The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1890, Page 6

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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.
———> ~- <a oe ee
PEARLS strung are easily carried, unstrung

they are easily lost — the catechism is a string
of Bible pearls.—Dr. Krauth.

CO

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