The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Sheet 79

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

17

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those can realize who have seen dead bodies laid
away in a hurriedly constructed box of rough
boards, bought at the sawmill down the road. Should
our people, in the event of death and funeral, pledge
over a whole year’s labor on the plantation, their
crop, their earnings, for the price of a coffin?

All these questions and related matters were dis-
cussed at the Special Pastoral Conference held at
Selma, Ala., December 4, 1926. A committee, con-
sisting of Pastor W. F. Carlson, of Oak Hill, Prof.
R. O. L. Lynn, and Acting Superintendent Edward
A. Westcott, of Selma, was appointed to find “ways
and means to deal with cases of questionable
memberships in burial and benefit associations.”
The committee, at the next pastoral conference,
made the following recommendation: “In order to
eliminate the spirit of unionism which is being fos-
tered by various burial associations, to which many
of our Lutherans belong, let us organize a general
burial association, to which none but Lutherans
may belong.” The recommendation was resolved
upon and ratified, and thus the Lutheran Burial
Association of Alabama came into being.

The officers of the newly formed and incorpo-
rated Lutheran Burial Association of Alabama are:
Prof. R. O. L. Lynn, of Selma, president; Rev.
G. G. Kreft, of Mobile, vice-president; Rev. Paul
J.G. Weeke, of Montgomery, secretary; Rev. E. A.
Westcott, of Selma, treasurer. These officers, to-
gether with the Revs. Carlson and Montgomery and
Prof. Holness, constitute the Board of Directors.

Only baptized members of the Evangelical Lu-
theran Synodical Conference one year of age and
over can become members of the burial association.
A registration fee of twenty-five cents is charged for
all members under twelve years of age and fifty
cents for all members upward of twelve years. An
annual due of fifty cents is to be paid by all mem-
bers under twelve years of age and one dollar by
all upwards of twelve years. A death benefit of
fifteen dollars will be paid to the legal heirs of all
members who die before reaching the twelfth year
of age and thirty dollars to the legal heirs of those
members who die after reaching the twelfth year.

The undersigned was appointed to look after
legal matters pertaining to organization and in-
corporation. By March 1 the Lutheran Burial As-
sociation will be functioning for the benefit of all
colored Lutherans of the Synodical Conference,
whether residing in the South or North, in the East
or West. The State of Alabama has guaranteed the
fidelity and reliability of the corporation by grant-
ing a charter. Qur charter declares that the Lu-

theran Burial Association of Alabama is a non-
stock, no-dividend, no-profit, voluntary, ecclesiastical
organization, organized solely for the benefit of its
members. The treasurer is bonded. And all this
organization, after much prayerful planning, for one
purpose —to eliminate the dangers of unionism.
May God grant His blessings to our venture!
For further information address
Rev. Paut J. G. Wrexe, Secretary,
306 Plum St., Montgomery, Ala.

The Heart of India.

Benares, the Sacred City of the Hindus, is the
religious heart of India. More than 200,000,000
Hindus look to Benares as the source of their re-
ligious teaching. Anything from Benares, from the
holy water of the Ganges to the dust from the
streets, is considered sacred.

Each year several millions of Hindu pilgrims
come to, Benares on a sacred pilgrimage, it being
an experience that every good Hindu is supposed to
undergo at least once in a lifetime. To many this
pilgrimage is the one great event of their entire
lives.

These pilgrims come from every town and vil-
lage of India. No village is too far or inaccessible,
or too small or too unimportant, or too great but
it sends its citizens to find God in Benares.

These pilgrims come in countless multitudes, by
train, by bullock cart, and on foot, and now a few
even come in their own motor-cars. They come
from every class of life, every caste — Brahmans,
warriors, farmers, and sweepers; the wealthy mer-
chant and banker comes and worships beside the
poorest leper, and they touch elbows as they all bathe
together in the sacred Mother Ganges.

These pilgrims are in earnest; they are intensely
determined to find God and that peace in their
hearts which only God can give. No sacrifice is too
great, no journey too long or difficult, no price too
great to pay in suffering or in money, if they can
only come and seek in this, their holy of holies, the
vision of God. The city is drunk with idolatry.
The superstitions are age-old and well-nigh uni-
versal; the grossest sins are committed daily in the
name of God, demons are openly worshiped, and the
power of the Great Enemy is supreme. Two thou-
sand temples are crowded daily with worshipers;
the ground in front of the Monkey Temple runs red
with the blood of the sacrifices. The city is drunk
with idolatry.