# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S853
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

MISSIONS 349

African Missions. — In a marvelous manner the Lord led us to
Nigeria, Africa. In 1946 we celebrated the tenth anniversary of
this mission. The tenth anniversary was a day of rejoicing for
our fellow Christians in Nigeria. Makom Fi, O Jehovah! (We
Praise Thee, O Jehovah!) they sang more than 1,200 strong at
one of their anniversary gatherings.

The Lord hath done great things. We now have 83 churches
with a baptized membership of 11,125, of 4,148 communicants, and
67 day schools with 4,657 pupils. We have ten missionaries, one
male and one woman teacher. Our American colony consists of
25 persons. In 1946 our churches in Nigeria contributed the
equivalent of $13,270 for the work of the Church. We are working
in Nigeria in a radius of 50 miles in the midst of a population
estimated at 20,000,000.

Extending the work to metropolitan centers. Until recently
work was confined to the bush area. But now larger cities are
calling. In Calabar, with a population of 17,000, we have a nucleus
of 120 Lutheran Christians. Lagos, the capital of Calabar, a prov-
ince with 126,000, and Ibadim, with 387,000, have also been sug~-
gested. Going to these larger centers, our missionaries will soon
extend the work to the near-by rural areas.

To carry out this expansion program in this most promising
field, more men, more homes, more funds, are needed. $3,500 are
needed to erect a modest but adequate home for the missionary
and his family. .

Let us work while it is day. Let us arise and support also
this expansion program in Africa.

Be it suggested to endorse this program.

European Missions. —- A large portion of Europe lies in ashes.
The seat of the Reformation with its churches is a heap of rubble
stones. The cries of the maimed, the hungry, the aged, the widows,
rise heavenward. And still the surviving masses cry aloud, “There
is no God!” What a challenge for the Church to stem the tide, to
save at least some who without our help are going down to their
eternal doom!

The Board of European Missions, realizing the problem before
them, sent a representative in the person of Chaplain Walter Daib
to survey the possibilities in Europe, not only to assist the rem-
nants of the churches served by the pastors of our Free Churches,
but also to plan a successful mission-expansion program, a program
which will be fashioned and adapted to the prevailing conditions.
Also in Europe it must be our aim to build a self-governing and
eventually a self-supporting Church. To do this, we must of neces~
Sity endeavor to train a national ministry and establish a theo-
logical school in every country in which we wish to continue and