National Republican., 1883-10-08
IN THE CHURCHES.
The Lutheran Centennial at the COnCOrdia Ger
man Evangelical Church.
The Authority Of Jesus as Explained by
Rev. Dr.. Shippen.
Chaplain Kramer'S Inauguration Of Services at the
Ssamans Bethel Retreat
Interesting Account OF the Progress OF
Missionary Work in China.
THE LUTHERAN CENTENNIAL.

THE LUTHERAN CENTENNIAL ,
F1FTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF CoNcoBDIA
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.
The unpretentious but capacious edifice Of
Che German Concordia Evangelical Lutheran
church, on the corner of Twentieth and G.
streets northwest, was filed to its utmost CO.
pacity yesterday during the morning service,
and the interior of tho church was very
ha ndsomely decorated on the occasion of the
fftieth anniversary of tho founding Of this
church. The pastor, Rev. Mr.. Schneider.
took for his text Leviticus XIV, TO-
And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year.
His sermon was full of interesting reminis-
cences and appropriate to the day which, as
the reverend speaker reminded his hearers,
was also the birthday of Gen. MuehlenbeTg,
the pioneer of the Lutheran church in this
country, and the day on which Martin Luther
stood before the imperial conclave at Augs-
burg.
Mr.. Schneider referred to this celebration
of the fiftieth year among the Jews as day
of jubilee when slaves were set free and
debts forgiven. He said that his church was
not alone in celebrating this day. as through
out the land Oct. 6, Z, and were hallowed
to all Germans by tho memory of the
pioneers of German emigration to this
Martin Luther's birth; tho bicentennial of
German immigration and the semicentennial
OF Concordia church. Luther still lives. He
speaks in every tongue and breaches to every
people. There are 56,000,000 Lutherans in
the world to-day, including the greatest
sovereigns on the earth. Lutheran theology
and literature is translated into almost every
known language. Fifty years ago the Lutheran
church in this country consisted of nine small
synods, 1,2OO churches, and less than 100, 900
communicates. To-day she has ffty-nine
synods, 5,S7S churches, and almost 100000
communicants. Americas Lutheran popula-
tion is 3,S50,000, or one Lutheran to every
thirteen inhabitants. In 1888 we had one
church paper, now we have LOG. Then we
had five colleges, now we have eighty. If the
Lutheran church grows for the next fifty
years as for the past, she will be, in 1888, the
largest of any denomination in the country.
Whatever have been the results of liberated
thought for 375 years in science art inven-
tions, discoveries, amended conditions of the
people in old Germany, successes of German
people IN the new country, must be led back
to the labors aud battles of Martin Luther.
The second cause for celebration is the set
tlement in Pennsylvania, Oct. 6, 1868, of the
thirteen families from Frankfort the van
guard of the emigration from the old world
to the new The result is that half this couu-
try is of German blood. This emigration
was the result of the retraction of the edict
OF Nantes which had given the Protestants
religious liberty. There were 10000 Ger
mans in this country in 1776, and many of
them did good service in the war for inde-
pendence. They defended their adopted
country in the war of A1Sl3.and in tho civil
war. The first chairman of the continental
congress was the second son of the patriarch
OF the Lutheran church in America, Frederick
Augustus Muhlenberg. German-American
citizens have held high rank in all professions.
l.
tablished in this country, and the German
Language is studied here. Five million na-
tives of Germany are here by emigration and
with their descendants Of the second and third
generations they make 20,00O,0O0 citizens.
We celebrate also the iiftieth year of Con-
cordia church. In the fall of 1888 a brick
church, 3S by 5S feet, was built. Ten years
later it was free from debt and had fine
cemetery within the city limits. In
1854 it was enlarged, and in 1865 the
gallery and organ were built. Tho
front of the church is tho same as in 1888
The pastors OF the church have been Rev.
j. j. Ungever, Rev. Maerteus, Rev. Borchers
Rev. A. Bicwend, Rev. $. ID. Finckle, Rev.
G.. l.. Rietz Rev. Martin Kraft, and the pres
ent pastor. Eight churches have gone forth
from this one. Concordia has had an active
history. She has seen bright days aud dark
ones She has now over 1000 communicates,
300 Sunday school children. She has had
4,O97 baptsms, 1900 funerals and 1880 we'd
dings in so years. Near and dear has she
grown to our hearts.
The sermon was listened to with closest at
tention The German minister, Baron Won
Eisendecher, and lady occupied seats in the
left wing of the church. While passing out of
the church building every one present was
handed u souvenir in tho shape of an illus
trated sheet containing views of the church
and portraits of Martin Luther, Rev. DIR. y. ID.
Tinkel, who administered to the spiritual
wants Of this congregation for twenty-three
years, and Rev. Louis Ill. Schneider, the pres
ent pastor, with interesting data connected
with the church's history.
After the morning services meeting was
held, at which Rev. Mr.. Schneider was re-
elected pastor by acclamation and a purse of
5000 dollars voted him in appreciation of his
past services.