The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1930, Page 158

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158

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

The 20 basic stations of the Columbia Broad-
casting System reach 59,000,000 instruments.
50 broadcasts would have a potential audience of
2,950,000,000 (billions, not millions). Assuming
that only one out of every 100 actually listens in, we
have a total of 29,500,000 persons hearing the radio
message —at a cost of $200,000. For every 45
hearing the pulpit message, 295 hear the radio mes-
sage, and that at less than one-fourth the cost. In
making this computation we do not overlook the
fact that our L. L. L.-supported host of missionaries
would do other important and essential work besides
preaching. On the other hand, every preacher needs
a church and every church a building lot. We are
simply making a computation of potential hearers
of the saving message of the Gospel.

Does not such a comparison shed light upon the
reason why business houses expend such enormous
amounts in order to advertise their merchandise over
the radio-broadcasting networks ?

Another comparison. 12 broadcasts, at $4,000
each, involve an expenditure of $48,000. At this
writing the St. Louis group of laymen have signed
$12,000 for the L. L. L. radio project, a contribution
of $1,000 for each of 12 programs, assuming that
the Lutheran groups elsewhere raise the other
$36,000. One-fourth of the 59,000,000 potential
listeners-in is about 15,000,000. But let us assume
that only one in 15 actually tunes in on the Lu-
theran Hour. To reach this million with a 2-cent
tract under 1-cent postage would cost $30,000. In
other words, to send a tract to 1,000,000 addresses
(and we have not figured the cost of labor involved
in obtaining these addresses and sending out the
tracts) would cost thirty times as much as reaching
’ them with a spoken message over the radio.

Since the world stands, there has not been any
means that can distantly compare with the radio
chain as a means of bringing a message to the
people. — Z. L. L. Bulletin.

ie

A Challenge to City Churches.

The editor of the Lutheran Herald, after a close
study, has “found that in all Lutheran synods the
country parishes (1. e., congregations outside of cities
having 2,500 inhabitants or more) have a higher
percentage of men than the city churches. The
differences in this respect are in some instances posi-
tively striking: The Missouri Synod, for instance, in

is _ country parishes has 99 males to every 100 females,

tin urban parishes only 84 males to 100 females.

In the Augustana Synod the ratio drops from 100 in
the country to 86 in the cities; in the Norwegian
Lutheran Church from 102 to 92; in the Joint
Synod of Ohio from 96 to 83; in the Iowa Synod
from 99 to 87.

This is a serious fact. Figures do not tell lies.
They reveal plainly that we are not holding the men
in the cities as closely affiliated with the Church as
we should. We are losing our men in the cities. We
are losing, let us state it plainly, from 10 to 15 per
cent. of the men who live in the city or move to the
city. What a tremendous challenge to the pastors in
the cities, especially the metropolitan centers! What
a challenge to the Church to employ every known
means to stop these appalling losses! It would seem
that no better argument than these plain facts exists
for the support of Home Missions in our cities and
for establishing centers for Lutheran young men
who come to the city to work or to study.”

The Layman as Missionary.

When Jesus said: “Go ye into all the world and
preach the Gospel to every creature,” He was ad-
dressing not only the Twelve, but all of His dis-
ciples. Thereby He made every Christian believer
a missionary. It would require a long article to
describe the various missionary opportunities which
we have as laymen, but this is not our present pur-
pose. An instance has just come to our notice which
illustrates better than many words could do just
what is meant by the saying that every member of
the Christian Church should be a missionary. Our
story covers points as far distant as Tampa, Fla.,
Racine, Wis., Rock Island, Ill., Chicago, and Con-
cepcion, Chile. It is an interesting story and one
that should be an inspiration to many.

Resting up at Tampa, Fla., Mr. A. H. Ahlbrand
meets Mr. H. I. Burchard, who has been a member
of Rev. Heckel’s church in that city for the past ten
years. Mr. Ahlbrand learns that Mr. Burchard is
engaged by the Case people of Racine, Wis., to rep-
resent them in South America. Knowing of Mr.
Horst’s interests in our South American Mission,
Mr. Ahlbrand tells his friend of Mr. Horst and also
informs the latter of Mr. Burchard’s connection,
thinking that a real Lutheran layman may help to
further missionary work of the Missouri Synod in
South America. Correspondence follows between
Mr. Horst and Mr. Burchard, and finally the latter”
is called by long distance at Racine the night before
he leaves for New York and Concepcion, Chile.