# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1902_S70
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

70 Proceedings of the nineteenth convention

Pastor F. J. Lankenau, who serves the station St. Paul founded in 1880, will now also be relieved in the school by Teacher Wilde, who will take over the upper class. In the year 1882, thus 20 years ago, the first two children were confirmed at this station by Pastor Bakke, a boy and a girl. Of these first two confirmands it can be reported today, after 20 years, that they are still upright, faithful, zealous members of the congregation, and this year a daughter of that first girl confirmand was confirmed. The present number of souls is 225; of these 125 are communicants and 27 voting members. Teacher Heintzen, who has worked here since September 1900 with great skill and great cheerfulness, is in charge of the lower class. Church attendance is good: on Sunday morning on average 91, on Sunday evening 50 and during the week 36. The enrollment of the day school at the end of last year amounted to 175, that of the Sunday school to 136. The young people's society with its 30 members gives the missionary much joy, especially since these young people are very eager to serve in working in the interest of the mission.

The station Bethlehem in New Orleans, founded in the year 1887, has been served since 1895 by Missionary Koßmann. In the school Teacher Rischow has worked since 1888 with great blessing. Pastor Koßmann, who kept school for many years, will now be relieved by the school-teaching candidate Wolf from Addison. "Nothing special has occurred here in the last two years," writes the missionary. "Everything went its accustomed way." Since November 1900 the morning service on Sunday has also been introduced at this station, and with good success. Church attendance on Sunday morning averages 56, Sunday evening 54, at the weekday services 24. The day school is attended by 125, the Sunday school by 132 children.

The station Mansura, La., was founded four years ago by Pastor Lankenau and is already quite viable. Pastor Pretzsch, who worked here two years ago, could not endure the climate and accepted a call to the North. Student Stuckert then helped out, and later Pastor K. Kretzschmar from New Orleans had to help out, until in September 1901 Candidate Weinhold took over Mansura. Missionary Weinhold reports among other things as follows: "With the Negro Mission at Mansura matters stand well. True, the work has not gone forward as quickly as one might have expected at the beginning, and it goes forward slowly even now, because there has been a repeated change of missionaries. . . . But in spite of all 'prejudices,' in spite of all difficulties, in spite of the opposition of the Romanists the work goes forward. There is material enough for three or four more congregations, and if God's blessing, on which everything depends, remains with us as hitherto, Mansura will certainly one day have a flourishing Negro congregation to show.