# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1914_S82
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

82 Proceedings of the 29th General or

Seamen's Mission in Philadelphia, Pa.

At a meeting of all the Emigrant Mission commissions held in Philadelphia on December 4, 1911, the Reverend General President proposed a seamen's mission. He stated that he considered it highly desirable for seamen's mission work to be carried on in all the port cities of our country. Pastor Winter thereupon reported that he had already occasionally begun this mission work among Lutheran seamen of German and Scandinavian tongue. On the recommendation of the Reverend General President, the local Commission also officially took up this mission and charged the emigrant missionary with devoting as much of his time to it as his emigrant-mission work would allow. This Pastor Winter has indeed done. The customs and harbor officials granted him permission to visit the ships at any time to carry out mission work among the ships' crews. So this work, too, is now in full operation here.

The missionary systematically used the time between the emigrant steamers for this work. In 1912, 5,659 ships called at this port. Of these, the missionary visited 232 — 105 steamers and 127 sailing ships. The object of the mission work were 1,177 seamen, and not only those of the Lutheran faith and confession, but also those of other faiths and unbelievers. The seamen whom the missionary served belonged to 43 nationalities. All received New Testaments in their own language; likewise the *Lutheraner* and the *Stadtmissionar* [City Missionary — the Synod's German-language periodicals] were distributed among them.

In 1912, 29 shipboard worship services were held with a total attendance of 230. One service was held with 8 Mohammedan Arabs. The missionary received 26 seamen in his home, and he visited 29 sick men in the hospitals. The missionary was able to reunite one sailor who had been given up as lost with his family, and to minister to 4 shipwreck survivors.

In 1913 the missionary visited 366 steamers and sailing ships. The object of his mission work were 2,579 officers and crew members. He held 99 shipboard worship services. The number of hearers came to 868. 31 nationalities were represented at the services. 64 seamen sought out the missionary at his home, and 73 sick men received pastoral care from him in the city's hospitals. 2,212 New Testaments were distributed among seamen.

Report of the Treasurer of the Emigrant Mission at Philadelphia, Pa., from July 1, 1911, to December 31, 1913.

1911.                              Income.

July 14.   From P. A. H. Winter, Commission ............... $20.88
July 31.   From the widow N. N., North Dakota ..............  1.00
Aug. 9.    From N. N., Pittsburgh, Pa. .......................  1.00
Aug. 9.    From P. A. H. Winter, Commission ................ 19.60