The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1931, Page 55

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER 55

great teacher, the venerable Mission Board a very
valuable member.

“Yes, there has gone from among us a man of
invincible courage, a veteran of many _ spiritual
battles. The Synod has lost a strong man, a saga-
cious leader, and a great theologian. And _ his
country has lost an ideal citizen.

“Director Drewes is no more with us; for him
the ways of the earth are past. The days which
God had allotted to him have come to an end. The
bounds which had been set for him were reached.
This world could afford him a home no longer, his
time was out; and so his soul’s earthly home
gave way.

“To-day Director Drewes is with Jesus in
paradise; the soul has entered that eternal bliss
whither the body will follow upon the glorious
resurrection morning.

“Te is at rest. ‘Blessed are the dead which die
in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit,
that they may rest from their labors, and their
works do follow them.’

“TIis eloquent lips are now silent; his dear
voice is hushed; his faculties are now inactive; his
body lies motionless in its grave. Yes, he is resting,
he is sleeping in his grave. No matter how much
our mission may need his counsel, no matter how
much we may long for his help, we cannot disturb
him now. ‘His trials and his griefs are past.’ But
‘though he died, he liveth still. He lives where
none do mourn and weep.’

“Director Drewes, are you dead? No, you are
not dead; you are but sleeping. Sleep on, Director
Drewes, and take your rest. For, lo, these many
years you have toiled and suffered here in the in-
terest of my people. Sleep now in peace till the
dawn of Resurrection Day.”

Miss Young above speaks of our dear departed
friend’s patience and forbearance with the colored
people, and she does so with good reason; for men
of smaller caliber and weaker faith could not have
stood the tests that Director Drewes did stand.
Under a mere fraction of the difficulties that con-
fronted him, many a strong man has gone down or,
at least, has been so discouraged as to lose, for a
time, his hold on himself.

We do not feel guilty of exaggeration when we
say that Director Drewes tried to build into the
fabric of our Colored Missions his vision and en-
thusiasm for the saving of souls and the spreading
of Christ’s kingdom. He was tirelessly absorbed in
the cause of Christ and His Church.

, G. Mieger, pastor.

His lecture tours in the interest of Negro Mis-
sions brought him in contact with not a few of our
congregations. Many of our people have heard him
tell in his simple, concrete, direct, vivid, and convine-
ing way what he knew of our Colored Missions. His
instinct for the news and information values made
him a most effective missionary speaker. The in-
tensity of his pleading for the mission that was so
dear to his heart, the apparent uprightness and
directness of his speech, the obvious justice and
discernment shown in his expressed opinions, his
evident mastery of his subject, made him a success-
ful advocate of the cause of our Negro Missions and
enabled him to arouse interest in this blessed work
in many hearts. So absorbed was he in his task that
he never talked to draw attention to himself; but
he always made it plain that he had a most im-
portant message to deliver and a noble cause to
plead. F. J. L.

Items from Oakland, Cal.

Last month we were privileged to bring our
readers the glad news that our new station in Oak-
land, Cal., had dedicated its chapel. The occasion
was a most happy one, participated in by a large
number of white friends.

Prof. Otto H. Theiss, who is kindly serving the
congregation, writes that the joy and enthusiasm of
his little flock of colored Christians since the day of
dedication can hardly be exaggerated. They are
thankful for the house of worship which has been so
kindly put at their disposal. (Last month’s PIONEER
brought a cut of the chapel.)

The white congregations of Oakland and in-
dividual members have beautifully equipped the
chapel. The altar, altar cloth, lectern, and bap-
tismal font were given by Zion Congregation, Rev.
St. Peter’s Church has loaned
the organ for an indefinite period. A beautiful
crucifix and a pair of candelabra are the gift of Mr.
and Mrs. Pollard, and Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox have
given a handsome chair for the chancel. Mr. Timm,
a landscape gardener and member of Zion, donated
the material and labor for the beautifying of the
chapel’s surroundings, including cement work and
the planting of a lawn and shrubs. The spirit of
friendliness indicated by these kind donations has
deeply impressed the members of our mission.

The attendance since the dedication has more
than doubled. Strangers are to be seen in every
service. A ladies’ society has been organized and
meets regularly. Preparations are also under way