-8­

"I know I may speak in the name of all the faithfUl members of
the District from whi'ch I come, and say to our present Chief Apostle:
'Beloved Chief Apostle, as we have followed the Chief Apostle
Bischoff, so shall we also follow you. Wheresoever you send us,
there we shall go.' Thereby, my dearly beloved Brethren, we will
bring the greatest joy and honor possible to our revered departed."
Amen.
APOSTLE LEWlTUS:
liMy beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord: Our Chief
Apostle Schmidt has said that he had believed firmly the message
which we had received from our departed Chief Apostle. So too have
we, trom overseas, unconditionally believed this message, without
the slightest doubt. You can t~en understand too how severely this
blow struck us in the first moment. However, i~ is not the first
time tha t God had cal.i'sed His OWn to face a riddle; nor need we be
ashamed, dearly beloved, to bow our human thinking and understanding
before the, unfathomable decree of our Heavenly Father.
"It was not the first time that the people of God were puzzled
by what He had done. Chief Apostle Schmidt referred to the situa­
tion in which Moses found himself. He had received the command to
lead the first chosen people of God into the promised land of
Canaan. However" he brought them only to the borders of Canaan.
Nevertheless, the promise which God gave to the fathers of His
people was fulfilled. Joshua--the successar--bPbught the Israelites,
shortly after the death of Moses, into the promised land. Upon '
anotber occasion, when the Lord Jesus revealed to His followers
what would shortly come to pass in Jerusalem, including His suffer­
ing, His death upon the cross, and His Ascension, they were complete­
ly perplexed. The Holy Scripture reports: 'And they understood
none of these things (Luke 18: 31-34). Later when the Lord, through
His self-sacrifice on the' cross, brought the Work of Salvation to a
finish, the disciples on the way to Emmaus said: tBut we trusted
that He should have redeemed Israel f (Luke 24: 21). Again they
did not understand Him. '
"Dear Brothers and Sisters, it is therefore no shame in that
we stand before a riddle today and acknowledge courageously: 'We
have believed.' We shall keep silent when we are attacked, but we
shall also form a solid wall of prayer around our Chief Apostle
Schmid,t. If there is no opening, the powers ,9,1 §~F~~~ $~p.q9t
enter. ,,"," ," ,
"At one time the tor4 said to /,eter, 'ThqU. apt PEilf;er, and upon
this rock I '1/111 build my ChlU'Ch; and t,h,!3 ga t~s 9f hel~ ~pal;l. p.o t
prevail against +t~ ~This time too the "gates Glf hE}:q.. lipaU not pre­
vaill The ~o:k-~the Chie~ Apostle--stands unmoved~ Z1q~, ~h~'Ci~1
of the Lord, ~s wonderfully established by God Him~el;j;'~, '
"We have heard a !'eview of the works and activities of the Chief
Apostle, who so prepared the bridal souls in the sixty-three"years
he was in Office, that he has brought them to the borders of the
heavenly Canaan. It is now in accordance with the will of God to
give unto us a new Joshua who will fulfill speedily the promise of
God; namely, to bring us into the Kingdom of Glory. From the stand­
point of our faith, and by means Of our 'human understanding, we can
truly grasp that Way Which God has designated for our future days.
"I recall another situation When the disciples of Jesus stood
perplexed before a riddle which the Lord had put to them. When the
'Lord referred to the necessity of their having to eat of His body
and drink Hi~ blood, for otherwise they could have no part in Him,
and their faith was shattered. Since they could not accept this
hard saying, they went away into the night and fog, and walked no
more With Him. Neither the history'of God's Work nor the history
of man, records What has become of them. The twelve, however, who
 -9­
had the patience to wait and did not permit themselves to become

confused, nor cast away their confidence, received a great recom­

pense of reward. They remained with the Lord and soon understood

what He wanted to show them and what He had in mind to accomplish.

So will it be with us, dearly beloved. We stand before.a riddlQ

·toda~ but it will not be long before we too will understand the
purpose and the meaning of the Almighty God. That which our Heavenly
Father did according to His good pleasure in taking our Chief Apostle
out of our midst will serve as a blessing for His Own.
IIDear Brothers and Sisters, we may try to find an answer to

the question 'Why' by use of human reasoning. However, when the

Lord asked His Own if they too had decided to leave Him, Peter

answered for the twelve Apostles, saying: 'Lord l to whom shall we

go? thou hast the words of eternal life' (John b: 67-68). Where

then should we go--we who have been led out of the night and dark­

ness through the wonderful grace of our God to a height of faith

which is unknown to mankind, and which Christianity cannot under­

stand? Do we perhaps desire to return again into darkness, to the

uncertainty of night and fog, as did the disciples· of 1900 years

ago? No one of us wants this. We desire to remain in fellowship

upon the Way which leads to the heavenly Canaan, and we will not

waver nor retreat~ We are not alone; the Lord is still with us.

