The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-22
SWEDISH LUTHERAN FIELD
MINNESOTA CONFERENCE COVERS
LARGE AREA, REPRESENTING
$50 CONGREGATION
OFFICERS CHOSEN YESTERDAY
Rev. j. FremlinS, of Vasa, Elected
Presidential Missionary Is
Selected for Alberta,
Canada.

SALTWATER, Mimi, Feb. 21.-(Spe-
| c1al 1.-The Minnesota conference of the
! Swedish Lutheran Augustana synod. now
| in session in this city, is the largest
! conference of that body end covers the
| whole OF Minnesota, Manitoba North
and South Dakota a part of Wisconsin
and part of Canada. 1t consists or
about $50 congregations with 40 min
listers. The whole membership is about
10000 people, of which 10000 are COM
munion members The value Of the
church property throughout the district
is about $4,000 not including the in
situations Of learning and charities
Which represent capital of about $780,
OG0 1t is learned from parochial reports
that the churches give annually about
$l50,O0O for their work and maintenance.
About $1,000 children attend the Sunday
schools, and parochial schools are con-
Quoted IN most of the congregations
The Gustavus Adolphus college at ST.
Peter is the leading institution of learn
ing. 1t consists of an academy and nor
NAL school, college, music conservatory
and business college, and has over 800
students. Students who intend to pre-
pare for the ministry must, after they
have graduated from the college. take
three years course in the seminary
at Rock Island, ILL., Among other in
StlIuIlOIlS OWneu duQ cOnUfOlI6Q Dy the
conference may be mentioned the or
phans home at Vasa, Mimi, having
accommodations for about fifty children
and the Bethesda hospital in ST. Paul,
a. worthy institution of its kind erected
at a cost of SAL, 000 1t has accommoda-
lions for sixty patients, and has been
we'll patrcnized for several years.
MISSIONARY FOR CANADA.
The delegates representing the various
congregations are a Jealous lot of work
ers, as is demonstrated in each session
held in the Swedish Lutheran church
in this city. They believe in spreading
the gospel as far as possible, and at this
mornings session decided. to engage a.
permanent missionary for work at AL
berta, Canada. Rev. c. o. Olander, of
Minneapolis, was selected, and will enter
his new field of labor as soon as he can
complete the necessary details He will
receive n salary of $500, an allowance
of 5000 for house rent, and SIS additional
with which to pay the expenses of re-
moving to Alberta. The missionary field
in Canada is exceptionally large, en-
bracing- as it does all of the territory in
Canada west of Winnipeg
For several years past there has been
large immigration to Western Canada
of Swedish speaking people, and mas
much as the territory covered is under
the jurisdiction OF the Minnesota con
ference, that body has decided to bear
the expense of sending u missionary
there. The question came up this morn
ing upon report of the executive COM
mittee, having in charge the question OF
missions, among which the church at
Alberta, asked to be made a part of the
conference Other churches desiring af-
filfation with the conference were the
Swedish Lutheran Zion church. at Grand
Rapids, Mimi; Emmanuel church, AT
Hibbing, Mimi Tabor church, Eveleth.
Mimi; Bethania church, at Armour, 3.
D.; the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran
church, at Hoffman, MINI; the Warn
hem church, at Kerkhoven.
MR.. OLANDER CHOSEN.
motion was made that Rev. Mr..
Olander be called from his field at Min
neapolis to the larger field at Alberta,
and it gave rise to a Jealous discussion
in which many prominent ministers took
part. Some Of them feel that an addi-
tiona1 burden was being placed upon
the Minnesota conference and that this
matter rightfUlly belonged to the synod
but it was explained that the synod was
unable to take charge of the matter and
that if anything was to be done it would
have to come from the Minnesota confer
ence. The question of added expenditures
was discussed pro and con, but shortly
before the noon adjournment the mo-
ton was adopted and Mr.. Olander has
decided TO accept the call.
A prominent minister stated to a
G b e correspondent that while the ac-
ton of the conference meant additional
expense, he felt more than satisfied that
the congregations throughout the domain
would be satisfied with the action of the
conference.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
The election of officers was again be-
fore the conference this forenoon. The
tellers announced the result of the ball
lot taken yesterday for president but
inasmuch as none OF the candidates had
the required majority of all votes cast
it was decided to take a second ballot
Rev. P. Sjoblom retired from the race,
and the first ballot gave the presidency
to Rev J. Fremling, of Vasa, MINI. Rev.
L. G. Almen, of Balaton Mimi, was the
only nominee for vice president, and he
was elected by reclamation. The candi-
dates nominated for secretary were Rev
Philip Thelander. of Saltwater; Rev. J.
A. Kranz, Duluth; Rev. F. NJ. Ekman,
Center City; Rev. G. Rast, Red Wing,
and Rev. P. A Mattson, Warren, MINI.
On the first ballot Rev. Mr.. Thelander re-
ceived a majority of all votes and was
declared the choice of the conference.
Rev. l.. p. Bergstrom, of Winthrop,
Mimi. was unanimously elected treas
urer. but explained that it would be i'm
possible for him to accept the office at
the salary allowed the treasurer. He
said that he had correspondence which
took up great deal of his time and that
it would be necessary for him to employ
additional help in case he again accepted
the office. The conference was disposed
to treat him with due consideration, and
a motion was made that he be allowed
$500 extra for work done and expenses
paid but the motion went over until at
ter his report as treasurer is received.
Many of the delegates who fear that the
conference will be unable to dispose of
it's business within the time allotted for
business meetings, favored additional
business meetings from $3.50 to 8 in the
afternoon but others figured that this
would naturally shorten the time for re-
ligious papers and discussion and the
question was voted down by an over
whelning vote.
Requests were made by several small
churches throughout the district for aid,
and these requests will be acted upon
later. Shortly before adjournment this
forenoon one Of the delegates presented
an invitation from Gen. Reeve for the
delegates to visit the prison, but they
have not yet decided when they will
avail themselves of the opportunity.
Many will attend chapel exercises there
next Saturday morning.
This afternoon the delegates listened
to an able sermon by Rev. c. ]. Edman,
of East Union, Mimi, on What 1t
Means to Find Christ and the sermon
was followed by discussion covering
points advanced in the sermon.
EVENING SESSION.
This evening Rev. ]. ]. Frodeen, of
Snring Garden delivered a sermon for