A Struggling Congregation's Plea for a Permanent Home

To the Editor: Some years ago, practically all Swedes were Lutherans, at least nominally. Today about 90 per cent are such, both in the old country and in America. A general body of Swedish Lutherans was organized years ago under the name of the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod of North America. Rev. P. Carlson, a missionary of this body, visited Seattle 10 years ago. He found very few Swedes at that time. In 1884 he purchased a lot for $600, on Third street, near Pike, and built a church and organized a congregation. As members were comparatively few (26), and as times were hard, little help from the outside could be expected. The Church Extension Society of the Augustana Synod borrowed money, paid for the property, and has held title thereon ever since, paying interest on the loan. Now the Church Extension Society must sell the property, and offers it to the Gethsemane congregation for $5,000. The membership now is about 40, all laborers. They will do what they can by way of subscription, but are not able to raise the above sum and must ask their Christian brethren to help them. A subscription list has just been started, and Mr. A. Chilberg has kindly headed the list. All subscriptions by Americans will be acknowledged in the Post-Intelligencer; those by Swedes will be read in the church. Rev. A. G. Anderson of Tacoma has for the last four years been pastor of this church, but now Rev. A. P. Monten of West Superior, Wis., has accepted a call and is authorized to collect subscriptions for this purpose.