The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1931, Page 172

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

172

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

about it? There is only one thing to do. Have you
an inheritance? Is it worth anything to you? Would
syou part with it and go back to the state of poverty
your heathen brother lives in? If, then, it means
anything to you, why should you not find a joy in
bringing your brother his inheritance? Yes, there
is only one thing for us to do, and that is to take
that inheritance to him and make him as rich as
we are. You do that when you pray for missions,
give for missions, and work for missions. On the
other hand, if you and I keep the rich inheritance
intended for our heathen brother, we are guilty of
a shameful crime, the crime of embezzlement! But
would not that be terrible, to be accused — right-
fully accused — of embezzlement? F. J. L.

Items of Missionary Interest.
(By the Eprror.)

Appeals from Northern Cities. — Several very
strong appeals from our large Northern cities were
read to the Board for Colored Missions at its last
plenary meeting. The large migration of colored
people from the South to our large industrial cen-
ters in the North have resulted in populous Negro
centers, which stand in great need of spiritual help.

High Point, N. C.—It is a pleasure to hear of
the fine growth of the mission-school at High Point.
It is to be hoped that High Point will soon have an
adequate church and school plant. Pastor Shufelt
is working hard, and the Board is fully appreciating
his fine efforts in behalf of those people, to whom he
is devoting his life with such a fine spirit of sacrifice.

Vernon, Tex. — Pastor Peimann’s labors among
the colored people of Vernon, Tex., are meeting with
a very promising response and lead our Texan breth-
ren to hope that a colored mission there with a full-
time man may soon become a reality. It is thought
that a colored pastor could work there very success-
fully. — Another large colored colony is located at
Altus, Okla., and still another at Wichita Falls, Tex.
The Board gratefully recognized what the Texan
brethren have so far done to bring the pure Gospel
to the Freedmen of their State and hopes that the
day may not be distant when it will be able. to take
over the work now being done by these volunteers.

Port Arthur, Tex. — Pastor F. Siebelitz, in for-
mer years a true and faithful colaborer with the
Editor among the colored people of New Orleans,
has begun work among the Freedmen of Port Arthur,
which promises successful results. His work as
_ pastor of a white congregation of considerable size

makes it impossible for him to devote much time to
this new work, and for this reason he has asked the
Board to send an investigator to look over the field
in order to decide upon future action. — At Win-
chester, Tex., the pastor of our white congregation
reports that he has five regular colored attendants
at his services.

Read and Ponder! — This from a parish-paper:
“Last year 75 adults were baptized, and 138 were
confirmed in our District. Only 213 adults were
added to our Church in the two States composing
our District! In our District we have 17,625 com-
municants. It took eighty-five communicants to
gain one single adult member! Is there cause for
pride in our gain? Our Church needs more mem-
bers who will do personal mission-work. What have
you done to bring the unchurched to a knowledge of
their Savior? Why not bring one of the millions
who live in our District to church with you next
Sunday and every Sunday in the year? We need
members who will consecrate their lives to the
service of the Master.”

What Can I Do? — This from the same paper:
“What can Ido? 1. You can call for, and bring, an
unchurched person to one of our services. 2. You
can call on some of the visitors who attend our ser-
vices and encourage them to come again. 3. You
can distribute tracts and Bible-portions in public
and semipublic places. 4. You can call upon some
of our own members whose thurch attendance is not
so regular as it might be.”

Christianity Changes the Outlook. — Before
they became Christians, a Chinese man and his wife
in Hengchow, China, sent their baby boy to a home
for baby castaways because they didn’t want the
little fellow. The boy died and was buried on the
hillside, but the father and mother never knew just
where. When they became Christians, they adopted
a little girl into their home and treated her like
a daughter. She is now a graduate nurse. Not only
this, but this Chinese man buried his mother-in-law
in a Christian cemetery, alongside of the grave of
one of the Hengchow church elders. The cemetery
is called “The Eternal Happiness” and was started
by this very man with several others. He has
recently been made an elder in the church.

A Successful Mission-Venture.— The Qua Iboe
Mission on the West Coast of Africa was commenced
in 1887 at the earnest solicitation of a number of
native chiefs living at the mouth of Qua Iboe (Kwa
Ibo) River, a stream of considerable size flowing
into the Gulf of Guinea. Up to this time this mis-
sion has carried on its work in the territory im-