# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1911_S295
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 81 —

Report of the Commission for Heathen Mission.

Thank God, the progress of our mission work in India has been
quite gratifying over the past three years. On our four older
stations, the number of native Christians has somewhat more than
doubled: 127 instead of 59. In our southern field, to which we were
called four years ago by a small Christian congregation not connected
with any mission — where the work accordingly took a different shape
from the outset than in the still wholly heathen field taken up 17
years ago — we count 223 baptized Christians in 9 different places in
the vicinity of the city of Nagercoil; a considerable number of
catechumens are also currently under instruction there.

The training school for teacher-candidates begun by missionary
Kellerbauer at Barugur three years ago has not, it is true, had the
desired success of seeing the young men trained there as teachers,
suited to the circumstances, become Christians; but four of the five
candidates now serve as teachers in our schools, and, being trained by
us, are nevertheless far preferable to other heathen teachers.
Likewise the Christian teachers trained by our missionaries in
Nagercoil render good service, and it is especially gratifying that
they are able to give religious instruction as well in the schools
there, which are attended for the most part by Christian children.
In all our schools in both fields, over 900 pupils are now being made
acquainted with the truth that leads to salvation; by far the
majority of them are in our northern field. The total number of our
Christians is 350.

Three missionaries have meanwhile been added to those at work in
1908: G. Hübener, a brother of missionary A. Hübener, F. R. Zucker,
and G. Küchle. The first was sent out in 1909, the other two in the
course of last year. The two first named are currently in Nagercoil,
Küchle in Krishnagiri. It is much to be regretted that missionary
Forster, owing to his wife's continuing illness, has found himself
compelled to leave the mission service. A second loss threatens us
in that missionary Mohn, because of his child's serious illness and
his wife's poor health, had to travel to Europe on the urgent advice
of physicians. It is presently still uncertain whether he will be
able to return to India. Missionary Naumann had to be granted a
furlough in Europe; he will leave India this very month. Missionary
A. Hübener will return to India in the course of this year; he will
be present at the synodical convention. For missionary Forster, the
commission has found a replacement in candidate H. Stallmann, who
completed our theological seminary in St. Louis last year. He will
set out on the journey to India at about the time of the synodical
convention.

[Signature at the foot of the page: "6" — a printer's sheet signature, not a folio.]