# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1896_S52
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

52 Proceedings of the sixteenth convention

The weekday school numbers 150 pupils and the Sunday school just as many. Pastor Koßmann wrote on 30 June: "Since my arrival here, that is, since November 1895, this station has raised $421.04, plus a cash balance of $89.22, makes $510.26."

Before we leave New Orleans we want to remark that our mission property there is in good condition; all three stations have spacious and new churches and schools. The payment for the Zion church, still under construction, will admittedly cause the Commission further worry.

Let us now turn to our mission field in

North Carolina.

1. Concord. The station here was founded in 1891 by Missionary N. J. Bakke, who still serves it. The mission property lies on a main street of the city and is 75 by 160 feet in size. On it stands a church of 28 by 50 feet, which has room for about 300 hearers. At times every seat is taken; the average attendance, however, would hardly exceed 100. Next to the church stands a two-story school building, built by the children of the Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*] and solemnly dedicated in May 1895, at which Professor Dau of Conover preached the dedication sermon. It has room for 160 children. 115 pupils attended the school in the course of this year. The teacher at the school is Mr. E. F. Rolf. The Sunday school numbers 140 children and adults. The congregation consists of 138 souls, among them 74 communicant members. The property of the station is estimated at $3500.

2. Rimertown. This station is eight miles from Concord and is served by Missionary Bakke. It numbers 52 souls, 31 communicants. On an acre of land stands a little church which has room for 150 persons. The value of this property is $400. In good weather the services are attended by 50 to 60 hearers, mostly adults.

3. Mount Pleasant, a small town of 400 inhabitants, nine miles from Concord, a preaching place of Pastor Bakke. Until last winter the services, attended by an average of 40 persons, were held in a public schoolhouse; then the use of this school was denied us, and the services are now held outside the town in a wretched Negro hut, a so-called cotton house, which can also be taken from us as soon as it is needed for something else. A congregation is coming into being here. An indispensable requirement for the continued existence of this station would be a little church that also serves for school purposes. Such a building, together with the necessary lot in the town, could be provided for about $500, a little outside the town perhaps for half. The former would be more advantageous for the prosperity of the mission.