The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1908, Page 87

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

87

NOTES.

A Farewett in New Orveans.— From the
Items of our New Orleans correspondent in our
last issue, our readers have already learned that
the Rev. IF. J. Lankenau, pastor at one of our mis-
sion stations and professor in Luther College, has
been called to another field of labor. Of his de-
parture from New Orleans Prof. F-. Wenger, his
colleague in Luther College, writes in The South-
ern Iatheran:

“A sad bereavement befell our Colored Mission
in New Orleans when Rey. F. J. Lankenau accepted
a call from a white congregation in Napoleon, O.
He served the Mission for seventeen long years and
had won the confidence of the colored people as a
white man seldom does. Besides the members of
St. Paul’s Mission congregation, whose pastor he
had been all those seventeen years, there are scores
of other Lutherans, colored and white, who regret-
ted to see him go, for he was ever willing to serve
others with his excellent gifts. Since the forming
of Luther College he has, moreover, been the lead-
ing spirit of that institution and taught some of
the most important studies. Thus his departure
creates a vacancy which will be difficult to, fill. His
congregation expressed its appreciation of his long
services by a well-filled purse which was delivered
to him with some appropriate remarks by his inti-
mate friend, Pastor G. C. Franke, at the close of
the service in which he spoke his farewell sermon
on Sunday, September 6th. Possibly more than
the gift the large attendance at that service showed
the esteem in which he was held by the colored
people. The choir of St. Paul’s, under the direc-
tion of Mr. Nap. Seeberry, rendered two appro-
priate anthems.

“On Monday night following, the congregation
tendered their departing pastor a last reception in
the hall of Luther College. This was merely an

-informal gathering affording pastor and flock a last
meeting and some final words of farewell. There
was a short address by one of the leading members
of the congregation and also a song by the choir.
Some refreshments were likewise served.”

A New Misston Boarp. — At the recent meet-
ing of the Synodical Conference several new mem-
bers were elected for our Mission Board in place
of former members, who served our Colored Mission
faithfully and efficiently for many years, but who
were not able to continue in the service. The mem-

bers of the new Board are: The Revs. H. B. Hem-
meter, C. F. Drewes, H. Meyer, Prof. L. Fuer-
bringer, Prof. G. Mezger, and Mr. H. A. Schenkel.
The last named has been chosen treasurer. We
hope he will be kept busy not only in paying out,
but also in taking in money for our Colored Mis-
sion. His address is: Mr. H. A. Schenkel, 1447
John Ave., St. Louis, Mo.

arty Luruersn Mission Work AMONG THE
Inprans. — In connection with the recent celebra-
tion of Founder’s Week at Philadelphia we were
reminded of the early mission work of the Lutheran
Church ‘among the Indians. In a Philadelphia
paper we read;

“It was in 1639 that the Lutherans bought
from the Indians the very site of Philadelphia. In
1646 they built the first church on the western
banks of the Delaware at Tinicum. ‘They began
missionary work among the Indians, and the
Rey. John Campanius, who built the church at
Tinicum, translated Luther’s Smaller Catechism
into the language of the Indians before John El-
liott did his work in New England.” Again we
read: “It was the Lutheran people who made peace
with the Indians, and who thereby prepared the
way for Penn. The missionary work done by the
Lutherans among the Indians had an incalculable
effect on the natives in preparing the way for Penn
and his colaborers.”

BistE Worx. — The One Hundred and Fourth
Report of the British and Foreign Bible Society
has been issued, and it declares that some years
have elapsed since. the Society’s record presented
so many cheering features. There have been three
additions to the Society’s long list of versions into
which portions of the Scriptures have been trans-
‘lated; while in six other new tongues versions are
almost ready. ‘This brings the number of lan-
guages on the list to 412. Complete versions of the
Bible have also been increased, bringing the total
number of Bibles in foreign tongues to 105. The
total number of New Testaments is 99. ‘The service
rendered to the Missionary Societies by the Bible ~
Society is well known. Versions or revisions are
now in hand for no less than forty different organi-
zations. A new edition of the English Bible for
the blind is in preparation. The following are the
Society’s total issues for the year: Bibles, 864,247;

New Testaments, 1,136,565; portions, 3,687,569;

total, 5,688,381.