Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-25
Lutherans Elect DR.. Samuel F. Breck-
inridge President.
DR.. ". E. FISCHER, SECRETARY
Synod formally Organizes for Work
This Morning.
SKETCH OF OFFICERS-ELECT
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star

| Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
YORK, Pa, May pa large and repre-
sentative audience of the ten Lutheran
Churches of this city greeted the general
synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
Of the United States that opened its thirty
ninth convention in st. Pauls Church last
night. Rev. D. II. Bauslin, DID, of Spring
field, Ohio, and Rev. w. S. Freas, DID, OF
Baltimore, Md, conducted the devotional
service. The president. Rev. NJ. w. HAM
ma, DID, of Washington, preached the
synodical sermon, the text being, Fight the
good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life,
whereunto thou art called and hast pro-
fessed good profession before many Wit
! ne sses." The theme presented was the hero
ism of Christianity as eXemplefied by the
Lutheran Church
Among other things he said: THE LGth-
eran Church, justly setting high value
upon Christian consistency. has the clear
est right to feel aggrieved If those Who
would deny her fundamentals should insist
upon remaining in her communion, in viola
ton of the common proprietaries. IN this
country, where every form of belief or I'M
belief can readily find its own camp. the in
tolerant spirit exercised by those who.
instead of going to their own place, remain
among those with whom they are out of
harmony only for the purpose of seeking to
revolutioniZe the majority.
synod No Place for Sect Spirit.
THE one body of the Lutheran name
from which the Lutheran sect spirit ought
to be most thoroughly and farthest Danish
ed is the general synod, because it processes
to be the broadcast, the most tolerant and
the most fraternal of all.
1T would be the crime of the Lutheran
Church of America if the general synod
should become the outcaster of its own
brethren and the prosecutor of Its own
household of faith. This is the thirty-ninth
time that this body has had opportunity to
assemble to hear testimony of Its deVo-
tion to the church il represents and to
show to the world something of the bless
edness of fra ternal fellowship in Christ.
The greatest work which heaven commits
to mortal man is before US, waiting to be
set afame of Divine power by our united
efforts"
After this Mr. Frank Geise. mayor of
York. welcomed the convention on behalf
of the city, among other things saying he
was proud to welcome them TO this citadel
of Lutheranism, place whose prosperity
owed much to the first missionary eff
forts put forth by LutheranS on this very
soil, and to the old churches. the first to
be erected in this community by that de-
nomination.
DR.. Enders Greets Delegates.
| 20. George W. Enders. ID. greeted the
| delegates on behalf of the Lutheran minis
| tiers of York and York county, seventy in
number and representing seventy-fve con-
| gregations with a communicate member
| ship of over 14,oO0. On behalf of the con-
gregation In whose church the synod is
meeting, the pastor. Rev Clinton E. Wal
| ter bid all a cordial and hearty welcome.
| At . o'clock this morning the synod con-
vened for its first business session. DIR.
HANNA presiding. who with the secretary,
| DIR. Freas. conducted the opening deyo-
| tional services, the full morning service
| being used. After the roll call and presen-
| tation of credentials the synod proceeded
| to organize. There was one contest from
| the Frankean synod, which was referred 10
| a committee.
| The election of officers followed. result
ing in the selection of the following: Presl-
dent Rev. Prof. Samuel +. Breckenridge,
D. D., of Wittenberg College Springfield,
Ohio: secretary. Rev w. f. Fischer, ID. D.,
of Shamokin. Pa; treasurer, NJ Lewis
Manss of Cincinnati, Ohio. The newly
elected president was escorted to the chair
and heartily greeted by the retiring presi-
dent, DIR. HANNA.
DR.. Breckenridge is a native of Pennsyl-
Vania. born at Lewiston, December /, 1898.
His father was a Lutheran clergyman and
his mother a daughter of DR.. Augustus
Ehrenfeld, who emigrated 10 this country
cine in Philadelphia. He was graduated
from Wittenberg College in 1853, IL
censed by the synod of Illinois in 1861 and
ordained in 1866 by the Pittsburg synod.
at Wittenberg Seminary, at Springfield,
Ohio.
DR.. Fischer Pennsylvania.
Rev. w. L. Fischer, ID, the newly
elected secretary, is also a Pennsylvania
by birth, having been born at Berlin,
Somerset county, in 1919 He is a graduate
of Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg,
Pa, class of 1879. His first charge at Cen
ter Hall. Pa, where he served for eighteen
years, and during that time served Sec
rotary and president of the central Penn
sylvania synod. He has been in his pres
ent charge at Shamokin for six years, and
is now connected with the Susquehanna
synod. and a member of number of i'm
portant committees. Mr.. Louis Manss,
who has served successfully as treasurer
for several terms, is prosperous business
man of Cincinnati. AT this afternoons
session the report of the board of foreign
missions will be read by the secretary.
Rev. George SchOll, D. D.. of Baltimore, and
this evening the anniversary of the board
will be held in lions Lutheran Church.