The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-23

Rome that the bread and wine are chang
cd into the veritahle body and blood Of
the Lord. Neither does she believe with
The LWlugldu mat there 81 only bread
and wine. by icipation in which there
IS mere rememberauce Of the death OF
Christ She ahiaes reverently by the
Wonl of Christ. This Is my body" This
is ms blood She cannot receive the eX-
PLANTATION. This signifies my body" as ID
of Interpretation OF the scriptures, that
no revealed word must ever be inter
preted nguratiVely, where the direct nat
ural meaning IS admissible. To the
Lutheran church 80 is "a divine mystery
She does not attempt TO explain the mode
OF the presence OF the Lord, but finds here
"a wonderful testimony OF the love Of
christ. "the sweetest pledge which can
be given that redemption is actually here
intended for each soul and applied to
In conclusion DR.. Schaener gave a state
ment Of The numerical strength OF the
church. the Lutheran church, he said, IS
numerically the strongest OF all the Pro-
testaut churches. having 550D.0J OF adj
hereuts. While her strength is chiefly in
Germany, Norway. Sweden and Denmark
her affairs are set up in every land through
out the world and she breaches the gOs-
pei in more than 100 languages. In the
United States her growth has been phe-
nCmenal Ia the last twenty-five years. In
1887 she had 1890 ministers 5000 churches
and 1900 communicates. To-day she has
$3.50 ministers. over 10000 churches and l.
$4,000 commandments. The government
census for 1880 reveals the fact that her
growth for the previous decade was p
per cent. greater than that OF any other
denomination, the percentage OF increase
of the leading churches being as follows;
Methodist. 3l.l6 Roman Catholic, $40,
Presbyterian, 3i9, Episcopalian, f.l4,
Baptist. ABB, Lutheran, GAGS.
Installation services were held at the
church last night. Rev. Monroe j. Epting
being installed as pastor The services
were opened by Rev. DR.. Bowman, the ser
mon was preached by Rev. H. $. Wingard.
and the installation was conducted by Rev.
DIT Schaeffer. Mr. Epting served as assist
ant pastor of the Lutheran church of the
Ascension during 1895 became pastor of
St PauPs church on its Independent or
ganzation Jan. 1, last. He is much be
loved by his congregation, as well as es-
teemed by all who know him, and has the
promise of most successful career with
the new church.
The growth and development of St.
Paul's church has been most remarkable.
a mission Sunday school was organized
at Yonges hall about two years ago.
After Mr.. Epting was called as assistant
pastor by the Church OF the Ascension he
devoted the greater part of his time to
the mission The congregation was or
ganized Nov. last and became an indie
pendant organization on Jan. ] last. 1t IS
now self-suppOrtiue. The membership
is now about 175. The new church build
ing cost about 5000 including furnish
iugs, all of which has been paid with the
exception of about $500 The lot on which
the church stands cost $1,000, and is
nearly paid for. The remarkable success
of the organization has been due chiefly
TO the active and untiring efforts of the
ladies of the new congregation, who have
labored early and late for its advance
ment. Their zeal and energy is in large
part responsible for the position which it
occupies to-day
The fostering care and constant atten-
tiOn given the enterprise by Rev DR.
Schaeffer, pastor of the older church, are
responsible In a large degree for the sue
cess with which these efforts met The
new church begins its history under the
most favorable auspices The event Is re-
markable because of the fact that it is
the first organization of a new Lutheran
church I'm Savannah within $50 years.
A handsome communion service was pre-
scented to the church by the children of
the late Mrs. l.. NJ. Borchert. who was
AT the time of her death the Oldest Isu-
theran residing in Savannah.