# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1888_S44
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

44 Proceedings of the twelfth convention

yield to the repeated requests of the Negroes, especially as they assured him that in the meantime they had sought in vain to find, in any of the existing churches, a doctrine by which they could become so certain of their salvation and which was as clear and convincing as that in that Sunday school. In God's name, therefore, Prof. Wyneken began in November 1886 first a Sunday school and in January 1887 also preaching for Negroes in the assembly hall of Concordia Seminary. In February 1887 he rented a house in which a weekday school for Negro children was kept by students. Several students lent their professor kind help in this mission work, as is reported in more detail in the "Missionstaube" [Mission Dove]. Toward the end of last year, when, as far as men could see, the continuance of this mission seemed secured, the Commission took it over at the wish of Prof. Wyneken, but on the condition that the latter should further retain supervision and direction until it should be possible to station a missionary here also. Already in the month of March 6 adults were confirmed and constituted themselves a Lutheran congregation with 12 souls and 6 communicant members. The services were attended on average by 22 adults, at times also by more than double that number. 26 were baptized; the Sunday school had 80, the weekday school 31 pupils. In special instruction at the end of June there were still 11, and the small congregation numbered 19 souls. Since for the further successful prosecution of this mission the procuring of a suitably located mission property is absolutely necessary, and a suitable building lot was to be had for $900.00, the Commission bought it. The Negroes promised to pay off the sum gradually; but according to the experience gained so far with the Negroes we can count on it little. The Commission undertook to pay the rent for the house used for school purposes ($10.00 monthly) and a gratuity for the student serving as teacher. Since we could no longer expect of Prof. Wyneken the exhausting mission work alongside his office at the institution, the student Mr. H. Knabenschuh of the preachers' seminary at Springfield was, in consideration of the Negroes' requests, called as missionary of the Negro mission there, for which work he had shown great love and skill.

Then a heavy visitation of God struck our seminary at Springfield and at the same time our Negro mission there. Student Knabenschuh visited a Negro boy sick with nervous fever [*Nervenfieber*, i.e., typhoid]. Six weeks later he himself fell ill with this disease, but lay not in the seminary but in the Negro school. Some students from the seminary visited and nursed him. Later the disease broke out in the seminary to such a degree that the institution had to be closed and several students died. The Negroes who attended the services now and then