# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1884_S83
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1884. 81

a visitation conducted by the chairman of Your Commission, not only were these statements of the missionary confirmed, but it also turned out that at the beginning of the mission our missionary had been deceived by the Negroes living there. For while the Negroes assured him that they were without church provision, it now came to light that they almost all already belonged to a Baptist congregation, which is served from time to time by a Baptist preacher. The Commission now thought already of giving up the mission in this region altogether. But our missionary had for months already preached occasionally in Meherrin, situated 5 miles south of Green Bay, whence also came most of the children who latterly still attended the school in Green Bay. Since now a number of Negroes at Meherrin, who really are without church provision, asked urgently for the preaching of the Word of God, Your Commission believed it could not take the responsibility if it withdrew the missionary from that region. It therefore commissioned the missionary, in September of last year, to preach in Meherrin until further notice and to keep school. This took place at first in a private house. In October the mission building in Green Bay was then taken down by the Negroes in Meherrin and moved to Meherrin, men, women and young women gladly lending a hand. The missionary wrote under 12 February of this year: "I may say to God's praise that my work in Meherrin is not in vain and promises, at any rate, a harvest, if not a quick and rich one." According to the missionary's report for the period from December 1883 to February 1884, an average of 30 persons attended the service on Sundays and 40 children the congregation school. In the catechism instruction there were 29 persons, partly children, partly adults; 12 children were brought to baptism. The station counts 4 communicants. The missionary's work is very burdensome, since he still lives in Green Bay and has to make the way to Meherrin and back daily on foot. The missionary asked the Commission, chiefly on account of his failing health, to release him from the mission service, if the Commission were in a position to obtain a younger, more vigorous man in his place. As the latter is not the case, the missionary has been asked to continue working for the present, to which he has also declared himself gladly ready.

4. General Matters.

Since its last report the Commission has held 21 meetings, the proceedings of which are exactly minuted. The stations of New Orleans and Green Bay, resp. Meherrin, were visited.

The Commission considered it necessary to have itself legally incorporated, in order to be able itself to administer the property belonging to the mission, which has now become fairly valuable. The legal transfer of the