# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1896_S49
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*] of North America. 1896. 49

now to $1300. Our mission papers, of which the "Miſſions⸗Taube" [Mission Dove] was read in 16,192 copies and the "Pioneer" in 4071 copies, brought in a net profit in the two years: the "Mission Dove" $2018.26, the "Pioneer" $181.74, together $2200.

The saddest thing the Commission has to report this time to the Reverend Synodical Conference is the apostasy of the former missionary Herm. Meyer. Two years ago he was transferred from North Carolina to Springfield, Ill. But after a brief and not particularly blessed ministry there he fell ill and came to St. Louis. After his recovery the Commission, and he himself as well, held that it was not advisable for him to go back to Springfield, and he was therefore sent again to North Carolina, where Salisbury and the surrounding area was his field of work. At the beginning of May of this year, while most of the members of the Commission were at the Delegate Synod in Fort Wayne, Director Burgdorf in St. Louis received a letter of resignation from Mr. Meyer and two telegrams from the missionaries Bakke and Schmidt, to the effect that Missionary Meyer had gone over to the Baptists and that all their attempts to convince him of the error of his way had been in vain. Director Burgdorf telegraphed back at once that Missionary Meyer was to hand over all stations immediately to Missionary Bakke. At the next meeting of the Commission, on 22 May, Meyer's resignation was then accepted with great sorrow and his salary paid to him up to that day.

Let us now turn to the individual stations. The property of the station Carrollton in New Orleans, abandoned already two years ago, was recently sold for $340. When we bought this property eleven years ago, the Mississippi River was ten blocks away from it, but now only three blocks, because the river here washes away more and more land. Under these circumstances we had to be glad to be able to sell the property at the price stated.

Our formerly oldest station, Little Rock, Ark., we have now also had to give up, as was already feared two years ago, since it kept going further backward. The Commission also satisfied itself through one of its members on the spot that the few members who still held faithfully to us could be provided for otherwise. Under these circumstances, and since our missionary there had also lost all joy in continuing his work, it seemed to us, given the distress of our treasury, advisable to discontinue the station. The missionary thereupon accepted a call to a white congregation, the school benches were sent to Concord, N. C., and Mr. Geo. Reichardt in Little Rock was asked to sell the mission property as soon as possible. Pastor Bäpler of the German congregation in Little Rock reports that the Negroes who have remained faithful come to his church if he holds English