A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

or the "Industrial School and Hygienic Home for Friendless Persons." This home for orphans was built just north of the original Gnadenau village site in 1894. In early conference minutes the Waisenheim (orphan's home) is referred to again and again and appears to have generated a great deal of enthusiasm as well as practical support. It was operated for about twenty years, then converted into the Salem Home for the Aged and Helpless. In 1918 the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren, assisted by the Mennonite Brethren, established the Salem Hospital in Hillsboro. The ministry to the sick was inspired by Christ's example. In his report to the conference in 1919, D. E. Harder, the chairman of the board, stated: "The Lord Jesus chose to minister (to people) and alongside of the preaching of the gospel he gave primary attention to the ministry among the sick."' 16 186 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH But the concern of the K.M.B. Church was not limited to the poor and needy in the immediate area of their local congregations. The Lord used the vision, faith and training of two couples from the Salem church at Bridgewater, S.D., to start two new ministries in the K.M.B. Conference: city missions and publication work. The story of these "trailblazers" deserves special consideration. David M. Hofer (1869-1944) and his wife Barbara (1876-1958) spent their first thirty years on the farm in South Dakota. For eleven of these years Hofer taught in elementary schools. After leaving the farm, Hofer became a successful businessman (banking and grain trade) for twelve years, until the Lord called him into the ministry. He sold out and moved to Chicago to study at Moody Bible Institute. Joseph W. Tschetter (1876-1955) and his wife Katherine (1880-1957) also grew up in the K.M.B. community at Bridgewater. After their marriage in 1901, although serving in the local church, they continued to farm and thought of "buying more land and raising more grain and livestock." 37 But in 1910 the Tschetters responded to God's call and accepted the responsibility for mission work in North Carolina. Here Brother Tschetter served as Superintendent of the Salem Mission from 1911 to 1915. Then he also went to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. It should be mentioned that both Hofer and Tschetter had college education in addition to their training at Moody. While in Chicago, these brethren joined their spiritual, intellectual and material resources for a local ministry in Chicago and for a conference-wide ministry through the publication of Christian literature. In 1915, they organized the "Lincoln Avenue Gospel Mission" and founded the conference periodical, Der Wahrheitsfreund." The city mission, located at 2812 Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, was opened officially in October, 1915 with Hofer as superintendent and Tschetter as associate superintendent. Several Mennonite missions had been established before this time by other Mennonit