# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1888_S39
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1888. 39

have broken down. Your Commission has therefore resolved to give him the colored student Berkhalter of Springfield as an assistant, especially for keeping school, and so that he may preach, at first about once a month, at the direction of Missionary Bakke. If he proves himself, he can later be examined and ordained.

If we wish to express the state of the Mount Zion Station in figures, it numbers 158 souls, among them 88 communicant members; the church attendance is from 31 to 150 persons; the Sunday school numbers 114, the weekday school 92 pupils. In addition 11 persons are in special instruction.

The St. Paul's Station. This station too has been served by Pastor Bakke since its founding in 1881. The actual founder of it was the late Teacher Karl Berg, who began here in January 1881 to keep school with 5 children. After some months the school was full and under his conscientious direction soon acquired a considerable reputation. He treated his pupils with kindness and love, and was heartily loved and honored by almost all who knew him. Through the children adults were drawn in as well, and so Missionary Bakke, with the help of Teacher Berg, succeeded in founding a station and a small congregation here. The missionary and his teacher worked faithfully and diligently, and God blessed their work. Soon the small congregation distinguished itself by a splendid state of knowledge and a serious Christian life. The old chapel at Claiborne and Annette Street had long been too small for church and school. We lacked the means to erect a new, larger building. Yet more than a year ago the necessity of a new building had become a certainty to us, which we had to think of in earnest.

Between Christmas and New Year Teacher Berg fell ill with severe pulmonary hemorrhage. His condition soon became a hopeless one. Missionary Bakke took over his school. But as the latter's health also became a cause for concern, the Commission turned to Springfield for help. On 9 March of this year the faithful, deserving Teacher Karl Berg fell asleep at the age of only 28 years, 7 months and 10 days. In him the mission has lost a faithful, capable, diligent worker. Student Lankenau of the Preachers' Seminary at Springfield, Ill., took over the school on 12 March until the vacation. In the meantime the Commission has succeeded in winning another teacher for the St. Paul's school in the person of the school-office candidate Mr. A. Scheffler of the seminary at Addison, who has already accepted our call and, God willing, will take up his office at the beginning of September.

By the purchase of a small piece of adjoining land for $230.00 our property for the St. Paul's Station has acquired a certain rounding-off