22
THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.
than a headlong charge with its almost inevitable .aftermath of hasty and disastrous retreat. But when all has been said and done, there is still much room for impro,·emcnt. ,,..e ham not yet reached that point where '"'c can ~ny that nil of our congregations are intelligently informed about the great missionary enterprises that our Church is carrying on at home and abroad to carry -out the Lord's Great Commission to preach the Gospel to every creature. Ou the contrary, there .arc still large numbers o.f people in our various .congregations who haYe not yet become conscious o( the fact that the carry ing on of 11u·ssio11s is the business of the Ohurch. There ai·e congregations .among us to whom the missionary view hns not yet <:ome, and who are still laboring under t he banef ul ,delusion that the only reason the joy of the Gospel l1as come to them is t hat they may selfishly cxpcTience it for themselves, without regard to the fnct t hat the first Gospel messenger positively declared that it is n joy that is intended for all people. The missionary message does not seem to have reached -the consciousness of these people. Aside from the fact that our flesh is opposed to · all missionary activity and will do nil to hinder it, we believe• thnt the main cause of indifference to missions, wherever it is found among us, is due to a lack of information and education. Ho,v mnny of -our people who would deem it a disgrace to be compelled to admit ignorance in commercial, industrial, nncl political matters, are seemingly not ashamed to ndinit their lack of knowledge concerning the weal -nncl woe of the Lord's kingdom on earth. When their country is at war, they read with avidity the daily reports in the papers and talk over the. victories and defeats with their friends and oven with strangers with•whom they are thrown together; but -of that continuous warfare carried on by the soldiers of the Cross at home and abroad ago.inst the po,vers of wickedness they l~ow almost nothing, ' and in it they seem to take no interest. The family that reads no secular paper is classed as ignorant and.deemed by most people to be undesimble citizens; '}>ut what if they should reason the same way concerning those church-members who read no -church-papers! . How many fa.mi lies are there among 118 in which no church- or missionary papers &re read! In some congregations there is at least ~ne chur~-~per to be found in every. family, but m othera 1~ 11 probable that only one family out of '1lve H 11lbecribea to a relioious periodical. . o· , OWffer, we fear that our pastors and teachers
nre al o to blame for the lack of missionary information among our people. How many opportunities for giYing mi ionary info1·mation do not pastors in pulpit and catechetical instruction let pas~ by wi thout u h1g ! How often could not the teacher in the day- or unday-school tell a gripping missionary tory or make a missionary application, but becau c their own mLsionary interest is not strong enough, they let the precious opportunities I pass by unu cd ! Kot only our people, but likewise we pa tor~ and teacher , arc not always conscious o.f t he fact that mis ion-work is the business of t he Church. We do not alwny realize in the measure we should that mis ionar'y education i vital to the whole future program of the Church; that if we do not awaken a vision of the extent of present missionary opportunities, as well a of the great • urgencj· o.f the Gospel ministry to a lost world, we , are not doing our full duty to those upon whose shoulders the responsibility £01· the work o.f the Church must oon re t. F. J. L.
Alabama Negro Mission During 1925. WORKER • -There are on the rapidly g1·owing Alabama-field o.f our Colored Missions 11 pastors, 3 professors, 26 lady teachers, 1 matron :for the dormitory, and 7 male teachers, a total of ,.1-8 workers. O.f these workers, only 5 are white. The Gospel of Jesus is being preached at TwE~Tl"-SIX STATIONS, 23 of which are organi:r.ed congregations. At these places we have at the end of 1025 a l[JDCBERSllIP of 1,505 souls, 878 being conununicn1it members and 212 voters. During t he year we have had the following ~..I.INS. - By baptism 251, by confirmation 233; a total of 484 accessions. In ,ciew of unusual aifficulties, not the least o.f which was renewed and bitter opposition in some quarters, we have every reason to be grateful to God, who again has given us such a bountiful harvest of souls. These new members, as well as t he older ones, are showing a healthy spiritunl life, as may· be seen from attendance at services and the ' .
Nm.,rnER OF GUESTS AT THE Lono's '.I'ADLE. -
Congregational reports show that 2,912 guests have • partaken of the Lord's Supper for the strengthening of their faith during 1925, an average of be-. tween 3 and 4 times for each member during the year just ended. While in most of our congrega-
