The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1933, Page 2

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Wee ey F THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

An Edifying Service.

In the Northern Nebraska District there is a
village named Schuyler, with a population of about
2,500. One of our pastors, the Rev. A. Bergt,
a mission-minded disciple of Him who bade His
Church preach the Gospel to every creature, who has
charge of a rural congregation near Schuyler, felt
constrained to open a mission in the village about
a year ago. He knew that there were unchurched
people living in Schuyler and thought that he might
possibly gather a few into the fold of his Master.

~ The mission made unexpected progress from the
very beginning. Circumstances made it possible for

Bergt’s rural congregation acted as sponsors for
the infants and smaller children. The older chil-
dren, who had been carefully instructed as far as
their age allowed it, answered the questions together
with the sponsors.

Ten pastors from the vicinity of Schuyler of-
ficiated at this baptismal service, and several choirs
from neighboring churches assisted. It must have
been gratifying to Pastor Bergt and his people to
see the members of neighboring congregations giv-
ing practical evidence of their interest by attending
the services in such great numbers.

A Christian day-school has been opened in
Schuyler, which the Mission Board of the District

Class of Fifty-Five Recently Baptized at Schuyler, Nebr.

the mission to acquire a church less than a year
after the work had been begun.

But what we really wanted to tell our readers
about was a service that was held in Schuyler several
months ago, in which no fewer than fifty-five per-
sons were baptized as a result of the work done here
by Pastor Bergt and his members. The service was
attended by probably 700 persons. As this great
throng was not able to get into the building where
the service was held, loud speakers were arranged on
the outside for the convenience of those who were
barred from the auditorium.

Among the candidates for Baptism in this won-
derful service were thirty-seven older children and
eighteen infants in their mothers’ arms. What a
wonderful harvest indeed! Members of Pastor

is subsidizing for the present, and a permanent
teacher has been put in charge. It is expected that
the school will have an enrolment of over forty
pupils. The Sunday-school is being attended by
over 100 children. ‘The church serves for school
purposes also. :
Could not the experience of Pastor Bergt and
his faithful helpers at Schuyler be repeated else-
where? We wonder whether there are net many
villages throughout our country where similar con-
ditions obtain and similar ingatherings could be
made by the gracious blessings of God. Of course,
there can be no real results without proper effort.
The people will have to be gone after; mere surveys
will not suffice; even canvasses will in most in-
stances not be enough. People cannot be induced