The German Work in North America
By G. F. Haffner
THE work of the Lord is still progressing among the many German-speaking people in North America. Here and there we hear of souls accepting the truth, yet we are not satisfied with the progress. We would like to see the work grow with greater power. We would be glad to see all our German workers engaged in the German work. Some have left the work, and are spending all their time in the English work. Let such return and take up this work. Let the conference presidents and committees encourage their German workers to stay in that branch of the work. If a conference has no Germans in its territory, then let the German laborers go where there are people of that nationality. Sometimes our ministers excuse themselves from this work because they do not get a good hearing, and are not so successful as when they labor among the English. For the same reason their work has not been appreciated very much in some instances, and they have felt inclined to work among the English until they had the confidence of the conference committee. Now I think it would be well to remember a few things:— First, that the foreign people are very much scattered, and have to be searched out. The Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah: “I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of rocks.” This is especially true with the foreign people in America. Seldom can we get many out to our meetings, while in English we can get a good attendance almost anywhere; and those of our German brethren who can speak the English just as well as the German, or sometimes even better, find it easier to work among the English, and so they leave this work and start in the English. Second, we are in America, where the English language is the language of the land, and the young people soon become Americanized, and would rather go to an English meeting than to a German one. This is especially true where they are scattered among the English. So you see a German worker often works under great disadvantage. He should hunt out those who do not understand English, and give them the message. I would not take the position that he should never preach in English. If he goes to a place where the people are mixed, and, failing to get an attendance at his German meeting, begins to hold services in the English, and gets a good hearing, and an interest is awakened, I think he surely ought to stay and finish the work. It is well when our ministers can speak both languages, then they do not need to disappoint any one. Thirdly, let us remember that the Lord, in a special sense, holds us as German laborers responsible for the giving of this message to our German friends. Let us keep this always in mind. Let us remember that there are thousands upon thousands who can speak no other language, and they must be warned; and who should warn them?—Those who can speak to them in their own tongue. May our German laborers take courage and push the work as never before. May they stand together and feel their responsibility to give this message to the German people in America. May our conferences encourage them to remain in this work, although they may not see such great results as in the English.