The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1930, Sheet 187

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

185.

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that he be given a third teacher for his school was
granted. Miss Helen Mason of Springfield was ap-
pointed. — The Board clected the following officers:
President, Rev. O. C. A. Boecler; Vice-President,
Rey. L. A. Wisler; Secretary, Rev. E. L. Wilson.
A treasurer, to succeed Mr. Theo. Eckhart, has not
yet been elected, but Mr. Eckhart has kindly con-
sented to serve till a successor has been found.

An Unpromising Beginning. — The following
item was sent us by a friend: “Your item ‘Un-
promising Beginnings’ in the October number of
the PronEEr reminded me of our beginning in H.
We preached there at first, not only in private
houses, but also in the Elks’ Hall. After sweeping
away the dirt and dust the lodge-members left after
dancing until Sunday morning, we would take
down their emblem, the head of a huge elk, store
it away in a closet, and then begin our divine ser-
vice. Although we have always had very strong
opposition, the last statistical report shows a total
of 107 souls there, the property is valued at $20,000,
and contributions for outside purposes amount to
$105 and for home purpose to $1,204.

Sp odtvA Rang”

Who Will Do Likewise? — The chairman of
the Walther League at Pine Bluff, Ark., writes:
“Trinity Ey. Luth. Church at Pine Bluff, Ark., has
provided each family represented in the congrega-
tion (forty-one) with a subscription for the Lu-
THERAN PIONEER. This is the second year this
action has been taken. Both times it was at the
suggestion of the Educational Chairman of the
local Walther League.”

Mexican Missions. — Pastor Sergio Cobian has
been called from San Antonio, Tex., to Los An-
geles, Cal., to work among the Mexicans of that
city. Pastor Andres Melendez, a native of Porto
Rico, has taken charge of the work among the
Mexicans of San Antonio as the successor of Pastor
Cobian.

Lutheran Missionary Captured. — Rev. Bert
N. Nelson, Norwegian Lutheran missionary from
Minneapolis, Minn., connected with the Lutheran
Church of China, who was captured by brigands on
October 15, has not yet been rescued, although
Chinese troops, under General Tai Min Chuan, are
on their way to effect his release. Mr. Hsu Moh,
chief of the European and American Affairs De-
partment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Nanking Government, has instructed the govern-
ment authorities in the province of Honan to make
every effort to obtain Pastor Nelson’s release.

General Ho Chen-chun has urged the military forces
in Southeast Honan to spare no efforts to obtain
the missionary’s early release. Pastor Nelson,
whose father, the Rey. Daniel Nelson, was killed in
China ten years ago, was captured in Kwangshan,
Honan, and is being held somewhere in the fast-
nesses of that province for a ransom set at $300,000.
N.L.C. News Bulletin.

Men Needed in China in Spite of War. — Rev.
Victor Swenson, China missionary of the Augus-
tana Lutheran Synod, informs his Board of Foreign
Missions that new men are needed in the field at
once in spite of war and its attendant difficulties.
He says: “I believe any one called of God, able to
learn a foreign language, and in good health should
be sent out as soon as possible. You see it takes
time to prepare for the work even after you have
arrived in China. You cannot believe everything
you see in the Minneapolis Journal. I don’t doubt
but that the missionaries are in danger on Kikung-
shan, but they are not in as serious a danger as
we were right here in Hsuchow a few days ago.
Robbers were shooting and killing and burning like
mad beasts only a few miles away. We could hear
the large and small guns thunder in the distance.
But it is not worse for us than for other mission-
aries. The China Inland Mission is sending out
one crowd after another.” He also writes that “the
tent bands have been busy scattering the Gospel-
seed. It was difficult for them to work in the Kiah-
sien District after Christmas; so we sent for the
tent band, and they preached here in the Huschow
District. The robbers have been very bad at times
in certain places. When they get furious, the tent-
workers move to another place. There are plenty
of towns and villages. that need to be given the
Gospel, thousands upon thousands of them. By,
God’s grace they are going to have a chance to hear
and accept or reject the message.”

N.L.C. News Bulletin.

Finnish Mission in China. — This mission has
had sad experiences during the past few years. In
1927 most of its missionaries were compelled to
leave their fields of labor. Those who remained in
the fields were daily in danger of losing their lives.
Early this year three Finnish deaconesses were
killed by the Communists. But in spite of all
persecutions the native Christians have remained
faithful to their Savior. The work, which for a
while was almost completely at a standstill, has
again.been taken up with vigor; only the work of
the schools is still at a halt because of the stringent