# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S267
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

ee

324 MISSIONS

Sacrament to our young people who are studying at the Various

colleges and universities of our country, our Church has launcheg
upon an energetic student service program. At present 443 Pastors
are serving 16,065 students (members of the Synodical Conference)
at 746 colleges and universities. Not only are these pastors serving
our own young people, but they are also bringing the Word of
Life to many unchurched students on these campuses.

Foreign Missions. — The past fifty years have, indeed, been an
era of extraordinary blessings upon our work in foreign fields
While only one foreign mission was opened by us prior to 1900,
namely, that in India, the past fifty years have seen us unfurl the
banner of the Gospel in China, in Africa, in the Philippine Islands,
in New Guinea, and in Japan. (For details see the report of the
Board for Foreign Missions.)

Our Church at Work in Europe. — Twice during the past fifty
years our Church has come to the rescue of our European brethren
who were stricken by the horrors of two world wars. At the
present time we have 107 workers (professors and missionaries)
in the European field — one in Belgium, two in Denmark, five in
France, three in Finland, 52 in the Breslau Synod, and 44 in the
Saxon Free Church. The latter two groups are almost self-
supporting. We have a total of 59,097 baptized members. (For
details see the report of the Board for Home Missions in Europe.)

Missions in Africa. — The third decade of the twentieth century
saw us marching forward into the dark continent of Africa. It was
‘in 1936 that we, co-operating with our sister synods of the Synod-
ical Conference, set foot on Nigeria’s soil to unfurl the Gospel
banner. Never in the history of our foreign mission work have we
experienced such phenomenal blessings as we have in the African
field. Already there are more than 16,000 baptized members, more
than 5,500 communicant members, more than 90 schools with
approximately 7,400 pupils. (For details see the report of the
Missionary Board of the Synodical Conference.)

Negro Missions in the United States. —'These missions are also
under the guidance of the Missionary Board of the Synodical Con-
ference. The beginning of this work dates back beyond the begin-
ning of the present century. Particularly since 1877 our Negro
mission work has expanded to the northern cities as well as to the
East.and to the West.

A far-reaching step was taken at the meeting of the Synodical
Conference in 1946 when the respective District Mission Boards

were encouraged to take over the guidance and development of —

Negro missions within their District boundaries. Until now twelve
Districts have expressed their willingness to co-operate with the

MISSIONS 325

Missionary Board in this work. For many years seven of our
Districts have conducted mission work in Negro communities and
have supported this work with their own District funds.

‘Missions to the Deaf. — Beginning in a small way in the city
of ‘Chicago in the year 1896, our work among the deaf has ex-

ded until today it reaches nearly all of our larger urban centers.
Twenty-seven missionaries are serving 27 organized deaf congre-
gations and 203 deaf preaching stations. In addition, deaf children
are served in 38 State schools, six of these being for Negro children.
A total of 3,000 services and 2,966 periods of instruction were given
in 1948— our latest available statistics, .

Missions to the Blind.— Until the convention of 1947 work
among the blind was under the care of the Board for Missions to
the Deaf and Blind. During the past triennium Pastor W. H. Storm
of Cleveland, Ohio, was called as executive secretary to render
part-time service. It is the aim of this Mission Board to seek
closer co-operation of District Home Mission Boards in an effort
to look after the spiritual needs of the blind in State institutions.
An intensive program to publish much-needed Christian literature
in Braille and in Moon type is under way. The report of this
Board is highly encouraging.

Visual Aids.— We wish to commend Concordia Publishing
House and its Department of Audio-Visual Aids for the excellent
work it has done in helping promote the cause of missions. During
the past triennium it has produced the following aids in behalf of
Synod’s far-flung mission program:

“Bringing Light”—a color movie with sound, depicting our work in

“Japan Has Open Doors” —a color filmstrip with

“The Lutheran Church in Hawaii” —a silent, color eerded commenayy

“The Lutheran ‘Vacation Bible School” —a color movie with sound

et oorbells with a Purpose” —a filmstrip with recorded com-
color movie of our work in New Guinea— i

A color movie of our work in South America now ror ok

In view of Concordia’s evident efficiency in the planning and
production of audio-visual aids, it is our conviction that this
department of Synod’s work should be turned over to Concordia

Publishing House for continued development. We therefore humbly
request

Synod in convention assembled to act favorably on

mendation of Synod’s Board for Parish Education eas 308)
that Concordia Publishing House be designated by Synod as
its producing agency for audio-visual aids” and that’ in the
production of such aids Concordia Publishing House work in
close harmony with an advisory council on which Synod’s

sented mission and educational departments will be repre-