of a teacher would be something like this: ‘‘Here rest the weary bones of the weariest and most abused man.’’ If an ill- behaved child is corrected he is set upon by an angry parent. Ifa child is naturally dull or naturally lazy and makes no progress in its studies the competency and the capability of the teacher is questioned. Ifa child is hurt on its way home the teacher must suffer for it. If rain falls at the time school is dismissed he is blamed for letting the child go without his umbrella or without wrapping it up in his only coat. Thus the teacher is abused, everlastingly critizised, unmercifully lashed by fault-finding, busy tongues, his blessed work undermined, and his very existence made wretched. God bless our teachers, wherever they are, but en- courage them, dear PIONEER, encourage them, and you will gather about you friends, that will welcome you. The church attendance of the Mt. Zion con- gregation has for the Jast six months been ex- ceedingly good. No better encouragement can be given to the pastor than a church crowded with attentive hearers. 21 communicant mem- ‘bers have been added and new recruits are coming in, so that by the return of another mew year we expect to find our member list considerably longer. : : _ While the attendance at St. Paul has not _ been all that we should desire, yet we have no reason togrumble. Taking into consideration, | been united in marriage, 10 died, 412 have communed. There are 30 voting and 167 com- about 315. 16 adults are receiving catechetical instructions. Contributions of churches and schools $777.00. Our wants for the coming year are manifold, but/reasonable. Strenuous efforts are being made by the people of Mt. Zion to gather a fund for the building of a new church. We need one. Not only is the build- ing we occupy old, it has passed the 40th mile- stone, it is also dilapidated to a degree that makes repairs very expensive. But the aged structure might be renovated by a coat of paint, holes and cracks plastered over, ‘and rotten tim- ber replaced by new, this at a great expense, yet this patching would not meet the wants of our mission. The second school department over which Mr. Emmanuel Burshlong presides is located in the church, and there is nothing to facilitate the work of the teacher. Our in- ventive genius has been tasked to its utmost capacity, but we can not hit upon anything that will work favorably for both church and school. Patent seats can not be placed as the growing congregation takes up almost the entire church; and to offera well developed gentleman or lady a seat on a patent school bench, made detrimental to the one as to the other. Yet this is not all we want and need for the For the St. Paul congregation a new school house is necessary. The old chapel in which the school is still being held, has more than once been described in these col- umns and a repetition is unneces- sary. The fact is, the house is too small to accommodate such a Jarge number of children. It is too un- healthy for people who still find life worth living. A sanitary inspector of any other city but of New Orleans would condemn it as unfit for habi- tation. The congregation which be- gins to know and to appreciate the value of Christian education feels the need of a more commodious building. A subscription list has been opened and the members gladly contribute their mites. Whatever else may be the faults of our colored brethren, they are not stingy. They give of their substance and give cheerfully. Nor is this all we want. Pastor Burgdorf needs a building for his rapidly increasing Bethlehem congregation. He has the same evil to contend with as the Mt. Zion people, school and church in one room. Our esteemed colleague has time and: again laid the matter before the Lutheran people, but nothing sub- stantialis forthcoming. Theoldercongregations, though their needs are as pressing, are willing to wait. They are accustomed to up hill work, to old, dilapidated, and incommodious build- ings. They are willing to give Bethlehem the preference. This mission is an important one. ‘Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.’ Let the good work goon. Remove the obstacles and let a new church or school, whichsoever may be preferable, be erected without delay on Bethlehem’s ground. MISSIONARY. New Orleans, La., Jan. 18, 1890. ———> ~-