# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1911_S89
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

13th Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1911. 89

...called a missionary. He has so far conscientiously attended to his office. He went regularly to the immigrant station to look after our fellow believers there when immigrants landed, and to be of help and service to them in body and in spirit. For many the missionary must intervene in a special way, appearing on their behalf before the particular authorities before whom they must appear. Some fall ill and are sent to hospitals, where they must be visited. Sometimes the missionary also seeks to help immigrants by appealing an exclusion order [a deportation ruling] issued against them. Relatives often must be telegraphed, telephoned, or written to, and a bond must be secured. Deaths also occur, and handling them takes much time. And so one could go on listing the many tasks that this work requires.

All immigrants with whom the missionary comes into contact are made aware of our congregations and directed to them; the pastors concerned are notified of the arrival of such immigrants. Many synod almanacs, tracts, and periodicals have been distributed. — The collections for this mission yielded the sum of $2500.05. But since this sum falls far short of covering the salaries of the missionaries in New York, Hamburg, and Bremen, a subsidy of $3148.54 had to be contributed from the synod treasury.

The Pilgrim House housed 11,037 guests, among whom were many immigrants. For while most immigrants are taken directly from Ellis Island to their destination, some do remain in New York for a short time, and for them the Pilgrim House serves as a welcome shelter. 2,095 poor persons received free meals and provisions. 963 persons were given free lodging for the night. The poor were assisted with cash in the amount of $1000.74. The house's total turnover amounted to $547,684.05. — The building itself required major repairs and improvements, partly because the house is old, and partly because the health authorities compelled us to do so. Such large expenditures will, we hope, be spared us for the coming years.

As a result of a new state law, difficulties have arisen for us in conducting our business. To go on carrying out our previous business, we would have to obtain a state license by depositing a bond of $15,000.00, or the equivalent amount in securities. In the process it emerged that, on the basis of our existing incorporation, we have no legal authority at all to conduct our previous business. We had to ask ourselves: should we discontinue our previous activity in this respect altogether, or should we have ourselves newly incorporated under a special charter? After careful consideration we have decided on the latter, since our fellow believers trustingly...