, 1884-08-02

SIT, and had a separate heifry of it's own in
the yard Ofthe church. The bell was cast the
same yearin which the clock was made, 1893,
aud is the very one that has called you to
church Today. Further, the church had
got marble slabs, the very ones on which
we ale now walking here, the churchyard
had been nicely and substantially fenced
in; after all, it was now a fine little church,
though small and low. In 1918, 20 years
after, the old walls were bad again. This
time the repairs cost $4,000, and meanwhile
We borrowed this chui CHI, where we finally
moved i'll 1884, when we left the old house
forever.
Before I leave it I shall mention two
things that took place in it. The one is
not SO very remarkable in itself, but it puts
the old church in connection with this new
one. 1t is the burial oil Ex-Governor Clausen.
He died in 1884 and was buried in the
old church with such an exorbitant pomp,
that it cost $4,000 (say six thousand Ave
hundred dollars. To explain in some way
this immense expense [ shall mention only
two items, from which you may draw fur.
therinfprenceS HiScorpse was embalmed,
which cost $3.50, and OF the mOurners not
fewer than 1852 got at the very funeral in
memory of the deceased a golden finger
ring. And when now the church in which
he rested, was Secularized, Governor SchOl-
ten dlsinttrred his remains and moved
them 10 yOnder place with nightly torches,
minute guns, and great military pOmp, and
then 1t was seen that the cmhalmmcnt had
not been successful, as the corpse was de.
Cayed and only the bones were left. The
other event in the old church is Of greater
Importance, but requires some preliminary
explanation. 1t took place in It'll. Up TO
that time we had Of course for many yeaTs
had ministers, but they were appointed
emily tOI the Danes. | don't mean that
they had done nothing for the slaves. In
fact, the first slave that was ever baptized
i'll our islands was baptized in st. Thomas
by the Lutheran minister as early as 1713,
and of course you will understand that
this was not the only slave baptized at
such an early date The records of our
church prove that sufficiently. But What
| mean to say is this, that Divine Service
was held only in Danish, and that what.
ever was done by the minister for the
slaves, was done voluntarily and not as in
duty bound to do it. But from 1856 there
were sent ont Ivy the King not only es
hitherto, ministers for the Danes. but quite
a number OF Danish Lutheran missionaries
with the sole and bnly duty TO pvang,lize
the slaves. ! feel of course very much
tempted to give the history of the Danish
AiI0NAot6I ICS III Oul lSidlllS, ~ tOItC nav
is so very little known, because in after
years the mission church and the Danish
church were served by one minister and
closely united in one church, but for brevi.
tvs sake | must refrain. / have referred
to the mission chiefly because its estab-
liShment lead to Il very unique event in our
church. 1t is certainly the only time it hes
ever taken place i'll any of our churches
out here, AMI even at home there may
harlly be any legal instances of it. Ifthere
be amy, they must at all events be exceed
ingly rare. 1t is the uniform rule in our
church, that ministers arc ordained by u
bishop. But once it has been done, that
a Lutheran minister was ordained by anO.
Their minister, neither archdeacon nor bish-
OPP being present. and that once was in
June I'LL, and it Was in our old church,
when the missionary Johan ChristOfer
kingo, according to orders from the bishop
was ordained by Rev. Syend Egerod to bo
missionaries Ordinatus for the slaves on tho
three islands. He was the first aud the
last man that ever hal such an appoint.
mcnt, for 1t was soon enough found out
that one man could not attend TO all the
islands, and after his time st. CrOix had
always it's own miss 'onariuS Ordinatus.
We leave now the old church with all its
remembranctS and turn to this building.
The exact age cannot be stated, but the
Dutch Reformed church in kingstreet is
non+iouaH. alraoIr ~ aarlV an TAO and