# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 12 27_S71
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

71

church constitution should not be admitted to the school and who would not sign it should be left without instruction in the school) placed ourselves upon the standpoint of right, and turned the children mentioned out of the school, or rather left them without instruction in it. This procedure will indeed appear to many a reader of the "Lutheraner" as a harsh one, and I must confess, although at the outset we were compelled by necessity to confront our opponents earnestly, that it so appeared to me also, and that it appears to me more and more such, wherefore I have already made attempts, with the cooperation of the church council, to induce the congregation to take the children of our adversary party into their school, whereby I offered to teach these children for nothing, while every actual member of the congregation is obliged to pay a yearly fixed school fee. Yet up to now I have not succeeded in moving the congregation to consent to this proposal.*) So much for the illumination of the facts stated in Mr. Suhr's article.

*) We cannot refrain from remarking here that it grieves us heartily to hear how our dear brother in office, Sauer, together with his dear congregation, could have let himself be led into taking such a measure, which, under the circumstances prevailing, we are bound to declare thoroughly reprehensible. The Ed.

G. Sauer.

We, the undersigned church council of the first Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Congregation, bear witness that the matter stands just as our pastor has set it forth.

Heinrich Otte.
Heinrich Sieg.
Friedrich Surenkamp.
Heinrich Driehaus.
Friedrich Stuckwisch.
Friedrich Kleekamp.

Church News.

Whereas the unsearchable, all-wise God has ordained for our dear brother in office, Pastor Lorenz Flessa, that he has become blind in both eyes and thus unfit for the further administration of his holy office, and the hope of recovery has also more and more vanished, his congregation, though with hearty grief, has seen itself obliged to take thought for the calling of a successor to its beloved pastor departing from its midst. The election has taken place and has fallen upon the former pastor E. O. Wolff in Perryville, Mo. The same has also already entered upon his new office on the 9th of this month, Second Sunday in Advent. His address is therefore from now on: Union, Jefferson Co., Mo.

As successor of the one first named, the candidate of the ministry, Mr. Friedrich Reißner, of Harburg, district of Swabia and Neuburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, has been elected. The same, last a teacher at Marienheim near Neuburg on the Danube, came, after he had prepared himself for the American Lutheran ministry, in the summer of the current year to America, then enjoyed for a short time the instruction in the seminary at Fort Wayne, passed here before the assembled pastoral conference the examination pro munere, and was ordained on the 12th inst. by Pastor Gruber, with the assistance of Pastor Biltz, in the midst of his congregation in and about Perryville, Perry Co., Mo.

Since, finally, Pastor Schieferdecker has received a call to Altenburg, Perry Co., Mo., and together with his former congregations has recognized it as divine and accepted it, one of these congregations, namely that at Centreville, has already called the candidate of theology Mr. Heinrich Wunder, from Franconia, hitherto a pupil of the Altenburg theological seminary, to its vacant pastorate. The same has accordingly, after passing a public examination, on the 16th inst., Third Sunday in Advent, been ordained in the midst of his congregation by the president of the Synod and solemnly installed in his office. The post-office is: Millstadt P. O., St. Clair Co., Ill.

May these tidings move many hearts to intercession, not only for these new laborers in the vineyard of the LORD, but in general for our whole North American Church, since at present, particularly in its ministry, changes as great as they are decisive are taking place, and also, as we have opportunity to learn, several of our dear brethren in office are standing in the midst of their congregations in hard conflict. Compare the last part of the 12th verse of chapter 12 of the Revelation of St. John.

We have just received the further news that Mr. Ottmar Clöter, who came over from Bavaria as an already ordained candidate of theology, and who had received a regular call from the German Evangelical Lutheran congregation at Saginaw City in Michigan, has, at his own request and that of the calling congregation, been churchly inducted into his office through Pastor Sievers, by authority of the presidium of our Synod. The latter writes us concerning it, among other things, as follows: "The celebration of the induction was appointed for the morning of the 30th of November, as being the day of the holy Apostle Andrew. At 9 o'clock in the morning the members of the congregation assembled in one of the halls of the Saginaw courthouse. First of all the confession service took place. Pastor Clöter delivered the confessional address and private confession; he himself received absolution from me. After the confession service was ended, however, a public colloquy was held by us both, at which the whole congregation was present. As the subject of the colloquy I had chosen the Formula of Concord in its chief points. The whole congregation was convinced with me that it has called a pastor who will ground and strengthen it and its children in the wholesome doctrine. He has also pledged this at the induction, which proceeded according to Löhe's Agende. It made a gratifying impression upon the congregation to be allowed to convince itself by our colloquy that the jewel of pure doctrine is preserved to it. After the colloquy I delivered the induction sermon on Matth. 4, 18-22. Theme: Of the Call, 1. by whom and under what circumstances did Andrew receive his call, and by whom and under what circumstances do the lawful preachers of the Gospel still today receive their call? 2. to what was Andrew called, and to what are the preachers of the Gospel still called today? — After the sermon followed the induction and obligation upon the Word of God and the confessions of the Church contained in the Book of Concord, and finally the celebration of the Lord's Supper." — We close this report with the wish and prayer to God that in Michigan, where already in many a small congregation especially able laborers now stand, the divine promise Ps. 84, 7. 8. may be fulfilled ever more gloriously.

Should I not sing to my God.

Under the government of Duke Carl of Württemberg, a man standing in good repute was once deprived of his office through court intrigues and lost his bread, so that he was compelled to withdraw to his native place, a little village, and there at last even to take the office of a night watchman, merely to get by. Then at every hour that he had to call as watchman by night, he would each time, after the usual hour-call, add the refrain*) of this hymn:

Alles Ding währt seine Zeit,
Gottes Lieb in Ewigkeit.

These words were his rod and staff, to which he held fast in his misery and misfortune, and so he comforted himself at all times with this, that God's love endures forever. He had been doing this now for many a year, when once a high-ranking ducal official lodged overnight in his place. When he heard the night watchman call thus at every hour, it struck him, and he inquired after the person of this night watchman; and after he had learned everything about him, he reported the whole matter to the Duke. The latter, moved by this occurrence, gave the man, who had set his trust on God's love, bread and office again. The winter had now snowed itself out for him and the fair summer set in. (V. 10.) All his life this man now sang at his morning prayer, full of hearty thanks:

Alles Ding währt seine Zeit,
Gottes Lieb' in Ewigkeit.

This hymn was composed about 1659 by Paul Gerhardt.

*) Refrain, a repetition-verse, especially a closing or ring rhyme at the end of each verse of a song or hymn.