# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1879_S33
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 33 —

sible, but this help was not sufficient. Now Missionary Döscher, during his activity in Baltimore, had convinced a black, very well educated Presbyterian preacher, Rev. Polk, of the correctness of the Evangelical Lutheran doctrine, and had moved him to leave his former church, which he now recognized as a false one. This man now wished to enter the service of our church as a missionary and was instructed by our brethren in Baltimore. Missionary Döscher's proposal was at first to hand over to him the mission school in Baltimore. But since your Commission objected to this, and the missionary now also very urgently needed help in New Orleans, he requested the Commission to give him Mr. Polk as assistant. This too your Commission had to refuse, after mature reflection and after obtaining the counsel of the advisory mission committee in Baltimore; for although Rev. Polk brought testimonials that he had received a theological education and had been ordained pastor of the Presbyterian church, he could nevertheless not yet be sufficiently instructed in the doctrine of our church. Finally your Commission was also not convinced that in respect of his moral conduct everything was in order, and whether he was really held captive in his conscience and was not perhaps seeking outward advantages with us. The advisory committee in Baltimore then solved the difficulties in this matter by raising the necessary travel money for Polk and his child (he is a widower) and leaving it to him to travel to New Orleans on his own responsibility. So Rev. Polk came to New Orleans, where he was readily received by Missionary Döscher, employed under his supervision in keeping school, and meanwhile instructed in doctrine. Missionary Döscher offered to pay the assistant Polk himself, for which he was put in a position by the support coming to him from the pastorless St. John's congregation, which he also served. Your Commission believed it could not refuse this, but assigned Miss Döscher a monthly salary of $20.00 for her services in the school. Mr. Polk has, thank God! proved himself a serious, zealous and very useful man. The Visitor of the Southern states, Pastor Köstering, who examined him in the month of May of this year in the presence of Pastors Döscher and Friedrich at Pastor Döscher's urgent request, gives him the testimony that he answered all questions very well and clearly, although in a sermon that he heard from him he did not teach quite correctly. Therefore your Commission has now ventured, in God's name, to appoint him as teacher in our mission school with a monthly salary of $50.00. To appoint him as missionary, as Pastor Döscher had long since wished, the Commission did not believe it was authorized to do, but had to leave it to the Honorable Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*] itself.

"Another mulatto, named Lewis, a man of about 28