The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-05

with his people and died after a self-de-
nyinE, pious service of about twenty-five
years. Dr. Gilbert spoke very highly of
the sacrificing labors of Rev. Mr.. Raben-
horst and quotes DR.. Muhlenberg on the
life of that able and earnest worker.
Dr. Gilbert said there was nothing in
the history of the ancestors of the Luz
therans here in which they could not
take just pride. Their ancestors, ne
sad, were blessed in these four men
Bolzius, Gronau, Lembke and Raben-
horst. He grew peculiarly eloquent when
he spoke of these olden times and urged
that Lutherans never allow their story 10
pass into oblivion.
At the close of the revolution he said,
the Lutheran settlements were scenes of
desolation. Their devoted pastors were in
their graves and they turned their eyes
appealingly toward the Fatherland. Rev.
John Ernest Bergman was sent over in
1855, and while disheartened by what ne
saw, he addressed himself to the task
and did what he could for the congrega-
ton in and about Ebenezer. He devoted
himself to the work for a period OF SO
years and was held in high esteem.
There are perhaps no church records
in Savannah, DR.. Gilbert said, which do
not bear the names of descendants OF the
Salzburgers. In 1779 the church building
in Savannah was destroyed by fire, but
was promptly rebuilt. $500 Of the amount
being contributed by st. Johns church
Of Charleston.
Mr.. Bergman resigned about 1904. The
Ebenezer congregation began to go to
pieces and was found almost extinct
when DR.. Bachman of ST. Johns church
Charleston, visited it in 1924. He sue
ceeded in awakening an interest and Sc
| cured for the congregation the services of
| Rev. Stephen A. Mealy, who was with
Z
ceeded by Rev. n. AldriCh, and in 1913
the congregation. having increased in
wealth and intelligence, the wooden build
ing used as a church here was removed
and the present church erected in its
original form at a cost of $4,000. Rev.
Aldrich was succeeded in 1919 by Rev. A.
/ ]. Karn, followed by Dr. Hawkins in 1860.
At the call of the congregation in 1868
! DR.. Gilbert said it was his privilege to
! become pastor. The other pastors he
/ named as follows: DR.. Bittle, 1871 to 1874;
| DR.. J. Remensnyder 1874 to 1885, Or. w. S.
/ Bowman, 1881 to 1891; Rev. Mr.. Bowers,
/ 1891 to the latter part of 1892 and Rev. w,
/ C. Schaeffcr, Oct 1892 to date.
/ DR.. Gilbert then spoke briefly of the
/ work of the church, how within its sane
! tuary hundreds upon hundreds of persons
! had found a highly priced spiritual home
/ how while there had been seasons of de-
/ preston and gloom, the tendency had
! ever been onward and upward to clearer
and more enlarged views of Christian
/ duty, and how it has been a steadily
! growing power for good through genera
lions.
"All that is needed" he said. for con.
tined and even greater prosperity thar
any of the past is that you who here
have a spiritual home remain steadily true
to the privileges and responsibilities Of
/ your heritage. The changes of the past
! ct mid all the changes p1aT
and things of which we have the affecting
/ proofs in your history, Notwithstanding
/ all that is mutable and perishabe in our
selves and in the world this blessed wore
| Of God, with all its precious promises
| and inspiring hopes, shall stand sure ant
| firm forever. The workmen may die
but that which they have wrought in the
| Lord shall endure. Men come and go
| but the church abides. While, therefore
we may recall our history that it may
| speak to us of Gods goodness and provi
Dental care, we are not to live in the
past; nor are we to live only for th'
| present. Instructed by the past we arr
to live earnestly in the present and for tn,
future; for generations to come and fol
eternity. And though it be true of us
as of our fathers and predecessors, tina
our life is fee ting as a shadow, yet i
the life that we live, however long Of
short be a life of earnest faith in The sol
!
Use of the steadfast word, that though
the earthly house of this tabernacle ma!
be dissolved we shall have a building o
God, a house not made with hands, eter
nal in the heavens"
At the conclusion of the service man!
nennbe of the congregation and others
who remembered DR.. Gilbert and his Wort
here during the war and Just afterwards
gathered around the pulpit to shake hand
and recall old times.
DR.. Gilbert preached again last night a.
the Lutheran church to a large conFrega
ton, and in the afternoon he delivered ar
address to the two Sunday schools of tha'
church. the mission school uniting will
that of the church. This service was vel
attended and DR.. Gilberts talk was an in
teresting one.
Tonight DR.. w S. Bowman Of Char
lotte, n. c., a former pastor Of the church
here, will preach on the Lutheran church
and his sermon will no doubt be full of in
teresting historical features about tn,
church in its entirety. 1t was announced
yesterday from almost all the pupits o
the city that tomorrow night there will
be at the Lutheran church a union ser
vice of all the congregations in the city
at which addresses viii be made by tn,
pastors. The service is expected to b,
a most interesting one and win no doub
be well attended.