Evening journal., 1888-09-24
MISSIONARY TO CHINA.

Services at Delaware Avenue Raptist
Church in Honor of bliss Fighters
Departure for the Foreign Missionary
Field.
A large congregation was assembled at
Delaware Avenue Baptist Church last
evening to hear words of tribute and
thanksgiving on the departure of Miss
Clara RICHTER as a missionary to China
Miss RICHTER has been a member Of the
church for upwards of fifteen years and
has always been actively connected
with all the works of charity
and aid that have been rem
dered. She is a member of the choir
and an assistant in the Sunday school.
The school was present last evening, The
exercises opened with prayer by City
Missionary Rev NJ Heath after a vol
untary by the choir Miss Harriet New
lin Of the church Foreign Missionary So
ciety, made few remarks, in which she
said that the members of the society had
prayed for fifteen years that one of their
number might be called upon to 90 as a
missionary to foreign fields. Their prayers
were now to be answered. Miss Clara
RICHTER, who has consecrated
herself to this labor of love,
then gave short explanation
of how She became interested in mission
work. She read a book about fifteen
years ago on missionary work in Burmah,
and from that time she has desired to
become missionary. Last summer,
when Mrs. Gates organized the church
missionary society she made an appeal
for aid in the missionary field. From
that time Miss RICHTER has been making
preparation for the task. Mrs. 0. Gates,
secretary of the Womens Foreign Mis-
sionary Society, then spoke Of Miss
Fighters sacrifice in going to foreign
field Of labor and enjoined the members
Of the church and congregation to 60 with
her in their sympathies and prayers.
G. II. Cantwell superintendent Of the
Sunday school, spoke of the loss the
church and school would sustain by Miss
Fighters departure The church choir
then rendered with its usual taste God
is the Refuge of His People"
DR. Luther, district secretary of the
Baptist Missionary Union, made an
address He stated that to the best of
his knowledge Miss Fighter was the
first woman to go as missionary from
this state. The speaker must have been
misinformed, as several woman mission
aries have gone from this state
The speaker then told why he was
glad that Miss Fighter had consecrated
her life to the work, and asked the con
gregation to remember Miss RICHTER in
their prayers. He also enjoined all to
think earnestly on the subject of mis-
sionary work. DR.. Luther is a returned
missionary. He spoke on mission work
at the Delaware Baptist Union held in
this city, last summer.
Rev. J. w. I. Boothe then spoke of the
singular relations he bore to the Foreign
Missionary Society. A fellow student at
the university at which he studied had
consecrated himself to the ministry His
mind was so turned to the missionary
work that he talked of it in his sleep.
This students name was Alfred L. Bond
Bond graduated ia 1858, and married His
wife was also desirous Of helping the
missionary cause. Mr. Bond and wife to-
gether with five other missionaries sailed
from New York on the Edwin Forrest on
October l6. The ship was never heard of
afterward, whether it was foundered by
an iceberg on burned no one has ever
learned. This blow almost wrecked DR..
Boothe life. He could not understand
why, after such preparation, such a re-
suit would come to pass. The cloud be-
came lifted, however, and never since had
felt great interest in the missionary
cause. In closing his remarks Dr.
Boothe dwelt on the fact that Miss
RICHTER felt called to Burmah, not China,
and that the missionary board should
consider well before sending her to the
latter place.
A collection was then taken up for
missionary work. While this was being
done the choir sang the parting hymn,
God be With You Till We Meet Again.
The Rev. DR. Luther offered the prayer
Of conservation on Miss Fighters work,
after which the doxology was sung. Mrs.
figa Is and. Miss Fighter were then made
shaking. 'llatiohs anu manu-