# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 11 12_S46
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

46

Wines, situated 1 mile from the city, of 15 acres, together with the buildings upon it and a beautiful orchard and vegetable garden, which was excellently suited to receive our seminary, which until then had led a wandering life.

The purchase price of 2500 dollars was covered almost exclusively by the subscriptions of the Lutheran congregations in and near Fort Wayne, and especially by the first and that of Pastor Jäbker in Adams Co., which two, to the honor of God and the profit of the Church, contributed in proportion very liberally, the first raising 1600 and the other, together with the small filial on the Wabash, 350 dollars.

Soon, however, after the seminary's moving into this place of its earthly rest, it pleased God to take home into the heavenly rest Him who until then had been the chief nurse of this nursery-school.

On the 31st of August of the year 1849, namely, our beloved Pastor Wolter, after he himself, together with the students, had nursed those sick with cholera, and the day before had made his will and bequeathed to the seminary, among other things, also 200 dollars, was taken ill with the same pestilence and after about 10 hours fell asleep gently and blessedly in his LORD Jesus Christ.

Although the faithful God, according to His hidden wisdom, thereby visited us painfully and struck a deep wound in the still young and tender little plant, namely our seminary, yet He showed Himself soon afterward also as Him who healeth and bindeth up; for He turned the heart of Pastor Biewend, then living at Georgtown near Washington City, to come to the help of the seminary as teacher, at first provisionally, at the urgent request of Pastor Sihler, and to exchange an ample income and agreeable circumstances for a poor salary and manifold privations.

And although his remaining with us will not last much longer, since he has lately been chosen by the electoral college of the Synod to a larger sphere of work at Concordia-College at St. Louis, we have nevertheless every reason to thank the LORD and him heartily, that in self-denying love and as a friend in need he hastened to our help.

The LORD be pleased, according to His promise: "Whosoever hath, to him shall be given," to bless him abundantly in his further sphere of work!

In the year 1850, so far as it has run to this day, there entered the service of the Church Georg Küchle, called by the Lutheran congregation at Dutchmans-point, Cook Co. Ill., not far from Chicago.

Otto Eisfeld, on the other hand, and Georg Volk, who both have sufficient knowledge of the ancient languages and promising talents, were sent to the theological seminary at St. Louis, to receive there their further learned training.

There entered the seminary in their stead:

Fried. Ottmann from Bavaria
Fried. Schumann likewise
Andr. Häckel ditto
Phil. Wambsganß ditto
Wilh. Richter from Nassau, only for some months, as a guest, since he is already destined for next winter as schoolteacher in a filial of Pastor Brauer at Adison Ill.

There are therefore at present 19 students in the seminary. And since its origin until today 46 pupils have entered, and 22 have gone out into the service of the Church as preachers or schoolteachers; several, as already remarked in its place, have passed over into the learned preparatory institution, now at St. Louis, of whom, however, 2, Lange and Wunder, have already taken over the holy ministry.

Through the strong growth of our institution in the autumn of 1849 it came about that the former dwelling-house became too narrow, since in one room 6, and in the other, which is at the same time the schoolroom, 4 pupils must live together. We were therefore, by the inner enlargement of our seminary, also placed under the necessity of extending its space, and of building a new house of 4 rooms and a large dormitory, with the completion of which this present memorial celebration is connected.

If we now turn from this present day back to the first beginning of our nursery-school in the autumn of 1846, we must justly set up with Samuel an Ebenezer, that is, a memorial of God's help, and say with him:

"Hitherto hath the LORD helped us."

For who other than the faithful God has awakened and strengthened the hearts and hands of the beloved brethren in Germany, for the upbuilding and continued building of our dear Lutheran Church in these lands, to send over to us in the course of these 4 years more than 40 believing and gifted young brethren together with a faithful and able teacher, considerable funds, books and other necessaries, and to call this our nursery-school into life and to maintain it?

Who other than the same faithful God has also beyond the ocean, and especially here in our congregations, raised up willing and cheerful givers, upon the same ground of faith with the brethren beyond the sea, and in the same love of Christ, to further the work begun, to provide our institution of learning with a fixed dwelling-place, also in great part to erect this new house, and to help provide for the living support of our young friends, of whom 9 are supported by the congregation here alone?

So let us then, in childlike confidence in the same faithful God and Father in Christ Jesus, with joyful and comforted mind, turn our eyes now away from the past and into the future, in joyful assurance that He will not turn His gracious countenance away from this house, nor withdraw His hand, so long as pure doctrine and true godliness prevail in it. Rather we cherish the joyful hope that the gracious God, especially in the living and awakening Lutheran congregations, nearer and farther, will not only preserve to this His work the old nurses and friends, but will also turn new ones *) to it, since surely no care for a work of God can lie nearer to a righteous Christian than this, to leave behind him for his children and children's children the pure doctrine of the divine Word, which is dear to us Lutherans.

*) Since, namely, the legacy of the blessed Pastor Wolter and a gift of his like-minded sister in Germany did not suffice to build this new house, and some debts on that account still remain, we would accept with hearty thanks, toward their discharge, every love-gift of Lutheran fellow-believers (under the address: Rev. W. Sihler, Fort Wayne, Ia.) and acknowledge it in the Lutheraner.

To this may the almighty, merciful God further give His blessing, for the sake of His dear Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

To God alone the glory.

Mission Intelligence.

The dear friends of missions have learned from No. 2 of Jahrg. 6 of the Lutheraner that our highly praised Savior, as He ever doth, has also among the aboriginal inhabitants of this land graciously acknowledged the proclamation of His Word, that a little flock of souls desirous of salvation formed a little congregation, with the wish to become a light among their brethren still sunk in heathenism. That the devil made it sour for himself to lose a dwelling in which he had so long had his being, will surely not surprise you; he still goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Pet. 5, 8.

He has therefore not yet grown weary, either by enticements or by threats, of coming again into possession of what he has lost. *) So it happened here also.

*) As we have lately seen again in the Missionsbote, which calls the missionaries Auch and Maier "Pantheists," why? — because they refuse to ascribe to the words of Jesus: "This is my body and this is my blood," any other meaning than they have according to their sound, (as the Missionsbote with a bold face does), but believe in simplicity that Jesus Christ, who is true God and true man in one undivided person, will give us what He has promised and sealed to us in His Testament, in spite of the devil and the Missionsbote.

The chief Naktschigomä with his band tried often to move those who had been won to take part in their feasts, and after this remained fruitless, he threatened them to poison them together with their missionaries. Lately, however, he had behaved quite in a friendly manner toward us, so that we rejoiced and cherished the hope that he might yet be won for Christianity. He did not fail, however, from time to time to invite the Christian Indians again and again to his feasts. About 14 days ago, when just the greater number of the men of my little congregation were employed in cutting down the brush that surrounds the church, he sent once more a messenger hither and urgently invited them all, together with a heathen woman, to a feast. My interpreter reported it to me at once; whereupon I admonished them all very earnestly that, for the sake of their souls' salvation, they should guard against such devil's service and consider that in holy Baptism they had renounced the devil and all his works and ways, but had vowed to God their Savior an eternal childlike fidelity. By God's grace, by which we are all kept unto salvation, the plan of the enemy was this time also frustrated, for even the heathen woman let herself be persuaded to stay at home.