The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-11-15
A Sunday in Berlin

An invitation to attend the fourth
Sunday School convention in Berlin
found me In no condition to refuse. The
desire to attend once more q convention
OF such workers could not be satisfied bv
negative answer. Sunday morning I
went to hear the celebrated court-preacb.
er, DR.. Stoecker. To one believing in
tree seats In Gods house, it was not at
all edifying to see one after another mn.
lock with key the pew in which he had
a seat, and then carefully lock the same
so that no one Of the many persons stand.
ing might enter. Many pews were but
half filled. Half indignant, quite de-
termined to write an article on, How not
to reach the Masses. Just before the
sermon, the wicked keys become good
angels, announcing that each unoccupied
sitting was now free. Under the stirrino
words of the eloquent preacher, the last
trace OF anger soon disappeared. The
discourse was an earnest presentation of
ld) Our need of help from above, (b)
This help is given us through Iiyino
union with Christ.
In the afternoon, I went to the wide
awake Sunday School of Pastor Procb-
now. One painful feature of this, and of
nearly all German Sunday Schools, is
the absence of adult classes, or even
classes of large boys and girls. After
the close of the school, some twenty
babies were presented for baptism. Tn
this small parish of thirty thousand
souls, the baptism of so many children at
one time is of frequent occurrence.
use the word "small" with deliberation
The genial pastor, Wachsmann of Berlin
told me he had eighty thousand souls in
his parish. think there is one parish
IN Berlin that numbers, good, bad, and
indifferent, over 100,00 souls. Theatres
are built as fast as demanded, but church
es have by no means kept pace with the
growth of the German capital. "Thir-
teen new theatres" so said Professor
Cassel, " have been built in Berlin in ten
years, and in the same time only two
churches"
The first session of the Sunday School
convention was held in the evening in
the Royal-Domstifts- Chapel. Although
delegates were present from three pTc-
glnces, still the attendance was surpris-
ingly small. Almost any country Sun
day School meeting in America would
be greater than this gathering in the
large city of Berlin. After the address
OF welcome from Pastor Prochnow, short
addresses were made by friends and dele
gates from different cities, Rev. A. w.
Clark of Prague, speaking in behalf of
Sunday School work in Moravia and
Bohemia, where in the last two wears
very cheering progress has been made.
The next day there were three sessions
occupying nearly all the time from nine
a. M. until late in the evening. In the
forenoon, two important papers were
read on the question, How are the DIFF
ticulties In the way of Planting Sunday
Schools in Small Churches, especially in
the Country, to be overcome? There is
still, IN many places in Germany. great
prejudice against the Sunday School
cause q" 1T is foreign plant not suitable to
German soil, say opponents $50 was
the potato, reply the friends of Sunday
Schools.
In the afternoon, Prof. DR.. Cassel cave
us most eloquent discourse on the dues-
ton, What shall be done in order to
bring the Sunday School more and more
INTO the Consciousness Of the great Chris
tan Public? Some questions asked by
scholarly pastors would provoke a smile
In an American Sunday School conven.
ton for example, " Is it practicable or
wise for a pastor to start a Sunday
School where there are only women for
teachers?"
From American Sunday Schools, Ger
many could learn much. On the other
hand, some pastors in America might
learn an important lesson from such pas
tors in Germany as have Sunday Schools;
their interest in the cause, and in their
own school as pastor Of the same, is very
marked Congregationalist.