The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Page 151

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“7

/a century.

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

151

Never since the days of early Christianity has
any communion of Christians shown a missionary
zeal such as has been manifested by the Moravians
since 1732. The Moravian Church is one great mis-
sionary society. Within seven years after 1732
Herrnhut sent out seven different missions! From
Herrnhut, missions have been established on five
other continents besides Europe, and yet it is only
an obscure village of one thousand souls. Some
writer has said that for every seventy members at
home the Moravians have a missionary in the for-
eign field and that the membership of their mission-
churches is three‘ times that of the home church.
Another missionary authority claims that, if every
Protestant Church would send workers into the
Foreign Mission field in the same proportion as is
being done by the Moravians, a half million mission-
aries would be working among non-Christians in the
world, possibly a greater number than it would be
wise to send out at one time. What a pity that so
many Christians are oblivious of what is their duty
to the people that know not Jesus! May the mis-
Sionary zeal of the Moravians be a rebuke to many
among us and then also an incitement to us to put
forth greater efforts in leading those who are still
bending their knees to false gods to cast their
crowns at Jesus’ feet and cry, “Thou art worthy,
O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power!”

F.J.L.

The Third General Conference of
Colored Mission Workers.

The date was August 24—28, the place was
Selma, Ala. Workers and delegates assembled in
the neat and airy chapel of Alabama Luther College.
They came from the East and from the West, from
the North and from the South. Rejoicing in a
common faith and in the bountiful blessings of
Almighty God for half a century past, they gathered
to praise Him from whom all blessings flow and to
plan greater conquests for Christ in the next half
During the fifty years that the Sy-
nodical Conference has been sending missionaries
to the colored people, many thousands have heard
the glad tidings of salvation by grace alone and
have found rest and happiness in their Lord Jesus
Christ. But there are yet millions who have not
heard the glad tidings. The harvest truly,
is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray

' ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He will
send forth laborers into His harvest.” —

Among the first resolutions passed by the con-
vention at Selma was one thanking the Synodical
Conference for its missionary labors of half a cen-
tury, through which “God has called thousands of
our people to the knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.”

The interesting and encouraging reports of our
several superintendents and pastors of isolated
stations showed clearly and forcibly that, in spite
of all things that are against us, God’s rich blessings
are attending our labors in all parts of the country.
The reports from St. Louis, Chicago, and Tuskegee
were especially notable. The outlook for future

Prof. F. Berg.

development seems never to have been brighter.
Moreover, we are looking forward with joyous an-,
ticipation to the beginning of mission-work in
Africa. A resolution was passed thanking Almighty
God that the Synodical Conference has resolved to*
gather data which will guide them in opening up
a mission on the great Dark Continent; and in com-
memoration of that notable service of fifty years
ago, when the Rev. J. F. Doescher was solemnly
commissioned as the first missionary to carry the
saving Gospel to the colored people of the South, it
was agreed to set apart the Sunday nearest to
October 16 in each year, beginning in 1928, as
African Mission Day when offerings are to be
gathered in all parts of our Colored Missions for
the mission-work in Africa. :
Ul