Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-04
CELEBRATES Anniversary
OF THE REFORMATION
Bethlehem Church Holds Special
Services In Honor al Luth-
er's Memory.
DIR. HE,IMETER WILL PREACH
Professor I'm Concordia College,
NORTH Carolina, to Speak on the
Lutheran Legacy and Obligation
at Morning Service.

The four hundredth anniversary OF
the Reformation is being celebrated by
all Protcstants ali over the world. and
more especially the l'rotestants Of the
Lutheran faith In Richmond. special
services lave been conducted in Beth
lehe,n Lutheran church. Sixth and clay
Streets during tia. past week. They
have been largely attended. ana some
OF the most learned and prominent min
listers of the Lutheran faith have dis
cusscd various phases of the life of
Martin Luther and the work OF the
Reformation
professor in Concordia Lutheran Col
lege. Conovcr, y. G.. will preach on
the Lutheran Legacy and Obligation"
To- night at the usual hour he will dis
cuss THE Grea, Opportunity To-Day
for Mission Work" Rev Mr.. Hem
meter is very forceful and convincing
speaker
1.-THE lutheran form OF church gov
eminent" says Rev. r. II. Meuschke.
pastor Of Bethlehem Church. is a model
OF democratic or congregational gov
eminent. II believes and teaches that
the believers arc the church and that
they possess all the rights and privi-
legcs that Christ has earned for His
church and given unto it.
FOR SEPARATION OF
CHURCH AND STATE;
The Lutheran Church stands for the
complete AMI c:crr-cut separation o.;
church and state.
LAS citizens we have nothing to do
with any mans religion. As citizens
W.. protest against any church cndcav-
orinE to have the state do any part OF
its work or taking any part in poll
tics and trying to influence politics in
its interest or in the interest of It's
particular religious principles. We
therefore. hold IL to be wrong for any
church az u church to play politics and
to NEEDLE with public affairs and vice
versa
conservative Lutheran clergymen
MS result. do not discuss purely poll
teal matters from the pulpit. They be-
lieve that they have but one commis-
sion from the Master, Go and preach
the gospel"
Students of church statistics will be
interested in some facts brough; out
during the celebration now being con-
Quoted by Bethlehem Church.
II is stated that during the las, ten
years, according to the census, tho
Lutheran Church increased 30 per cent
more rapidly than the population Of
the United States. and 90 per cent more
rapidly than any other churSl
While the population of the United
States increased 24.G per cent the Con-
ErcEationalists by 2S.4S per cent; the
United Brethren by 29.1G per cent; the
German Reformed by 2925 per cent;
the Methodist Episcopal by 3I.16 per
cent; the Moravians by 32.o2 per cent;
the Roman Catholics by 34T4 per cent:
the Presayterians by 34.09 per cent: the
Episc"palians by ala per cent: the
Haptists by 44.35 per cent: the cvanEe-
lican Lutherans Increased by GAGS per
cent.
The Lutheran Church In America is
conducting 80 schools of higher edu-
cation. seminarics. colleges and acadc-
mics. with LOO teachers and over H.
900 students.
The largest The illogical seminary in
the United States is the Missouri Synod
Concordia Seminary, in st. Louis, where
over $50 students are preparing for
the ministry.
During the last fifty years the I.uth-
eran Church in America has doubled its
membership every fourteen years. In