Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1923-08-09
LUTHERAN WORLD
CONVENTION MEETS
CONTINUED from Page ~

ana Latvla II Is the state church.
OF Germany's population about
three-ffths (45 million) are Gre
dited to this denomination. They
have usually adopted a "provin-
cial' type of organization due to
acceptance in 1856 Of the prin-
ciple that the religion of the
prince is the religion of the pro-
vince" Germany for example
had its Lutheran population di-
vided into some sixteen sections.
each taking its name from a
province or free city. Up to the
close of the World War there was
little connection between the
parts, although all studied the
same catechism in preparing APP
plicants for membership.
The conflicts between 1914 and
1918 arrayed these brethren in
the faith" into three groups: two
war groups and the neutral Scan.
dinavian countries.
War melted Fellowship.
1t was the frightful suffering
during and since the active hos
tilities that fostered the desire to
gather into one conference at
Eisenach. Relief work. initiated
by the American Lutherans with
in six months after the Armi-
stice and soon taken up by Dem
mark, Sweden and Norway. ex-
cited the desire that Lutheran
leaders of every country might
assemble to provide for co-opera-
ton and reconstruction. The
great needs engendered by sick
ness, famine, plague and poverty
were of the body. but, as &C.
Cured when Jesus ministered to
hunger and nakedness, the
spiritual requirements soon made
t h e m selves felt and re-
ceived attention. In the course
of four years, these spiritual OBJ
jectives have come to occupy the
first place. and the Eisenach
meeting will discuss chiefly the
doctrines. confessions and prac-
tees that distinguish Lutheran
ism as an evangelical faith.
The most prominent men from
each area" of the church are
meeting at Eisenach. They are
bishops, superintendent. heads
of institutions, presidents of mis-
sion societies. distinguished pro-
fessors of schools of theology and
universities, and laymen who are
high up in the administration of
the affairs of the church. Many
of the men have been in the
heart of the warfare that has so
recently closed. DIR. Tribe of Lat
via, DR.. Meyer of Russia, DIR.
Bursche of Poland, know person
ally what the Bolshevik persecu.
tions did in their respective coun-
tries. DIR. Paul of Leipzig. whose
life interest conferred in the large
foreign mission fields of the Ger
man societies saw rapidly grow
ing Christianization projects in
Africa, New Guinea. India and
China suddenly and violently in
terrupted when the fortunes of
war transferred the remote colo
MES of the German Empire to
other nations. Bishop Ihmels of
Saxony faced the arduous labor
of recognizing the church of his
country after the present Ger
man republic was established and
the former superintendent by
the state and support of the
church by taxation were altered
to suit the new conditions. Nor
wegian and Danish leaders saw
the utter poverty of parishes.
schools. deaconess homes, hospit-
ais and homes for orphans and
old people. and gave them aid. DIR.
Nathan Soederblom. archbishop
of Sweden. encouraged the Swed-
ish churches to receive helpless
starved children from Austria
and other countries. while he
formed contacts with Anglican
and Continental churchmen in the