# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S431
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

MISSIONS 431

That puts us face to face with the real problem in Finland,
namely, properly trained Finnish pastors. There are two young
theological students in Finland who would like to become pastors
in the Free Church. The congregations in Finland and individual
members of the National Evangelical Lutheran Church in the U.S.
are supplying the funds to support these students. If the groups
can be held together until they are able to recruit young pastors,
the Free Church may yet become a vital factor in Finnish Lu-
theranism.

Statistics: 369 souls; 260 communicants, scattered over 47 com-
munities. In 1954 they raised 778,697 Fnmk.; in 1955, 1,117,513

Fnmk. ($4,900).
Subsidy: 1953. $4,285 1954 _.. $7,967 1955 $9,988

England

The work in England appears for the first time as an integral
part of this report. With the resolution of the Houston Convention,
which granted permission to the ELCE (Evangelical Lutheran
Church of England) to become an independent church, an active
mission program was set in motion, which has resulted in a burst
of missionary activity. Pastor E. George Pearce, for six years our
only pastor in England, was relieved of his congregation duties to
become missionary at large. Two young pastors took over the two
London congregations; two more candidates were called last year
to take over the two new congregations of Sunderland and Ruislip.
A pastor from Australia was called to begin work in Borehamwood.
Work was begun in the Bromley area of London. Regular monthly
services continue in Cardiff, Wales. Other areas, both in London
and outside of London, are under survey.

The Springfield Seminary Student Chorus, which toured Eng-
land in 1954, helped to publicize the Lutheran Church. The Lu-
theran Hour office in London has more than 65,000 names of
enthusiastic listeners on file. Through C. P. H. Ltd., Lutheran
literature and Lutheran films are being distributed.

In England, as in all other countries where we are trying to
establish the Lutheran Church, one of the first and foremost needs
is the training of a native ministry. It is unrealistic to hope to
build the Lutheran Church in England with pastors from America.
For that reason the Interim Committee on European Affairs has
asked Dr. Wm. Arndt of Concordia Seminary to spend several
months in England at the close of the current school year to survey
the situation and, if possible, to take the first steps toward insti-

tuting such a training program. ; ;