The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1933, Page 137

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

137

schoolhouse, and I sat beside him for hours jotting
down his interpretations of the life histories and
Christian experiences of those who came before the
session. The little woman whom I met on the ferry
has been under supervision of the evangelist of her
town for one year in the first catechumen class, the
esulan. Now she is seeking admission to the ad-
vanced class, the nsambe. To enter this, she must
have a good report from the evangelist and must
pass a satisfactory examination before the elders.
She answers the questions on the catechism in a
very low, timid voice. She prays every day and be-
lieves God hears her because He has promised it.
She is advanced.

The next is a woman, naked except for a loin
cloth. She is in the advanced catechumen class and
desires to unite with the Church; but her accep-
tance is doubtful. The testimony is that she does
not listen to the evangelist when he rebukes her for
attending to fetish. She also does not keep her
house clean, for she allows her son to live in her
house, and he is a polygamist. She replies that she
cannot manage her son. The decision is that three
months later she must again appear before the
elders.

Here is a mother with a baby at her breast (Bulu
mothers often suckle their babies until they are four
years old). Her name is Obeng, meaning beautiful.
Her daughter has gone to a marriage, her son has

taken 500 francs as dowry from the husband, and
she has been trying to get 100 francs more for her-
self. This is an exceptional price for a woman, the
regular price being 350 francs. She says she wants
to be a Christian and will give up this daughter
palaver. She will also pledge to support the church.
The elders decide to pass her into the nsambe.

The next woman seems to be past seventy, for
she is thin and shriveled and has lost all her teeth.
Mr. Patterson says that women of that age are very
rare, and he would put this one at about fifty. He
says that, as the women grow old, they get stupid.
A tall man comes forward to testify about her. He
says he is her son, but it turns out that she is not
the mother who bore him, but his aunt, who brought
him up. He is a Christian and takes care of her.
She is received into the church.

Next comes a man with a little boy. He has
walked twenty miles. Chief Olama, one of the
elders, is called to testify in his case; for while the
man has another headman, his tribe is an inferior
branch of Olama’s. He is charged with witchcraft
in that he has killed animals and sprinkled the

blood. He says that his brother did this, but admits
that he assisted him. His case must be deferred
until Dr. Patterson can go to his village and make
further inquiry.

A woman comes seeking advancement, but she
has been careless about her dues, and the rule is that
no one can be advanced who has not met these ob-
ligations. Her brother-in-law, who is an evangelist,
offers to pay her dues, but that of course is not
satisfactory. Another woman is accused of being
lazy; she does not look after her house as she should
and despises her husband. The husband says that
she has no ears for hearing him. It is admitted that
she is naturally slow. They think that they can
overcome their difficulties by trusting God.

Ewongo, an evangelist, brings his wife, who is
seeking advancement to the nsambe. Dr. Patterson
remarks that the evangelist?’s name means “the
hawk,” which swoops down and catches the meat.
He replies that he is the man who catches the people
for Christ, whereupon every one laughs. He wears
a suit of white underflannels, a shirt without sleeves
and knee-length drawers. He claims that he paid
400 francs for his wife; but her elder brother, who
is a heathen, claims that he has not paid the sum.
This accusation must be investigated to see whether
this is a proper marriage; for no marriage is
recognized as proper unless the woman’s full dowry
has been paid. So the examination continues hour
after hour, sometimes lasting for two weeks—a very
difficult and exhausting work.

One is impressed with the care taken in prepar-
ing these people for church-membership. No one
can be admitted under two years’ probation, during
which period the candidates must be regular in their
offerings and show their cards marked for regular
attendance at the weekly prayer-meetings, and know
the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s
Prayer. If a man is a polygamist, he must put
away all his wives but one, straightening out the
dowry of each. Before being received, each one
must have the favorable testimony of his evangelist
and of at least one elder. Most sessions also require
evidence of an earnest effort to bring others to
Christ.

Viewed from this background, the present mem-_
bership of over 25,000 looms up not only as a great
achievement, but also as a great promise of future
progress. It is true that this African Church has
never had a baptism of blood, and we cannot know
how it would endure such a sifting, how many would
be faithful even unto death; but we know that it