The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-02-22
Now Holding Annual Con-
ference i'm Albert Lea.
HAS MEMBERSHIP OF 1898
National Meeting Bringing in Humid
reds From Different Quarters
OF the Globe.

The English conference of the United
Norwegian Lutheran churches of Amer
lea will meet in the Trinity Lutheran
church i'm this city Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday of this week, Feb. 1921,
1907. The United church, as it is pOpu-
larly called, is the largest OF all the
Lutheran bodies in the country. Accord
ing to the statistics published by the
secretary i'm the minutes of 1906 the
spiritual exercises were over about 267,-
40 souls and there was a communi-
cant membership of l52,S43. There are
i'm all 453 pastors and 1925 congrega-
tions. The English conference of the
United church is composed of all the
pastors who are engaged solely or
partly in the English work of their
congregations. To meet the demands of
the growing generation, who through
neglect of their mother tongue or by
inter marriage relations cannot under
stand religious instruction in the foreign
language, a gradual transition must be
made into the language of the country
in which we live
The object of the English conference
is not to separate the English element
from the mother church, but to meet
The demands in gradual way by
teaching and preaching i'll the English
language, and thus giving equal rights
to both divisions of the congregations.
The work of the English conference is
to discuss plans and methods OF church
work, both in the cities and rural dis
tricts, as pertaining to the language
question; to introduce literature, trans
lation of hymns, prayer books and
catechsms, etc, and to give English as
prominent a part in the various churches
as the conditions actually demand. OF
The 453 pastors in the United church
at least One-half of them use English
to a greater or less extent in their par
ish work.
While the English conference, which
will assemble in convention in Albert
Lea this week, is not great gathering,
compared with the size of the United
church, it nevertheless represents the
interests of the United church at large,
and touches upon affairs that are of
vital Importance to the whole United
Norwegian Lutheran church, for it will
not be many years hence when the
greater part of the religious work in
this one church body alone will be CON
Quoted in the English language.
The public at large is cordially invit-
ed to attend any or all of the sessions
of the conference.
The program for the meeting is as
| follows:
Tuesday evening, the 10Th: Opening
sermon by the Rev. George L. Rygh,
Chicago, Ill.
Wednesday forenoon, the Goth: "The
Duty of Our Church to Her Confirmed
Young People," introduced by the Rev.
o. A. Norem, Sioux City, la. Second,
Rev. NJ. Londahl, st. James, MINI.
Wednesday afternoons with the
mouth confessing unto salvation
| (Rom. lO:lO), introduced by the Rev. Fl.
j. Holman, Slater, Ia. Second, Rev. John
Peterson, Moorehead, Mimi.
Wednesday evening: ave are labor
ers together with God" Il Cor 800
introduced by the Rev. J. A. L. Naess,
Albert Lea, MINI. Second, Rev. H. NJ.
Solem, Garretson, S. ID.
Thursday forenoon, the. 2lst: The
Question of English in the United
Church, introduced by the Rev. G. s.
FrOiland, Milan, MINI.
| Thursday afternoon: The Mission of
Onr Church in the Larger Cities, in
troduced by the Rev. c. o. Solberg, Chi
cagO, I'll. Second, Rev. William Will
Hams. Des NIoines, Iowa.
Thursday evening: The Mission OF
Our Seminary; Rev. j. A. Aasgaard.-
The Mission of Our College; Prof. j
\. ,kildahl-The Mission of Our Acad-
emies; Prof L. A. Vigness.-The Mis-
sion of Our Normal School; Rev. H. O.
Fjeldstad.--The Mission of Our Orphan
Homes; Rev. c. G. Bjelland.-The Mis-
sion of Our Deaconess Home; Rev. H. b
| kidahl.
o. r. Sletten, President, John Peter
son, Secretary.