The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1901, Page 19

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 19

(For the LUTHERAN PIONEER.)

~~4mmanuel Conference at Meherrin, Va.,
April 26—28, 1901.

After a somewhat tedious journey, most of
the members of the conference arrived at Me-
herrin, Va., about six o’clock in the evening.
They were met and hidden a cordial welcome
by Rey. Schooff and a number of his members,
who had come to the depot to convey them to
their place of lodging, the parsonage, which is
about a mile from the station. On Friday
morning conference was opened. At roll call
all members responded. Four congregations
from North Carolina were also represented by
delegates, the rest having failed in raising
enough money to pay the traveling expenses,
which were somewhat heavy. But all that
were present were richly repaid by what they
saw, heard, and learned.

On Friday afternoon Rey. Nickel of South-
ern Pines, N. C., read an essay on ‘‘Good
Works,’’ showing what they are, and why they
are necessary. ‘l‘he discussion of this paper
was continued after services at night.

Saturday morning a short business session
was held in which reporters and committees
were appointed. ‘The congregations of Char-
lotte, Salisbury, and Greensboro had extended
invitations to conference to have its fall ses-
sions in their midst. The invitation to Char-
lotte, N. C., was accepted. Rev. Schmidt of
Greensboro then read a paper on ‘‘Christian
Instruction and ‘Training of Childhood and
Youth.’’ In the afternoon Rev. Engelbert, of
Rockwell, N. C., read a paper on ‘‘Unionism
in the Light of Scripture,’’ showing that union
is indeed wanted by Scripture, Eph. 4, 3—6,
that, however, a union cannot be formed at
the expense of God’s Word. It can be formed
only on the condition that we continue in God’s
Word, John 8, 31. 32. This work was con-
tinued at the night session.

| On Sunday the members of conference were
. doubly reminded that the ‘‘fields are white
| for the harvest.’’ Not only was the church
crowded during the three services held for the
colored congregation, a large number of the
members partaking of Holy Communion, which
was celebrated in the afternoon, but there was
also a German service held and the Lord’s Sup-
per was given to 16 German communicants,

_sby Rey. Oehlschlaeger of Richmond, Va., at
* noon. There are about 25 German families
in and about Meherrin, who are eager to have
\ the Word of God dwell among them more
abundantly.

All sessions of conference were opened with
divine services. After Sunday night’s service
hosts and guests bade each other farewell with
the beautiful hymn: ‘God be with you till we
meet again.’’ W.H.L.

oe a

Wuen Peter finished his sermon on the day

that a fine sermon?” but, ‘What shall we do?”

said that I had heard much false teaching
and preaching among my nationality. All this
took place long before I reached Springfield in
1881. And I repeat the same now. After so
many years of teaching and preaching among
my people, we are still in spiritual darkness
and ignorant of the Word of God. In 1893
there was to be a big time at one of the colored
congregations in the city of Charlotte, N. C.
That Sunday afternoon I found my way there

also and seated myself near the door. The

the blood of the lamb on the post of the door

of Pentecost the people didn’t say, ‘‘Wasn’t

A Letter. mon he said that the prophet Elijah went to
a widow’s house, and asked for something to
Dear Lutneran Pioneer :— eat. She told him that she had nothing; then

In the February number of the Pioneer I| Elijah went to the next house, and that woman
gave him something to eat. The preacher said
the first woman to whom the prophet went did
not obey God, so she was turned into an owl,

and that was the starting of the owl family.

Duquoin, Ill. In his sermon he said, as others
of his class of preachers do, that he did not
believe in college-learned preachers. He also
held up the Holy Bible and said, ‘‘I do not
believe in this Book, and if you take this thing
for your guide, you will go crazy, and die,
and be lost in hell.’’ He believed, he said, in
the Spirit’s teaching, without the Bible.

Last December a leading member said _to
me that parents were responsible for a child,
if it had good sense, until it was twelve years
old, but if the child was not a good thinker,
then the parents were to stand for such a child
until it was twenty-one years old. I asked
him where he got such foolish ideas.

“T have heard this all my life,’’ said he,
‘fand it is in the Bible.”’

I said, ‘‘What Bible ?’”

“Tn my Bible,” he answered.

I said to him, ‘‘Get your Bible and let me
read the passage.’’

He said, ‘‘I will not.”

I am not writing these lines to defame any-
one, but as a true confession of our sad, igno-
rant, and sinful condition. We should peni-
tently mend our ways according to the Word
of God. And this Word of God is taught and
preached in its truth and purity in the true
Lutheran or Bible church. We therefore sing
of her:

“I love Thy Zion, Lord,
The house of Thine abode;

The Church, O blest Redeemer, saved
By Thine own precious blood.

I love Thy Lutheran church, O God;
Her walls before Thee stand,

Dear as the apple of Thine eye,
Engraven upon Thy heart.

The Lord’s Ascension.

Should I with scoffers join,

Her altars to abuse?

No! Better far my tongue were dumb,
My hand its skill should lose.”

Again I say: I thank God that lama true
member of the Lutheran church, the Bible
church.

“¥or her my tears shall fall,
For her my prayers ascend,

To her my cares and tolls be given,
Till tolls and cares shall end.’”

preacher took as his text Exod.12,7. He said
that God ordered the children of Israel to put

of the house; but, he said, they would not
do it, but hung up the whole lamb. I looked
around at the people, at the preacher, and at
the bishop who was present, and all seemed
to accept this doctrine in good faith. This
took place in one of the finest congregations
and among the most intelligent class of colored
people in the city of Charlotte.

In 1894 I left North Carolina and came
home. There was a preacher, of my nation-
ality, who lives about eight miles south of me,
who preached here in our public school house.
I did not go out myself to hear him. He
took his text from 1 Kings 17, and in his ser-

May my colored brethren and sisters remem-

the Evangelical Lutheran church is able to
make us wise unto salvation through faith in
Christ Jesus. And may God bless the mis-

cea? Pp. N. L. BuREBALTER.

After this another preacher came down from.

ber that the Word of God which is taught in

sion work of the Lutheran church among my

SS Pa, a eee eee ee ee ae