The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-02-07
Lutherans Plan Big Drive Feb. 1926

Lutherans Plan Big Drive Feb. 16-2(
Today Clan. 21) is being held in Chi
cago Lutheran congress that is be-
lieved to be historic and mark new
period in the life of the Lutheran
church of this country and the world.
The. congress is called by the Ns-
tional Lutheran Council to organize q
100000 reconstruction service cam
paign. Leading Lutherans from every
state Of the Union have been asked
to attend and shoulder part Of the task
for organizing the campaign.
The greater portion Of the fund is in
tended for overseas service, part for
France, part for Finland, Esthonia and
the Black Sea provinces, the remainder
for the other portions of Europe, in
which there is need Of assistance.
The significance of the campaign does
not lie in the mere fact of raising
funds for reconstruction service. Luz
theran leaders believe that the provi-
Dental hour has come when the Lu-
theran church of this country must take
the lead for the Lutheran cause
throughout the world.
The sections of Europe in which tho
Lutheran church is strong are today en-
quilted in chaos. Apart from the an
archy that obtains, the Lutheran
churches of Europe till now have been
under state control, and are for that
reason little prepared to cope with the
present dissolution Of ordered society.
1t is said that the disintegration of tho
Lutheran church of Europe would be
the severest blow to Professionalism, be-
cause it involves more than SO million
people in every country of Europe.
Lutheran leaders of America hold
that the American Lutheran church can
and must cope with the situation. They
point to the fact that it has developed
a strong vigorous church life, indepen-
dent of state control and state aid,
that it has carried the Reformation
ideal of spiritual democracy into sue
cessful and effective operation. They
consider it to be the hand of providence
that while the church was divided till
the war emergency and the
need of following the 100000 Lutheran
boys in the army, welded the separate
parts together into an effective, pow
erful unity. Today they believe it
stands ready and is in a position to
meet unselfishly the greatest call for
service and leadership that has come
to a church body in modern times. They
feel that it can and must bring to the
Lutheran churches of Europe the spirit
1al democracy which it has developed
iere, that it must counsel, guide and as
list them into that independent, DEM
,cratic, ordered church life, which char
,cterizes the Lutheran Church of Amer
ca.
That is the purpose for Converting the
congress in Chicago. 1t is planned to
organize an army of $4,000 canvassers
g visit every Lutheran and appeal for
lis aid.
A national committee has already
een formed, consisting Of DR.. F. H.
Inubel, president of the United Lu-
heran Church in America; Rev. j A.
J. Stub, executive secretary of the Ma
ional Lutheran commission, and Hon.
J. F. Eilert, of New York. Headquar.
ers have been opened at 437 Fifth
venue, New York. DR.. W H Greever
nd Rev. o. H. Pannokke, are in
barge of the campaign.
The National Lutheran Council will
leet before the organization meeting,
18th DR.. H. G. Stub, Of st. Paul, its
resident, in the chair. It will go over
ne whole situation and make arrange
ents to send commissions over to Eu-
,pe at once to study the situation frst
and.
At the organization meeting, DR.. W.
:. Greever and Rev. o. III. Pannkoke
III pIcbout LILO pidAo loi WIG Va 8oAS
on of the campaign. Both arc con-
dered to be the foremost campaign or.
.nizers within the Lutheran church.
For the evening large mass meet
g has been arranged to give public
spression to the work that 10 planned.
he speakers at the mass meeting will
}: DR.. C. J. Smith, Of New York, and
resident L. Doe, of st. Olaf's college.
r. Smith was over in France -
ember of the Lutheran commission to
rance, and has just returned.
Public men are taking great interest
the plans of the National Lutheran
uncil. They feel that its program Of
nservative reconstruction may prove
powerful leaven to restore order in
ose sections of Europe where chaos
evails today. They point to the sig
ficant fact that while the nation 10
inging civic democracy to the world,
Z Lutheran church has its great OPP