# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1888_S41
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1888. 41

1887 the missionaries issued a renewed appeal in the "Missionstaube" [Mission Dove] under the heading: "When shall the new station be begun?" In it they again emphasized the urgency of such a station. A member of the Commission had to add this reply beneath it: "With sorrow we add to the foregoing heartfelt appeal that unfortunately almost nothing at all has come in for it so far."

But these apparent failures could not hinder the Lord's work. God put into our dear missionaries' hearts such love and faithfulness, such zeal and self-denial, that they found ways and means to begin the new station not at one but even at two places. Pastor Bakke wrote on 21 March 1887: "A family known to me has put a room in its house at my disposal; here I have been preaching every Sunday afternoon since the beginning of February. . . . Recently Pastor Burgdorf also opened his new station in the fourth district. A family known to us has permitted him to hold services for the time being in their house. . . . By God's help we are minded to hold and further the work begun at the new stations under all circumstances."

The Commission was at a loss what to do, and therefore turned to the Rev. Delegate Synod of Missouri, meeting in May 1887 at Fort Wayne, with the request to transfer to us from its "Heidenmissionskasse" [Heathen Mission Fund] $4000.00 for the establishment of the new station in New Orleans, which request was granted to our great joy.

After careful survey it was ascertained that at least the third part of the Negroes in the new mission territory, very heavily populated by Negroes, were still wholly without church. We also succeeded in buying a fine, suitable building lot at the corner of Washington and Dryades Street (52 × 125 feet) for $1600. A chapel, intended to serve church and school purposes at once, was let by contract for $1400 (without interior furnishing) and was already solemnly dedicated on the 2nd Sunday after Easter. The main building measures 28 × 52 feet and is adorned with a tower in which hangs a bell of 360 pounds' weight, a gift of the well-known bell firm H. Stuckstede & Co. in St. Louis. In addition the building has a vestibule (6 × 8 feet) and a confirmation-class room (14 × 18 feet). The chapel offers sufficient room for 100 children and 175 adults, and has an organ and gas installation. The school opened here by Missionary Burgdorf already numbers over 100 pupils. The school-office candidate Mr. Ed. Rischow of the seminary at Addison, who has accepted the call of the Commission, will, God willing, take over the school on 1 September. 47 persons attended the service here. Before we take leave of New Orleans, we want to state the standing of our mission there, as far as this can be done by figures. The three congregations, Mount Zion, Saint