# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S291
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

372 MISSIONS

confirmed, During the past four years our Church has:‘o7.
a new mission station somewhere in the United States'‘or‘Cinet
‘ bea every fourth day. At present 835 pastors and students are san:
Me ; 1,300 mission stations in North America. During the past ten ot
ets ; we have started mission work in seven new countries, ‘Using abou
nS “i 40 languages, the Lutheran Hour has reached into some 60 count;
we Since 1940 our Church in Africa has grown from 7,000 sou,
. to approximately 17,000. Since 1940 our Church in India has
from 14,300 souls to 21,900. Indeed, almost without. exception the
Lord has permitted our Church to march forward on every Mission -
front, accompanying our efforts with signal blessings. '
On the educational front we can point to these accomplish. ;
ments. Our vacation Bible school enrollment-has climbed from
25,000 to over 100,000 since 1940. Our Sunday schools have grown ,
from 280,000 pupils in 1940 to 365,000 at present. Our parochial
school enrollment has increased by 26,000 since 1940. Our Bible
ee class enrollment has climbed by 50,000 during the past eight years,
be rtp While we thank God for what has been accomplished in these
: : : oo various fields, yet we must face the fact that, when compared with
BT the tremendous fields which lie before us, our accomplishments wij]
leave little room for boasting. For instance, in India, with its
: ; population of 350,000,000, we have only 75 full-time workers serving
ro 7,211 communicants. But the Savior’s marching orders are: “Go,
ae preach, teach.”
“ ! In China, with its population of 450,000,00, we have only seven
7 full-time workers serving 505 communicants. But the Savior’s
marching orders are: “Go, preach, teach.” ‘

In Japan, with its population of 80,000,000, our Church has
only 10 full-time workers serving 1,700 people. But the Savior's
marching orders are: “Go, preach, teach.”

In Africa, with its population of 200,000,000, our Church has
only 19 full-time workers serving 6,466 communicants. But the
Savior’s marching orders are: “Go, preach, teach.”

In our own country there are more than 70,000,000 people
who claim no church affiliation of any kind. There are ten States
where seven out of every ten people are unchurched. There are
other States in which the unchurched population presents a picture

- almost equally appalling. But the Savior’s marching orders are:
“Go, preach, teach.”
, There are millions of children in our country who are not
under the influence of the Gospel. Our Church through its teaching
agencies is reaching scarcely more than 90,000 of this vast army
of unchurched children. But the Savior’s marching orders are:
‘“Go, preach, teach.”