The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Sheet 137

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

those who heard it. Following the hymn “Let Me
Be Thine Forever,” Student G.Karkau of Con-
cordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., was presented to
the people as their new missionary. He made a
short address, offered a prayer, and spoke the
benediction. The hymn “Abide, O Dearest Jesus,”
brought the impressive service to a close.

The Cleveland Colored Mission was started
about a year ago, when one hundred members of
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church canvassed a large ter-
ritory near their church and found several hundred
unchurched Negroes. St. Peter’s Congregation
placed its spacious Assembly Hall—its former
church auditorium — at the disposal of the proposed
mission. Mr. Ernst Mueller, student of Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis, was called to take charge of
the work for one year, and the mission was formally
opened last September. Next to the unmerited
grace of God, the marked success achieved during
the past year has been due largely to the untiring,
painstaking efforts of Student Mueller, whose win-
ning personality is well-nigh irresistible, and whose
optimism, sincerity, meekness, and humility make
him an exceptionally gifted missionary. At his first
service only cight persons were present. He kept
in very close touch with these and gradually gained
more. His working principle, which proved sound,
was to establish a nucleus of regular church at-
tendants. Instead of scattering his efforts on several
hundred non-attendants, he concentrated on those
who attended the services more or less regularly.
These he visited without fail at least once a week
through the year. The others he visited less often,
but sent them missionary letters every month and
copies of the Good News, a missionary monthly.
As a result of this procedure the church attendance
gradually rose from eight to over fifty. Among
these were found seven confirmed Lutherans, among
them a brother of Rev. Lucius Thalley, deceased col-
ored missionary. The first Communion service took
place in February. Since the first of this year the
adult catechumen class has been meeting twice
every week, receiving about fifty lessons in all. In
the Sunday-school the missionary was ably assisted
by the Misses Effland and Zapf.

We feel that in Mr. G. Karkau, who is to have
charge of the mission during the coming school-
‘year, a good successor to Mr. Mueller has been
found. Under his faithful direction the mission
ought to grow to such an extent as to necessitate
the placing of a permanent missionary at the time
his term expires. The mission is at present con-
ducted under the auspices of St. Peter’s Lutheran

135

Church, which houses the mission and lodges the
missionary. The missionary’s salary is guaranteed
by the Home Mission Board of the Central District,
the congregations of Cleveland reimbursing the
District Treasury to some extent for this expen-
diture.

Cleveland, O. ArtHor F. Karr.

“Go and Do Thou Likewise.’’

Doctor Allen was very tired. He was one of the
secretaries of the Foreign Mission Society, and he
had been preaching that morning at a large city
church, which was to give its annual offering for
Foreign Missions.

In the evening he had spoken at-another church,
quite a long distance away, and as he was a stranger
in the city, he had accepted for the night the hos-
pitality of one of the families affiliated with the
church where he had spoken in the morning.

He was just about retiring for the night, as he
had a long journey to make the next day, when a
young man who boarded with the family asked for
the privilege of a little talk alone with the minister.
“Certainly,” said Dr. Allen, who was never too tired
to do a little work for the Master.

The family all said “Good night” and left the
two alone.

The young man hesitated and seemed embar-
rassed, when Dr. Allen said kindly, “Well, my
friend, what can I do for you?”

“JT have been a member of the church for some
years,” said the young man, “but am not happy or
satisfied with my religious life. I try to do the
square thing by every one, but I know nothing of
the peace and joy of which I hear others speak.
I am sure you are a happy Christian, for your face
fairly shone as you talked to us this morning, and
I thought perhaps you could help me.”

“There must be a reason for your trouble, my
brother, and we will try to find it. Do you work
for Christ? And do you give?” :

“Very little of either, I am afraid,” said the
young man sorrowfully. “I attend the services of
the church on Sunday and sometimes go to prayer-
meeting, but not often, as my business takes a large’
part of my time and thought.”

“How about giving ?”

“T contribute to the expenses of the church, and ~
when the missionary secretaries come around, I
always put something in the collection.”