# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1902_S57
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America. 1902. 57

Business Proceedings.

I. Negro Mission.

The report of the Commission for the *Negermiſſion* [mission among African Americans; the period's term "Negro Mission"] was read and adopted. It reads as follows:

Report of the Commission for the Negro Mission for the period from August 1900 to July 1902.

"The works of the Lord are great; sought out of all them that have pleasure therein," so David once exclaimed (Ps. 111:2), when he recalled the great deeds of God. "The works of the Lord are great": this is true of all the works of the Lord; it is true also of the work of the Lord which we now wish to look at together, to discuss, to glory in and to praise. It is the important and blessed work of the spreading of the kingdom of God among the poor and, for the most part, despised Negroes of our country, a work which was begun in the year 1877, thus 25 years ago.

Our Negro Mission, on whose progress and condition we today render the biennial report that is due to the Honorable Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*], is certainly a work of God, indeed a wonder-work of the wisdom and grace of God.

This work of God shall and must be carried on, and indeed with joy and zeal, for the Negro Mission too belongs to those works of God of which it is said: "Sought out of all them that have pleasure therein." It is God's earnest will that not merely individual men or individual peoples, but all, without respect of persons, be saved. God's Word explains to us clearly and plainly that God's grace is a universal one and extends over all men. God has therefore expressly commanded us that we are to preach the Gospel not only to our own people, but to all nations, namely with the word: "Go ye and teach all nations." Among these "all nations," among whom mission work is to be done, there certainly belong also the poor, in part still heathen, ignorant Negroes of this country. Yes, toward them in particular we have quite a special obligation; for it was our whites, so-called Christians, whose greed brought this Negro people into this country. God has doubtless permitted this to happen so that they might here come under the sound of the Gospel. When, therefore, the Lord Jesus, the good shepherd, says: "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring" etc., then among these other sheep, whom the good shepherd must bring, there certainly belong also the poor Negroes of our country.