He will guide His Work of Salvation through the men whom He has

chosen for this purpose. We all know that in the history of God's

Work such trying h¢urs had to.be lived through very often. The one

through which we now pass is the most difficult for us. What then
is the ansWer to the question: 'To whom shall we go?' We too have
no other place where we can receive the words of life eternal which
we have need of, especially in this time. Where did the power come
from, that the twelve Apostles could speak as they did? Peter him­
self said: 'Lord, we believe and are sure that thou art that
Christ, the Son of the living God l (John 6: 69).
IIDear Brothers and Sisters, can we not also say this? Have we
not also believed and therein did we not receive the necessary.en­
lightenment? Even as Peter spoke for his fellow Apostles, so too
. do we have ample reason to say: . 'Lord, we believe and are sure
that this is Thy Work of Salvation and that Thy Work shall remain
forever. Through Thy Word we are redeemed and we receive the for­
giveness of our sins. And we have become Thy Children through Thy
Spirit.' It is quite simple to follow this with our spiritual un­
derstanding and to grasp it in faith. Here then is our strength;
our way lies clear and sure before us. I am permitted to say in
the name of the Apostles from overseas that we, by means of the
unanimous election of our Chief Apostle Schmidt, have testified that
we stand behind him in one accord. This is not difficult. We have
already recognized in him all the virtues which Apostle Schall has
mentioned; we have seen and experienced them. Therefore it is not
difficult for us to follow him, because jn him lives the Spirit of
the Lord; the same Spirit which was alive in the Chief Apostle
Bischoff. 1I .

Amen.
APOSTLE BISCHOFF:
"Ny beloved Brothers and Sisters: A normal, healthy child will
be influenced more or less by fleeting impressions, and by his con­
tacts with other people. But in the course of his normal, daily de­
velopment he will absorb ever more frequently, ever clearer, firmer
and surer, the example of his father and mother until it is brought
home to him, and to all others Vlith whom he comes into contact, that
they belong together and form a unity with one another. Long before
such thoughts are awakened in the mind of a child by which he can
grasp and understand the fact that there is a blood relationship
which binds them together, the child feels and perceives clearly:
'This is my father, this is my mother.' We, who became Children of
 -lO~

God, who have been Sealed with the Holy Ghost through the Rebirth
of Water and Spirit, have experienced the same development. How
many fleeting impressions and influences were absorbed by our
Brothers and Sisters on the way of faith during the time which lies
b~hind us! The bridal souls, who are developing into perfection,
have absorbed continuously until the word and being, as exempii£i~
by our Chief Apostle, were imprinted into their hearts. These souls
were thus firmly established in their heavenly calling; and in the
fellowship with the saints, they continue on the Way which we travel
together. We have not only received an inheritance in that this
teaching is embedded deeply in our hearts, but through the teach­
ings of the Lord which were proclaimed to us by the Chief Apostle,
talents were awakened and Administrative vessels found through which
God's word and love could be brought to all families and all hearts.
"For thirty-four years I have accompanied the Chief Apostle
Bischoff on all his travels and in this way have lived in closest
proximity under the direct and shining influence of his word and
example of life. As a young man I not only spent much time in his
presence, but I also became acquainted with his great responsibili­
ties. Particularly during the last years, my life was devoted com­
pletely to the service of the Chief Apostle with whom I was to­
gether every day. I desired to Serve him, and therein to Serve God's
people. In this manner, many precious treasures were placed into my
hands as a holy legacy, which were put to good use in our daily work.
Whenever it was necessary to grasp firm-..hoJ,.d of;GtJd T sWord; 'wherever
it was essential to offer the pure teaching of the Apostles' Doc­
trine unto God's Children, this precious treasure and inheritance
served to protect from spiritual darkness and to guard against that
which was not born out of the truth. The Chief Apostle Schmidt
rightly said: 'It is of great importance to foster and preserve
the legacy of the Chief Apostle.' But it is also necessary to in­
crease, promote, and advance this legacy. Because our Chief Apostle
always taught us: 'Brothers and'Sisters, do not stand still with
the history of the past,' we will continue our pilgrimage together.
When we passed through hours of happiness and bliss, he also ad­
monished us: 'Brethren, it will not remain thus,' thereby restrain­
ing us from exuberance and vanity. In the hour of sorrow and need,
he comforted and uplifted us with reference to the Day of the Lord:
'Brothers and Sisters, it will not remain thus.' In these grief
filled days, since the departure of our Chief Apostle which especi­
ally affected those who were so near to him, his same words apply:
'It will not remain thus.' This comfort is certainl He directed us
continuously on the Way to the goal. I can remember from my youth
on already that his only striving and goal was that he be ready for
the Day of the Lord.
"Because I received this fOl,lndation--that the goal of our faith
was to prepare us for the ret4r~ of the Lord--it was not difficult
for me to believe when he informed me that this would occur in his
lifetime. It was also not difficult for me to acknowledge this by
way of the spoken worq and in writing, and to further hold myself to
this word with a believing heart; thereby to lead in the same man­
ner the Brethren who were given into my hands and care.
"Apostle Lewitus quoted the words of Apostle Peter: 'Lord, to
whom shall we go? thou has the words of eternal life' (John 6: 68).
All the powers and gifts, all the talents and capabilities, which
are not part qf my nature, but which came to me through my father
as a physical inheritance, and those which were laid into my heart
through the Chief Apostle as a spiritual inheritance, will I put
into the Service of the Lord with this solemn vow: With all my
strength and life, with all the gifts of the Spirit, with all the
vigor of my body, will I serve obediently and faithfully he whom
the Lord has appointed for me to follow. I shall with the entire
inheritance that was given to me and which I have received out of
the hand of the Chief Apostle--which I took out of his word, which
still lies imbedded like a treasure in the recesses of my heart,
 -11­
and in the many writings which testify of his wor~ and which have
been'left behind~-these will I guard and preserve in such away that
they be for the enjoyment of those who need this nourishment upon
the way into the Promised Land which now lies before us."
\ ,
-,t,

