The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1914, Page 43

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

43

with the Church of England. They are a fine stal-
wart race, healthy and handsome, with disease al-
most unknown, and their genuine Christianity and
virtuous lives are an eloquent testimonial of the
power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

0-2 _____

On the Wing.

The six weeks’ trip undertaken in the interest
of our Colored Mission in the South covered a
territory of 4,127 miles. We visited 19 congre-
gations and preaching places, held conferences with
our missionaries in New Orleans, attended a two
days’ session of Immanuel Conference at Greens-
boro, N. C.,and delivered 28 sermons and addresses.

At the time we preached at Atlanta, Ga., ar-
rangement was made for the opening of a Sunday-
school. Some time ago Mrs. Estella Hart reported
that the Sunday-school literature of Concordia Pub-
lishing Tlouse had been introduced, and that 27
children were learning the lessons assigned for
every Sunday. ‘his school, small though it be,
is paving the way for active missionary work, which,
God willing, will be assumed next fall.

The work at Spartanburg, S. C., is making slow
progress under difficulties. ‘lhe log cabin, very old
and uninviting, in which Miss Wilmar Barnhardt
conducts the school, accommodates about 30 children.
On the day of our visit 23 were present. During
the short time they have attended, three months,
these children had committed to memory the Ten
Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer,
of which they were ignorant when they entered.
What a pity that more children cannot be accommo-
dated! Rev. McDavid, who preaches in this log
cabin twice a month, reports an average attendance
of 8 adults and 13 children. ‘Three adults are
being prepared for baptism and confirmation.

Neither time nor space will permit us to tell
of our pleasant “stop-over” at Charlotte, N. C.,
on our way. to Fayetteville. Shortly before our ar-
rival at Fayetteville, Mr. Ashley, of New York, the
owner of the silk mill operated by colored labor, had
visited our school, which is conducted by Rev. C.
March, and addressed the children. Mr. Ashley is
a friend of the colored people, and he highly com-
mended the work which the Lutheran Church is
doing among them. He has placed at the disposal
of our Mission the commodious church with bell
and organ and five. spacious rooms on the second
floor of the schoolhouse for the missionary with-

out consideration. We preached a series of ser-
mons to good and appreciative audiences, and de-
livered a lecture on the history of the Lutheran
Church, which was necessitated on account of the
calumnies spread by some Catholics concerning
Dr. Luther and the Lutheran Church. Mr. Ashley
has offered our Church a splendid inducement for
missionary work at Fayetteville; in fact, we have
never had anything like it, and we trust that the
colored people of that city will soon learn to ap-
preciate what he and the Lutheran Church are
doing for them, and that they will cooperate with
the missionary in advancing the kingdom of Christ.

In Wilmington very little work has been done,
owing chiefly to the difficulty in securing a suitable
building. The one rented had to be given up be-
cause of its unsanitary condition, and the evil
repute attached to it. A more attractive house was
secured gratis, and the outlook for the future is
brighter. Wilmington has an abundance of mis-
sionary material.

We celebrated Good Friday and Easter with
Rev. W. H. Lash at Salisbury, and delivered several
sermons to his flocks. We were hospitably enter-
tained by the Reverend and his wife. On Easter
Sunday we preached to a larger audience, and bap-
tized the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Thalley. At
night 4 meeting: was held with the congregation.
St. John’s Church is in a healthy growth and active
in good, works. It has increased its monthly re-
mittance to the Board from $6 to $15, and has
voted to raise $200 for the building of a new school
this summer. In addition to his old charge, Rev.
Lash is preaching at Kernersville and Statesville,
and teaches school five days in the week.

After having spent a busy week at Greensboro,
attending Immanuel Conference, visiting the Col-
lege, schools, and Grace Church, and preaching at ~
Winston and High Point to a goodly number of |
Lutherans, we boarded the train for Washington,
D. C. This city has the largest negro population
of any city in the land, nearly 100,000. Years ago
some of our Lutherans from North Carolina joined
the exodus from the South to the capital of our
nation, and others followed later. To administer to
the spiritual wants of these members, and to provide
divine services for them in the future, was the ob- .
ject of our visit to Washington; and we succeeded. .
A few hours before our arrival, death had invaded
a Lutheran home and removed a child in its tender
infancy. At the funeral the following day we spoke
words of comfort to the young parenfs. Services

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