The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1921, Page 36

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36

The Lutheran Pioneer.

ee ELSES ELE a IRI ONGEAESIGESSae PRL La en ne

is an experiment and venture which we hope and
pray. will succeed.

Conference wishes to extend its hearty thanks to
the good people of Oak Hill for the splendid manner
in which they entertained it while there.

Palm Sunday was a day of great rejoicing for
St. Andrew’s Congregation at Vredenburgh. On
that day seven young people pledged their faith to
their Savior through Baptism and confirmation.
St. James’s Congregation at Buena Vista also re-
joiced with songs of thanksgiving, for she, too, had
her numbers swelled by adding six souls to her
roster, three by confirmation and three by Baptism.
May God bless and keep these young Christians

‘through the Word of His grace!

Easter Sunday the members of our Mount Olive
Congregation at Tinela gave thanks to God, the
risen Lord, for on that day He added three new
souls to their small, but faithful number. ‘These
young people were confirmed in the faith of our
beloved Zion. May the God whom they have con-
fessed Keep them as the apple of His eye! — Just
a word about Tincla. For the last four years we
have been worshiping in a little log hut which the
members erected on a plot of ground which Mr. Hy-
bart was kind enough to lend for that purpose. In
this log hut we have preached and held school since
October, 1920. During the past winter our teacher
there, Miss Pilkington, had an enrolment of sixty-
four pupils and could have enrolled as many more,
but had to turn them away because there was no

‘room. Dear reader, are we to continue to be handi-
capped by worshiping and teaching in a log hut?
It is for you to say. What say you?

On the night of March 7, a number of members
from the St. Paul’s Congregation, Oak Hill, led by
their pastor, Rev. Peay, gave Rev. Carter of Rosebud
a surprise birthday party. All had a good time, but
had to return home without learning the exact age
of the Rosebud pastor. Moral: Ask all your ques-
tions first, and if the answers satisfy you, then de-
- liver the “goodies.” R. 0. L. L.

On to Richmond!

The capital of the State of Virginia, with its
many points of historical interest and the beauties
of Virginian wealth and luxury, is said to have a
population of 50,000 Colored people; ‘enough to
make a larger city than Sheboygan, Wis., with its
six Lutheran churches of the Synodical Conference.

I have not found one Lutheran church among the
Colored people in Richmond.

My coming was announced, services were set for
1.30 p.at., and my host, Mr. Aug. Nolde, of the
white Lutheran church, took me to the mecting-
place in his auto at the appointed time. However,
only one man, a former member of our Colored con-
gregation at Meherrin, and a little boy were present.

We waited until 2 o’clock and then opened ser-
vices with the few present. Others came in Jater,
Finally we had two men, two women, two young
people, and eleven children — seventeen out of a
population of 50,000! ‘Think of it!!

Here is a large harvest-field! But what can one
missionary do among so many if he does not even
live among them, is not known to them, and can
visit them but once a month? Does it not look Jike
a hopeless task?

Yet seventeen were present, mostly children.
Here is a hint. If we could do more among the
children, we might reach greater numbers, and
through the children we might reach some of the
parents.

Lodges and sects? Yes, there are plenty of
them in Richmond. The hall in which we held our
services is a lodge-hall, and just before we could get
in, there was a sectarian meeting in the hall, and we
had to stand and wait until they got out. But they
are not able to give those 50,000 Colored people of
Richmond the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is
our duty and our great privilege to do so.

Our main trouble, however, is that we Jack the
men, and the second trouble is the chronic scarcity
of other means. Why can we not have a place of
our own, where we might open a truly Lutheran
day-school, have divine services once or twice each
Sunday, and do other missionary work among the

* 50,000 Colored people in Richmond every one of the

365 days of the year?

God’s holy Word never returns void. It always
produces some good fruit.

Help us pray, dear reader, and help us to raise
the necessary funds for bringing the only true and
saving Gospel of our Lord to those 50,000 Colored
people in Richmond! 0

Do not say, “They do not care for it; they do
not want it.” How should they if they have not
tasted it, do not know it, and have no one to offer
it to them under proper conditions and in suitable
surroundings? :

‘Those seventeen souls testify to the fact that if
we do our part earnestly and faithfully, the Lord