The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-04-21
AUGUsTANA NEEDS
NEW BUILDINGS
Students Pledge Large Amount
! Record for Lutheran
Colleges.
PUBLIC ASKED TO HELP.
Appeal to 1900 Churches Of Synod
to Pledge Quota Of 100000 for
College and Theological
Seminary.


Theological Seminary, Rock Island,
Ill.,, in response to an appeal for funds
with which to erect seminary build
ing, recently pledged the sum of $780,
600, an average of nearly 500 per stu
dent. This is the high record for
Lutheran colleges, and it is believed
that it has never been eQualled in
any college in America. The profess
sors caught the spirit of the students
and added $500 to the amount.
With this as q nucleus the college
authorities are carrying the appeal in
to every one of the 1900 churches Of
the synod and will ask the 100000
members for a pledge to be made on
April 18th. The quota set for The
entire synod is 100000. Twothirds
of this to be used in the erection Of
seminary buildings and the remainder
for an endowment.
The movement for additional build
ings ut Augustana College, Rock Is
land, ILL.,, began last June when the
synod authorized the in-gathering OF
funds at it's convention in jamestown,
New York. This meant that the ter
rltory to be covered reached from
Maine to California, and from south
Texas to the northern part OF the
province of Saskatchewan, Canada.
With the impetus given by the stu
dents themselves the leaders of the
synod began to endorse the appeal and
use their influence not only in their
own churches but in their respective
territory. One Of the big surprises
has been the response Of the pastors
themselves. Over hundred fndivid-,,
ual pledges from pastors were re-
ceived during the first three weeks
after, the movement was started. In
dications are that the majority of the
$50. pastors in the synod will pledge
as much. 5@-ss5
The various state conferences are
organizing to carry the appeal into the
districts and then into the local
churches. In Iowa, for instance, the
district representatives met recently
and although they only have a COM
rGunicant membership Of $4,000, yet
the quota was set at $4,000. Supt.
r. O. Hanson of the Lutheran hos
pital,, Des Moines, Iowa, was chosen
state chairman and he is pushing the
appeal very vigorously. DR.. Peter
Peterson, president of the Illinois con-
ference, was elected chairman for Hi.
nois and is heart and soul in the new
movement. Rev. A. o.. Mcneil, presi-
dent Of the Superior conference is
organizing the various districts in the
upper peninsula Of Michigan and re-
ports that his people will raise their
quota. In the New England confer
ence, Rev. Peter Froeberg, Brockton,
N. j., has been chosen chairman and
has organized the districts in Massa-
chusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Is
land for the fund appeal. Rev. Theo.
Ekbald, Superior, Wis, for many
years treasurer Of Augustana college,
is state chairman in Minnesota and is
doing all in his power to carry the
appeal into every church in that con-
ference. This is practically the story
of the whole synod.
Inc leaders, OF lne SynOu HOW De-
lieve that April 18th will be red
letter day in the history Of the Au-
gustana Lutherans in. America. The
synod, as whole, is MOVING almost
as a unit to strengthen the ministry.
1t is estimated that over 100000 peo-
PIE Of the synod will assemble on that
date to celebrate the 400th anniversary
of Luthers heroic stand a. the diet
of Worms for the Bible as final au-
thority in matters Of faith. The ap-
peal will be made at this time to con-
tinue the work Of the great reformer
by erecting adequate buildings and
thus providing for the training Of addi-
tional men as ministers Of the Gospel.