Amen. ','
APOSTLE ROCKENFELDER:',
J

"My dearly beloved: In the darkness of these days, our hearts

and souls·have searched for a ray of hope, a gleam of comfort and

help. In this expectation. we have gathered here this morning, that

we may see with our~eyes of faith that which our eternal and faith­

ful God has prepared for us in these, the most difficult hours of

His Work--the most difficult hours of our lives~

"I am proud to declare that I loved our Chief Apostle Bischoff

with a childlike love--more than I loved my own natural father. It
was 'my heartfelt desire to look into his eyes and read there those
things which pleased him. It was a privilege for me to believe as
he believed. Thet-efore, it is a pleasure to me today in this memor­
able, yet solemn and radiant hour, to acknowledge that I'confessed
fervently with all my heart,and with a deep inner conviction, all
that which 'was transmitted to me by him. I rejoice that I need not
be ashamed of this today; because just as I believed him who was set
for me by the Lord as a blessing until now, so do I believe him who
is, given to 'me today.
"In this hour, our departed Chief Apostle Bischoff is amongst
us and can hear what the Apostles bring forth through his mind and
spirit. He looks now, into your heart and mine. Now the moment of
which I often spoke has COme: 'I wish that on the Day of the Lord,
our Chief Apostle will see how much I loved him.' These were not
empty words; now he can see the true condition of my heart and he
~an look into your hearts too, my dear Brethren:. If, as we have al­
ready heard, he were to use our lips now, then he would say: 'As
you followed me in loyalty, so follow now mysuc,cessor.' As i t is
written in Rev. 3,: 2, 'Strengthen the things which remain; that
are ready to die;' SO would he call to us with this admonition:
'Now strengthen my Brother, my Sister, you Servant of the Lord;
strengthen that which is ready to die in tribUlation and hold fast
to that which was proclaimed to you. Maintain silence toward your
enemies; but in the House of the Lord, in your family circle and in
your own soul be one who pleads and cries for the speedy return of
the Lord.' My beloved, there is nothing else for us to do now but
to plead and to cry all the more. Let us not forget that the Lord
has given us a wonderful example in the parable of the woman clothed
With the sun. He said that in the last times she would .cry in great
pain and travail. I cannot think otherwise today when I see before
my mind's eye the many thousands of God's Children pleading and cry­
inK, as does the woman who cries to the Son of God Who is coming,
for release from the travail 'in birth, and from all ,the other pre­
vailing circumstances and conditions. Thereby we shall fulfill what
Chief Apostle Schmidt'said, that we should continue to plead and cry,
and to remein in the closest fellowship. Before the outside world,
we shall stand steadfast and erect; and in our own circle we shall
remain in the closest fellowship with God in humbleness and grace."
Amen.
CHIEF APOSTLE SCHMIDT:
"My dear Brethren: That which has been said by the Apostles
who have Served us this morning was also heard by the departed Chief
Apostle. I am thankful to our Heavenly Father from the bottom of
my heart that I had in him such a wonderful example for the task and
responsibilities which lie before me. I cannot find sufficient words
to express my earnest desire to so strive and serve completely in
last day shall come, then we know that Thou wilt wipe away the tears
for the last time; then there shall be no more sorrow nor crying.
Lift up those who are discouraged~ strengthen the weak, and be with
those who seek help and comfort~ Be with Thy people near and far;
the Servants and Workers, that they may now go before the Souls en­
trusted into their care, leading them faithfully in the footst~~~
of their Apostles. Strengthen all ,who have raised their eyes tioward
the goal. And, should some have beicome weak, good Father, be patient
with them. It is our desire to do so too. We seek to carry the
weak, for therein we recognize our greatest responsibility. Further,
open the understanding of all for Thy Holy 1Vill. Faithful Father,
bless all from near and far and prepare us for the day of the appear­
ance of Thy dear· Son. We pray Thee, make us worthy to escape all
those things that .shall come to pass and to stand before Thy Son.
Shorten the time and take us unto Thyself by Thy grace. Bless the
offerings of Thy Children as i t is pleasing unto Thee."
CONSECRATION AND CELEBRATION OF HOLY COM}IDNION.
During the celebration of the Lord's Supper, the following hymns
were sung:
CONGREGATION: "Beyond Where Clouds No More Appear" (Hymn 72)
CHOIR: til Kneel Down and Pray"
CONGREGATION: lIJesus, Lover Of My SouP (Hymn 303, verses 2 and 5)
CELEBRATION OF HOLY Cm1HUNION FOR THE DEPARTED:
lIMy beloved Brethren, now all of the departed will gather

