The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-23
TENTH ANNIVERSARY
OfRov. E. II. Dornblasor's Assum.
Ing tho Pastorate of
The ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH
Celebrated by tho Congregation Yes
tcrday.-A Frank and Practical Ser
mon by tho Pastor Appropriate to
the Occasion-.St. pauls Idea of u
Successful Pastoratc.

Yesterday the completion by Rev. L.
II. Dornblaser OF ten years in the pas.
torate OF the English Lutheran church
was celebrated with appropriate sor-
vices at that church. The services OF
the entire day were OF n special charac-
ter. Some tinc ago Mr.. Dornblaser
sent out cards OF invitation to these ser.
vices, in which no took occasion to give
some statistics OF the growth OF the
church under his pastora.c. This shows
that in 1881, when he came to the
church, the membership was l75. The
accessiona since then amounted to 1858,
and the losses by death, removal, etc,
were 225, leaving net gain in member
ship OF l3S. The number OF infants
baptized was 330; marriages solemnizcd.
13O; funerals attended, 260; sermons
preached in the homo church, 0l0: else
where, l02; contributions ior congrcga.
tional purposes, So, ,0Sl IS; for benevo-
lent purposes, s., ,5ST 40; making total
OF So, 5,GGSSS. The Woman's Missionary
Society numbers "a; Young Ladies'
Circle OF Earnest Workers, 80; Rowe
band. 10; Y. z. S. C. T., 40; Sunday
school, 800.
Yesterday forenoon Mr.. Dornblaser
preached practical, frank sermon dis
cussing the work and tho results OF
these ten years, his theme being "St.
i'aurs Ideal OF 4 Successful Ministry"
An ELOQUENT SERMON.
Mr.. Dornblascr took for his text
Thcssalonians, 2:l3: "For this cause
also thank we God without ceasins, be-
cause when We received the word OF God
which ye heard OF us, ye received itnot
rs the word OF men. but as it isin truth,
the Word OF God, which cilcctually work
eth also in you that believe"
He said: Dearly beloved, we have
come to the tenth milestone OF our un-
tied journey. Ten years ago at your
earnest solicitation accepted the call
sent me to become the pastor OF this
church. This | did conscientiously,
after prayerful consideration. The
The consciousness that this was
Gods desire and the advice OF your
friends and :ai2c amo.: !hc ministers
OF our synod made me icel this step to
be a duty. / reluctantly resigned
my first pastorate, whose people and
children loved with the peculiar ardor
of ones first love, and came here and
preached my first sermon rs pastor
November 20, 1881.
1t was with great trepidation, because
OF my own conscious weakness and in
experience in work OF the peculiar
character existing here, the congre-
CATION having been mission for twenty
years, and having become sclf-support-
ing only q few months previous, and
being still under the load OF c,
CRUSHING DEBT.
In the minds OF many there yet was
grave doubt OF the pcrlnanence OF the
work. And then the thought OF bccom-
ing the successor Of pastor having
the peculiar gifts OF DR.. Barnitz, in
creased the gravity OF my fears.
But the work here then also had its
hopeful features. The devotion and
self-sacrifcing spiritot thcmembcrship,
though not in possession OF great earth
ly store, was encouraging. The large
and magnificent Sunday school was an
other encouraging feature; and the ont
look into the material to work on, in its
abundance and predisposition toward
the Lutheran church OF the English
language, made the undertaking bright
ell up with promise.
But the thought OF the needed ability
and tact necessary to hold together
Il Sunday school, with its many diverse
elements, kept humility and 4 prayer
ful spirit i'll my heart. The most en-
couraging feature OF it Ill was that the
work was Gods and not mans, and that
ii the pastor did his best God would
sustain him and prosper tho work and
take caro- OF the results.
Thus in assuming the duties OF my
new position | realized them to be great.
but ! also realized that an Omnipotcnt
hand that had led me into them would
sustain and guide me, and help mo to
accomplish tho work that was required
Of me. Thus ir the fear OF God u.s.
sumed the
ANDUoUs WORK
and came at your call, but you did not
permit mo long to ieel us q stranger
among you. You received me kindly,
and gave me the assurance OF your
Willingness to cooperate in every good
work.
On the evening OF Thanksgiving day
following the Sunday OF my introductory
sermon you held reception for my
wife and myself at the home OF your
former pastor, where We formed the ac-
quaintanco OF most OF you, and eoon
saw you in your homes, and our inter-
csts became thoroughly united. Your
cares became our cares, your troubles
our troubles, your sorrows our sorrows,
and your joys and successes ours, and
our common supplications were made
at throne OF grace for tho divine bless.
ing upon the interests which had be-
come identical. Since then new mem
bcrs have come into our respective
homes, in whom we have had common
interest and pleasure; and many new
members have come into our church.
homo, to whom We all give hearty
welcome.
On tho card summoninG you to this
special tenth anniversary service have
placed 4 summary OF what the church
register and the minutes OF synod con.
tain. It is not my purpose in this ser
mon to dctain you with statistical
tables. There is not much permanent
profit TO be derived from reading such
from the pulpit. 1t is more advantage
to study them at leisure and to have
them under the eye and keep them in
hand for reference and comparison.
For this reason | have put them in the
shane did ihns Won inuv to,,, ,ta,,