# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1888_S42
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

42 Proceedings of the twelfth convention

Paul's and St. Trinity, together number 240 souls, among them 138 communicant members. Including the new station Bethlehem we count in New Orleans 315 churchgoers, 479 Sunday school and 396 weekday school pupils. 26 are in special instruction. Thus in our mission schools and churches in New Orleans there are 1216 souls under the sound of the Word of God.

III. Meherrin, Lunenburg Co., Virginia.

Since the Rev. Synodical Conference had resolved in 1886 to discontinue this station, the student Hörnecke, who was serving there as vicar, was recalled and Pastor Oehlschläger of Richmond, Va., was asked to inform the mission congregation at Meherrin of the resolution of the Synodical Conference and to propose to the members that they emigrate to New Orleans or Little Rock and join our congregations there, for which we were willing to help. The resolution plunged the good people into great grief and wrung tears from several of them. Yet some declared themselves ready to emigrate for the gospel's sake, while others assured us that for the sake of their families this was quite impossible for them. All much preferred to stay and put to the Commission, through Pastor Oehlschläger, the question: whether a missionary could not perhaps be given them again after a year, if they stayed together until then and would then try to help contribute themselves to the support of the missionary. They also assured us that the prospects for building up the mission were now more favorable than before, which Pastor Oehlschläger also confirmed. With weeping and sobbing they let Student Hörnecke go, at once arranged reading services [*Leſegottesdienſte*] and chose a young Negro from among themselves to read them a sermon every Sunday from Luther's House Postil [*Hauspoſtille*].

For a long time we heard nothing more of them, until in the spring of 1887 they put, through Pastor Oehlschläger, the renewed request to give them a missionary, since emigration, despite the prospect that they would find remunerative employment in Little Rock, had proved impracticable. In mid-June another letter arrived from the owner of the land on which the mission building stands, with the heartfelt, urgent request for a missionary. Pastor Oehlschläger, who at our request had visited the congregation again soon afterwards to consult with them what might be done, now joined them in the request for the speedy sending of a missionary. After that came the news that strife had broken out in the small congregation and the early arrival of a missionary was all the more necessary. In January of this year Pastor Oehlschläger, at the request of the mission congregation at Meherrin, traveled there once more and preached before a numerous audience