# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1911_S132
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

132 Proceedings of the 28th General or

But in another respect a great change has taken place in our Jewish Mission. The influx of hearers has risen higher than ever before. Despite all sorts of disturbances from hostile Jews, despite all sorts of warnings in public Jewish newspapers, despite the fact that material assistance formerly given is no longer provided, so many listeners came to the mission worship services that there was often no standing room left, so that many listeners had to be turned away for lack of space — indeed, the missionary repeatedly had to hold a second service after the close of worship for the crowd waiting outside. It is much to be regretted that hundreds of listeners could not gain admission to the mission preaching for lack of room. — In addition, many Jews came for private conversations or invited the missionary into their homes. Tracts and New Testaments were requested, read, and discussed with the missionary. In the Saturday and Sunday school, between 50 and 150 children were instructed in the saving truths year in and year out. At the last Christmas celebration, a larger hall was rented than ever before, and yet the gifts received for the Christmas celebration still yielded a surplus of $90.00 for the mission treasury. It is clearly a great thing that God brings so many souls from among the Jews within hearing of the Word. The leavening work of the Gospel cannot fail to occur here either. So that no false impression may arise, it should be expressly noted that, despite the great increase in the audience, lean times also occurred in the past three years, especially in summer.

In now compiling from the minutes a report of our missionary's activity from March 1, 1908, to March 1, 1911, we add in parentheses the corresponding figures from the General Synod's report of 1905, for comparison. In the mission, our missionary preached about 200 sermons, heard by nearly 10,000 (2326) persons. He also preached 18 (14) sermons in the interest of the Jewish Mission in congregations that invited him to do so. He held Saturday and Sunday school 225 times, attended by 16,120 (6614) children, and in addition held afternoon school 42 times, attended by 2650 (1934) children. The Wednesday evening Bible hours, which were only sparsely attended, were converted into conversations in Jewish homes, because more Jews came to these — namely 590 (100) Jews — and also spoke more freely. Catechumens were given 183 (186) hours of religious instruction in preparation for baptism. Of Jews who had questions to ask, 1320 (1336) were received at the mission hall and 485 (226) at the missionary's residence. 1532 families (1748) were visited by the missionary. Distributed were 4770 (3545) tracts, 730 (306) New Testaments, and 46 (20) Bibles. Among these are figures that have doubled