The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1924, Page 43

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

43

in the last picture. This was on the first Sunday
in April. It was uncomfortably crowded, and we
were very grateful that it was a bright and warm
day. We had no rain-coat with us, and one is
needed in this building when it rains.

On Palm Sunday nine more souls were added to
the congregation here, and the time has come when
we must build. Not only does this building refuse
to afford protection against the weather, but it is
too small. O that the Lord would open the hearts
of our Christians to the erying need for buildings
in our growing Alabama field!

38. This and That.

Our friends will be glad to hear that more than
one hundred persons were received into Christian
fellowship on Easter here in Alabama. The number
of accessions on the field for the year 1924 will
reach 150 by the end of April. We are indeed
grateful to the Lord for adding to our labor His
blessing.

Prof. O. Lynn, teacher at our local Training-
school, is recovering from an operation.

Our Easter collection was for the starving
children in Europe. By the time all reports are
in, we shall have an offering of approximately $300
for these unfortunate victims of the war.

Let Our Northern Cities Awake!

About a year ago, Willie Gullette, one of the
members of Our Savior Congregation, Possum
Bend, Ala., left for the city for more remunerative
work to help support his widowed mother, his
brothers, and sisters. Birmingham was his first
objective, but he finally located in Chicago. I, as
his pastor, kept in touch with him, sending him
the Colored Lutheran and giving him pastoral ad-
vice. For some reason or other, although I re-
peatedly urged him to get in touch with one of our
white pastors in that city, he never did succeed in
doing so. Recently I learned that his mother had
received a letter from the people with whom he is
staying, asserting that he had joined their church.
You know how a true Lutheran pastor feels on
hearing such news. I lost no time in writing an
earnest letter to the young man. Below is a part of
his letter in answer to mine. You will understand
why I rejoiced and sent a prayer of thanks to God
_ upon reading it.

“Dear Pastor :—

“This being the fourth Sunday in January, it
makes me think way back. This day, one year ago,
I was blessed to sit at your feet and hear the true
Word of Jesus Christ. And to-day I am sitting in
my room, and don’t know of any Lutheran church
where I could go to hear this true Word. Can only
sit and read my Bible and understand it to the best
of my knowledge.

“Dear Pastor, I received your loving letter
Friday and can’t tell you how I felt when I read
where you said it hurt you to your heart to hear
that I had turned my back on the Lutheran Church.
Well, this is what made me feel bad — to hear that
you think that I have done such a thing. My
promise was, when I joined the Lutheran Church,
that I would suffer even death before I would turn
away from it. Now, whether you know it or not,
I mean to keep that promise.

“Now, about that other church. It is true that
for the last three or four weeks I have been visiting-
a church called the Church of Christ.... The first
time I was asked by the minister to join, but
I refused, telling him that I was a Lutheran, had
only lately arrived in Chicago, and hadn’t yet
located a Lutheran church, but was expecting to
find one at any time. So after the service I was
asked to stay over for the Bible Union. I liked
it.... Later the secretary had to leave, and I was
asked to take his place. I did so. I didn’t think
that there was anything wrong in that. But you are
my pastor and never have advised me to do anything
that wasn’t for my good, so if you think it best
that I shouldn’t take a part in this Union, I will
not attend.

“Will you read this letter in the church? And
if any one is under the impression that I have or
ever will turn from the Lutheran Church, tell them
for me they are wrong. ;

“Yours in Christ,
“WILLIE GULLETTE.”

Further comment is hardly necessary. I am
happy to know that permanent Lutheran work
among the Colored of Chicago has now been begun
by Pastor Carter, and that Willie Gullette is one of
those who will henceforth sit under the sound of
true Lutheran Gospel-preaching in Chicago.

E. A. Westoorr.
—————— .

CuurcHes, like armies, grow by conquest.

When conquest ceases, mutiny begins.