# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1911_S113
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

13th Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1911. 113

...but even the boldest surely would not have dared to hope for such success as now lies before our eyes.

When we began our mission in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, there were, in about 30 larger colonies, united pastors from Germany who had joined together into the "Evangelical Riograndenser Synod"; in numerous other colonies there were so-called pseudo-pastors (tramps in a pastor's coat), or the inhabitants had no church care at all. Our missionaries were at first met with great distrust. People saw in them North American political agents, sectarians, exploiters of the people. Opponents and enemies arose against them on every side. Nevertheless, our mission work there has made good progress. Right from the first years, one door after another opened to us. Now our pastors and our work are met everywhere with respect. We now have there 11 congregations belonging to the synod and 37 not belonging to the synod, 13 preaching stations, 12,425 souls, 6,038 communicant members, and 1,753 voting members. Especially gratifying in this mission is that, from the beginning, pastors and congregations have been mindful of Christian schools. At present we have 40 schools there with 1,450 schoolchildren. 20 pastors are at work there. There are probably few mission works in our Synod that could show greater successes in so short a time. We could have a significantly larger number of congregations still, if we had not been so short of pastors. We have not yet, in any single year, obtained the desired number of workers. Large congregations have been lost to us because they issued calls for years in vain; whole districts have fallen into the hands of false prophets because we could not fill them.

Thank God, at present 5 candidates are on their way to help relieve the urgent need, three of whom are to be assigned to Brazil. A good number of students at St. Louis and Springfield stand ready to go there once calls are given them. The prospects for the future are the most favorable.

For five years now, having been called there, we have also taken up the work in Argentina. And when we survey the results of this five years' work, we must praise the undeserved grace of God, who has here too opened one door after another for us and given us one victory after another. We presently have eight organized congregations there, two preaching stations, and a city mission in the capital, Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, only a single pastor now stands in this large, promising territory — O. W. C. Böttcher, a stout-hearted young man, a capable missionary, and an untiring worker. At his side stands a zealous teacher. Pastor A. Heine, who was stationed in Buenos Aires, has followed an urgent call to Brazil, and Pastor W. Preusser, who was able to work among his congregations under God's rich blessing for only a few months, has...

[Signature at the foot of the page: "8" — a printer's sheet signature, not a folio.]