# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1894_S62
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

62 Proceedings of the fifteenth convention

of this land, to begin and carry on." (Report, p. 45.) And already in the next year the undersigned was able to present the first report on the mission among the Negroes already begun; for as early as 16 October 1877 the first missionary had been installed in his office as missionary to the Negroes by Pastor J. F. Bünger, now long since fallen blessedly asleep, with the assistance of the undersigned.

Since that time this mission work, now nearly 17 years, has had a course, if only a slow one, yet blessed according to the Lord's promise. This time also, for the last two years, we have no great mass conversions to report, but there is a great blessing, not to be mistaken, in the inner growth of the congregations in knowledge and in Christian conduct; and how many a soul has, as far as human eyes can see, through our poor service been able to enter into everlasting life in saving faith, which otherwise would probably have been lost forever in ignorance and unbelief.

With heartfelt thanks to God we can also report that our mission workers during the last two years, with few exceptions, have been able to attend to their office in good health. Only Missionary Burgdorf of New Orleans became ailing in recent times and needed a rest. According to news recently received, unfortunately no improvement in his condition has yet set in. Among the members of your Commission, who were re-elected two years ago for the next four years by the venerable Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*], Professor F. Pieper has since last November been unable to attend the meetings of the Commission because of illness, but he is now, thank God, on the road to recovery.

In carrying out the mission work we had to struggle especially with a twofold lack, which stood very hindering in the way of the mission's prosperity; this was the lack of workers and of the necessary means. Again and again we have had to call missionaries, and especially workers for our schools, without success. Some teaching positions are still vacant, because it was absolutely impossible to get people for them. This evil was increased still further by the fact that our mission workers were so often sent calls from our white congregations. On our mission field there work 9 missionaries, 4 teachers and one woman teacher. We have 10 churches, 4 school buildings, a parsonage and a cemetery. The soul count of our congregations is 1100, of whom 541 are communicant members. The average number of church attenders is about 800, but is often considerably more. In the Sunday schools there are over 1000 and in the weekday schools over 700 pupils, it being noted that weekday schools could not yet be set up at all stations. Two Negro young men, Burthlong and McDavid, who through our mission schools in New Orleans