The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 47

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER. 47

this man out. There is no better way, in my humble
opinion, of creating interest in our congregations
for our missions than by making it possible for
a worker from the field of action to appear person-
ally and plead the cause. If that worker is a
product of our missionary endeavors, so much the
better. I know that my congregation will have a
better conception of our work among the Negroes
in the future than it ever had in the past.”

May we add what this same pastor says concern-
ing the Prionrrr? We are sure that you will pardon
the digression. Here is what the brother says: “It
has always been a pleasure for me to recommend the
PrionEER to my brethren in office. As to my con-
gregation, I am happy to report that the PIoNEER
is read in nearly all our homes. We distribute it
in the Sunday-school each month, about sixty copies,
one to each family represented in the school. It is
in this way that we try to encourage the reading of
our church-papers. Three other monthlies of our
Church are distributed in the same way, a different
one every Sunday. This plan might well be fol-
lowed by all Sunday-schools.” Perhaps the sugges-
tion of this good friend of our Colored Missions and
the PronreEr will find favor in the eyes of some of
our readers and will be favorably acted upon. How
about you? Don’t you think it would help the cause
of missions greatly if we could get more readers for
the PIONEER? F.J.L.

Nore. — Should any of our readers be interested in
Pastor Peay’s lecture and wish to arrange for its delivery,
let him address Director C. F. Drewes, 3407 Halliday Ave.,
St. Louis, Mo.

What God has Wrought in Uganda.

It was in April, 1875, just a little over fifty
years ago, that Henry M. Stanley, the intrepid
American explorer, had a number of important
conversations with Mtesa, the king of Uganda, on
the matter of Christianity. Stanley had been no
Christian until he found Livingstone, the great
missionary, who by his word and example turned
Stanley’s thoughts into different channels than they
had traveled before and whom the Holy Spirit used
as His human agency to bring the former skeptic
to the Savior. Stanley had been on his long jour-
ney for over two years when he met Mtesa. To
show how desirous Stanley was to bring the king
of Uganda to Christ, it will suffice to say that he
translated the chief stories of the Bible, including
all of Luke’s gospel into Kiswahili, the language of
the country, and left it with Mtesa. Before Stanley
left his kingdom, Mtesa called his chiefs together

and said to them: “I have listened to all that the
white man has told me and am well pleased, and
now I ask you, shall we accept this Book or Mo-
hammed’s book?” ‘The chiefs answered: “We will
take the white man’s Book.” ;

Upon this Stanley wrote to England and asked
that English missionaries be sent to Uganda. Part
of his letter follows : —

“Oh, that some pious, practical missionary
would come here! What a field and harvest ripe
for the sickle of civilization! Here, gentlemen, is
your opportunity — embrace it! I assure you that
in one year you will have more converts to Chris-
tianity than all other missionaries united can

-number.”

This fétter, entrusted to a Belgian traveler
named Bellefonds, was found on his dead body and
taken to General Gordon, who sent it on to Eng-
land, where it was published in the Daily Telegraph
on November 15, 1875. Tight days later the
Church Missionary Society decided to accept the
challenge by establishing a mission in Uganda!

Now, what has been the result? To-day there
are five hundred thousand Christians in Uganda,
after only fifty years’ labor. The whole state is
under Christian rule. The demand for Bibles in
Uganda is very great. Orders for the Word of
Life pour into the British and Foreign Bible So-
ciety, and the demand seems to be increasing.

F. J. L.

BOOK TABLE.

The Teaching of Religion. By Paul E.Kretzmann. Con-
cordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. Price, $1.00.
Dr. Kretzmann has put us pastors and teachers under
great obligation by writing this book, on which he must
have expended much time and thought. We have here
a most acceptable treatment of a great subject, which
should find a place in the library of every one interested
in the teaching of religion. Read this Table of Contents,
and you will have your appetite whetted, we are sure:
The Historical Background of Religious Teaching; The
Pedagogical Maxims of the Bible; Present-day Educa-
tional Agencies; The Aim and Scope of Religious Train-
ing; The Psychology of Religious Teaching; The Approach
to the Pupil; The Subject-matter of Religious Teaching;
Methods of Teaching in Religious Instruction; The Art
of Questioning.

Church-Membership and Lodge-Membership. By Prof.
Theo. Graebner. Concordia Publishing House, St.
Louis, Mo. Price, 20 cts.

This is a translation of a series of lectures delivered

at a synodical convention, namely, that of the North Da-
kota and Montana District of the Missouri Synod. The
translator is Pastor Victor Bartling. The pamphlet con-
tains expositions of sixteen theses on uniformity of prac-
tise in our congregations with regard to I -members.
In his usual lucid way Professor Graebner here treats
a subject that must vitally interest every member of our
Church. |