around the Altar of the Lord in order to receive that which was also

prepared for us, through which our sins were forgiven and we, in

renewed strength, can continue our pilgrimage. For the first time

our beloved Chief Apostle is among this group and he, in that child­

like faith which he possessed here on earth, now hears the word:

'Receive now, ye reborn souls and ye who have believed and accepted

the living word, the body and the blood of Jesus Christ, given for

you.' Amen.

CLOSING PRAYER:
tlLoving and faithful Father, we thank Thee for this gracious

morning which Thou hast prOVided in every place at which the Altar

of Grace was erected. Let us further be sheltered in Thy peace;

keep Thy hand of protection stretched over all who are called by

Thy Holy Name. Lead us further upon the right pathway so that we

may reach the goal.

liThe Apostles from overseas and their companions are among us

and they will start their homeward journey within the coming days.
They shall serve as a source of comfort to the souls entrusted into
their care, to give them power, to uplift them, to strengthen them,
and comfort them; because they too have accepted the timely word of
truth in childlike faith. Even though these Apostles depart with
silent grief in their hearts from the place where the Chief Apostle
labored so often, still bless them beyond our petition and under­
standing. Now our Chief Apostle can see the Children of God who came
Under his word, because he is no longer bound by time nor space.
\,Now he can see that work effected upon them by the Spirit of Christ.
ILet this too serve as a source of solace for the Apostles who are
leaVing, that they may serve those entrusted into their care in the
\power of the Spirit. Keep them in body, soul, and spirit, and send
!the Angels with them on their homeward way, that they may be reunited
Iwith their loved ones under Thy protection. Let us also be closely
united with them. Grant unto us a safe journey home to our dwellings
lin Thy peace and prepare a blessed reunion for us all, for Jesus'
lsake." Amen.
 -14­
BENEDICTION:
CONGREGATION: "Fare'vrell, Dear Brothers;'
"Ny dear BretlU'en, we know that it is your desire that we ask
q"~ Apes tles from overseas who are leaving; to take out heartfelt
F-.d=etings with them into their homeland to the souls entruste;l into
tneir c~re and keeping. This also applies to all the Apost~eGw!tv
have been here today; they too will know that we have remembered the~
II Now, my dear BretlU'en, let us remain closely united in faith,
as we have vowed until now. Let us be true to this vow until the
grea t Day of Re'v!ard shall have come. Then there will be no more
parting; then shall we be forever with the Lord. I further wish for
you all that is good, God1s protection and grace. Till we meet
again. "
CHOIR: "Toiling Bravely Omrard ll (Hymn 274, verses 1 and 2)