The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1931, Page 186

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186

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

municants; however, we had announced repeatedly
that in cases where no special name and address
had been given to one, they should still do some
personal mission-work on their own initiative.
A blank was enclosed with each letter, and we are
asking, when you make your call, to give the par-
ticulars on this blank and to return it to the pastor
or to hand it to some of the ushers or a church
board member at the close of the services or to mail
it directly to the pastor.

“What a marvelous power there is in our Chris-
tian congregations, what a source of strength, what
an electrifying flow of life and love, is set in motion
by an attempt of this kind! Oh, if you dear mem-
bers of our church were only conscious of your
power, of your ability to serve, of the great things
you can accomplish for the Lord in His mission-
work by your prayers, by personal interest in
mission-work, by your steady churchgoing and all
else you do for the upbuilding of the Kingdom!
Results? We need not worry about that. We have
God’s promise that His Word shall not return unto
Him void. We believe this promise, and from expe-
rience we know that such efforts cannot but be
accompanied by somie results.”

We hope that this account may encourage others
to do likewise. We are not mentioning the pastor’s
name, since we do not know whether he would like
the publicity. But if any of our readers should
wish the name and address, we shall be glad to
give it. F. J. 1.

Mission-Work of the Hanoverian Free
Church.

The mission of the Hanoverian Free Church
maintains nine stations, two among the Bechuanas
in Southwestern Transvaal and seven among the
Zulus in Southeastern Transvaal and Natal. Dur-
ing the past year the number of Christians in this
mission was increased by about three hundred, from
8,900 to 9,200. Some of the native congregations
are of considerable size: Roodepoort has 2,557
souls; Salem, 2,256; Botsabelo, 1,780; Quell-
wasser, 889; Mabola, 732. In connection with the
nine main stations there are forty-nine sub-stations.
There are seven white missionaries in active service,
assisted by three ordained native pastors, two cate-
chists, and more than fifty other helpers. The
oldest native pastor is Pastor Abraham, who in spite
of his hundred years still successfully directs his
‘congregation at Wakkerstroom, a substation of
Quellwasser, and preaches the Word of God every

Sunday. Two candidates, Weber and Wiesinger,
were commissioned for the field April 9, 1930.
There are four students in the missionary training-
school at Bleckmar.

Regarding the spiritual life in the native Chris-
tian congregations, the missionaries complain of
laxity, worldliness, and indifference, as well as of
the besetting sins of the African native, witchcraft,
fornication, and lying. On the other hand, how-
ever, Pastor Blanke quotes a beautiful passage from
the report of Missionary Henning of Roodepoort,
which, he thinks, will apply to the other stations
as well, in which the missionary assures us that some
progress is being made. The congregations are
increasing, not merely in numbers, but spiritually,
in faith, love for God’s Word, and the earnest pur-
pose to battle with sin. Though the native Chris-
tians do not always succeed in winning the victory
in the battle, yet the sincerity of their will should
not be denied. It is really a great thing, which is
experienced over and over again, that insolent sin-
ners and mockers, filthy fornicators and adulterers,
secret sorcerers and malicious blasphemers, are over-
powered by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, penitently
cast themselves at the feet of their Savior and
Redeemer, and find rest for their souls in the for-
giveness of sins. — Lutheran Standard.

Items of Missionary Interest.
(By the Eprror.)

A New Director Called. — At its plenary meet-
ing held a short time ago the Board for Colored
Missions unanimously called Superintendent Geo. A.
Schmidt to succeed Director C. F. Drewes as execu-
tive of our Colored Missions. Pastor Schmidt has
accepted the important call, and we wish him God’s
richest blessings.

Colored Mission Chapel at Buffalo. — The
plans and specifications for the Lutheran Church
of Our Savior, our Colored Mission chapel in

Buffalo, have been accepted. The chapel is to be

brick-veneered and will seat about 150 people. It
will be erected on the lot recently purchased at
Northland Avenue and Purdy Street. The esti-
mated cost is $8,000. A cottage on the property
will be remodeled and will serve as a residence for
the missionary in charge of the mission.

A New Mission Enterprise. — On September 27
more than fifty pastors and many representatives
from almost all the churches of the Metropolitan
Area gathered for divine service in St. Luke’s, New