The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 70

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

70

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

Superintendent of our Southeastern Negro Mission
Field, died in a hospital at Greensboro, N. C., after
a very short illness, at the age of 49 years, 9 months,
and 25 days.

Our departed friend and brother was the son of
John Valentine Smith and his wife Barbara, née
Dauenhauer. Hewas bornat Scranton, Pa., June 1,
1876, and soon after his birth was baptized there in
the Lutheran Church. When yet a child, his par-
ents removed to Cleveland, O., where the departed
attended the school of the late Pastor Karl Kretz-
mann, who also later confirmed him.

In the fall of 1890 he matriculated at our Con-
cordia College, Fort Wayne, Ind. After complet-
ing his classical course, he entered Concordia Semi-
nary, St. Louis, where he graduated in 1898.

He was called to serve as the pastor of Grace
Church, Concord, N. C., a colored congregation.
At the convention of the Synodical Conference in
- the same year, which was held in Cincinnati, he
was ordained by Pastor Otto Hanser, a member of
the Mission Board. In this same service Teacher
E. Buntrock was solemnly inducted into office. The
* sermon on that occasion was preached by Prof. W.
H. T. Dau on Mal. 2, 7: “For the priest’s lips
should keep knowledge, and they should seek the
Law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the
Lord of hosts.” Besides serving Grace Church at
Concord, the young missionary also took care of
a small band of Christians at Drys Schoolhouse,
which is about eight miles southeast of Concord,
as well as of the stations at Reimerstown and at
Mount Pleasant. His installation at Drys School-
house took place under an oak-tree, the sainted
Pastor Bakke officiating.

October 12, 1899, the young missionary married
Miss Marie Scherler, of Cleveland. This union was
blessed with three children, a son and the daughters
Concordia and Elinor.

When Immanuel Lutheran College was opened
at Concord, in the fall of 1903, in the school-build-
ing of his congregation, he helped Pastor Bakke as

part-time instructor till the institution was re- |

moved to Greensboro in September, 1905. About
three years later the Mission Board called him as
full-time professor at Greensboro. He proved a
gifted and efficient instructor and enjoyed the re-
spect of his classes in a high degree because of his
scholarship. :

Owing to the physical condition of his wife he
resigned his professorship in October, 1917, and

removed with his family to Port Huron, Mich., the
home of his only sister. There he obtained a very
lucrative position; but when the Board asked him
to return to Greensboro and accept the presidency
of Immanuel Lutheran College, he unhesitatingly
brought the great financial sacrifice which his
action entailed and reentered the service of the
Board for Negro Missions as the head of the
Greensboro institution in June, 1919. ‘That the
health of his wife and not the high salary had in-
duced him to go North he plainly showed by re-
turning South when his wife’s health had been re-
stored, though in doing so he cut his income in two.
We mention this, not because this spirit is rare
among our pastors and teachers, —we rather be-
lieve that it is general,—but merely to record
a fact.

He served as professor and president of Im-
manuel Lutheran College till the summer of 1925.
At that time the Board for Colored Missions called
him to serve as Superintendent of the Southeastern
Mission Field, which extends from Atlanta, Ga., to
Yonkers, N.Y. He entered upon his new duties
with enthusiasm and proved a faithful laborer, as
he had done in his former positions.

After the funeral services at Greensboro the
body of our departed friend was taken to Port
Huron, Mich., for interment.

May the heavenly Father comfort the stricken
widow and mourning children in their affliction and
bring to their sorrowing hearts the blessed assur--
ance that also our afflictions work together for ‘good
to them that love God. . F. J. L.

Constitution for a Missionary Society.

I. Name.— This Society shall be called the
Missionary Society of ——— Lutheran Church,
of ——_,

II. Ossxcr.— The object of this Society shall
be to aid in interesting its members and others in
the Home and Foreign Missions of the Church. ~

III. Mrasersurp.— Any member of the church
paying —— cents a month may be a member of
this Society.

IV. Orricers.— The officers of this Society
shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary,
and a Treasurer; and these shall constitute an
Executive Committee to administer the affairs of
the Society.