# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 01 08_S73 # AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) Der Lutheraner. "God's Word and Luther's doctrine shall never pass away." Published by the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States. Edited by C. F. W. Walther. Volume 6. St. Louis, Mo., January 8, 1850. No. 10. Terms: Der Lutheraner appears once every two weeks at the yearly subscription price of One Dollar for out-of-town subscribers, who are to pay in advance and bear the postage. — In St. Louis each single number is sold for 5 cents. Only those letters which contain communications for the paper are to be addressed to the Editor; all others, which contain business matters, orders, cancellations, money, etc., are to be sent hither under the address: Mr. F. W. Barthel, care of C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo. Cry of Distress of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Prussia to Germany, United with Her in Faith. (Conclusion.) But that you may recognize our distress also in particulars, permit us to set before you, in a few strokes, by way of example, the situation of some of the most hard-pressed among our congregations. The congregation at Breslau, numbering about 1100 souls, found itself compelled in the year 1843, if it wished to hold its services worthily and undisturbed, to purchase the former church of St. Catharine. The purchase price was 28,000 thalers, and for the completion of the interior 4000 thalers more were needed. Almost the whole sum had to be borrowed, and the interest has to be raised by the congregation every year. This was possible for it only because it rented out the basement of the church as a wine cellar. Under the depressed condition of the times, this rent is to be reduced by 125 thalers from New Year 1849, which sum is then also to be raised by the congregation, while even the former interest could scarcely be scraped together. In this congregation the average church contribution comes to 3 thalers a head. — The congregation at Berlin, consisting of 1100 souls, has had to raise hitherto, besides the pastor's salary, a further 1340 thalers, partly for the school, partly for church rent and other church needs, partly for its poor, so that over 2 thalers come to each head. Now, however, no one properly rich belongs to it. Only a few are moderately well-to-do, the majority are poor. The distress has so increased since the events of March, especially among the artisans, that the raising of the money needed for the maintenance of church and school appears almost impossible for the near future. — The parish district of Stettin embraces, in three government districts, 11 preaching places with 1500 Lutherans, who live scattered in 80 localities and consist for two-thirds of poor colonists, day-laborers, widows and journeymen. All these have hitherto, especially because many among them have been impoverished by the preceding oppression, scarcely been able to raise the 300 thalers necessary for the pastor's salary. Almost everywhere suitable church premises are lacking, as well as schools, and the burden of work is too great for the shoulders of one pastor. — The Lutheran congregation in the city of Magdeburg — a city whose name has had a good ring in the Lutheran Church from of old, which three hundred years ago fought manfully against the unionistic Interim and therefore was in those days wont to be called "our Lord God's chancery," and which is in a certain sense the birthplace of the deepest and richest confession of our Church, the Formula of Concord — this congregation now numbers 165 souls, who are to raise, for their share alone toward the pastor's salary and the rent, 350 thalers, a sum beyond the means of its members in their great poverty. Considerable support from the Kingdom of Saxony had been held out to this congregation, whereupon it resolved to call a pastor of its own; under the circumstances that have since arisen, however, this prospect has come to nothing; only 60 thalers has it received from there, once, and it does not know how it is to meet the obligations it has entered into for the future. — The congregation at Liegnitz consists of 540 members, who have to raise yearly 600 thalers for the pastor's salary, for interest on the debts incurred through a necessary church building, for school purposes and the like, which, in view of the poverty of the congregation, could not have been raised hitherto either, if the LORD had not often wonderfully and suddenly brought relief. — The congregation at Bunzlau numbers 7 preaching places with 457 souls, who live so scattered that here, instead of one, three pastors would find enough to do. The congregation consists for the most part of day-laborers, poor weavers and glass-grinders, who suffered especially through distraints in the years of persecution, have run into debt in the last time of dearth, and whose trade stands almost entirely still in these unsettled times. They have therefore been able to raise only 130 thalers for their pastor, especially since, with the scattered situation of the congregation, the church ministration is bound up with great traveling expenses*); the missing 170 thalers are to be added for him from the general church treasury in Breslau, and this likewise is exhausted. — The congregation at Thorn, with 1100 members, has to raise, besides the pastor's salary, the interest on 3000 thalers and 150 thalers for its school. — The congregation at Militsch, consisting of 520 souls, has besides the pastor's salary 230 thalers in interest to meet, so that about 1 thaler comes to each head, which for a congregation consisting mostly of cottagers is an excessive expense. — So also in the congregation at Fraustadt the necessary contributions per soul amount to 1 thaler 11 silver groschen, which in the long run is impracticable without outside assistance. — The parish district of Freistadt numbers six congregations, which lie scattered within a circuit whose diameter is 12 miles, and yet there are found upon this area only 580 Lutherans. They have 360 thalers to raise for their various church needs, of which only 200 thalers are for the pastor, who for the rest of his salary is referred to the general church treasury. This congregation also belongs to those which from the time of persecution bear the marks of Jesus in their body. — The parish district of Ubedel in Farther Pomerania numbers 526 souls, who live scattered in 58 localities within a circuit of 19 miles in diameter, and are so impecunious that they cannot even raise the salary of 200 thalers fixed for an unmarried pastor, and here too the general church treasury is to step in. — The parish district of Ratibor numbers 272 souls, who lie scattered in seven different county districts. Because this congregation is too far removed from Schwirz *) One of our pastors once had to spend 119 thalers in one year on such necessary traveling expenses.