# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1906_S46
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

46 Proceedings of the twenty-first convention

who say: Why continue the Negro Mission any longer? We have already carried on this work for 29 years, accomplished little and spent much, much money, so let us now blow the signal for retreat! — even if a few speak thus, among our brave and valiant Christians everywhere in the Synodical Conference [*Synodalkonferenz*] it is nevertheless said: "We do not have that signal!"

Another difficulty (?) — so one often hears it said — is the raising of the great sums of money needed to carry on, maintain and extend the Negro Mission. To this we would say: It is true, the budget of the Negro Mission is large and costly; but this too is true, the many Christians of the Synodical Conference of North America are well able to meet the costs of this budget. Experience of the last two years has taught us this anew. The work of the Negro Mission has also been generously supported in the last two years, as the treasurer's report clearly shows us. "Keep it before the people!" — so it is here too in the Negro Mission; that is, every time the need and the wants of our mission were laid before our Christian people, the necessary help has also come, and on this occasion we cannot leave unexpressed our hearty thanks, which we owe, next to God, to the Lutheran Christians for their great willingness to sacrifice and for the special warmth with which, by their active support, they have stood up for the black strangers and guests, some of whom have sunk deep. This generous support from our dear Christians up to now shall be to us a pledge that future support, too, will not fail.

When we read through the treasurer's report carefully and compare receipts and expenditures with one another, it is evident that for the maintenance and for the extension of the Negro Mission we cannot do without the love of our Christians. This sacrificial love was counted upon from the outset, at the founding of the Negro Mission, and, thank God, not in vain, as the experience of the last 29 years has taught. From the treasurer's report the dear Christians see further what a rich measure of work opens up to us, and what a wide and glorious opportunity is offered to Christians to lend a helping hand in the future as well.

It is true, the last two years have demanded especially large money sacrifices. The present treasurer's report informs us that some debts have been incurred. We should indeed have preferred to be able to submit a treasurer's report without debts. But even these debts shall not frighten us; this "difficulty" (?) too can easily be overcome. Let us consider well: much, much greater than these money debts are our debts of love toward God, who in the Negro Mission has laid so much misery at our feet that we ought to prove our thanks to him. In this respect, to be sure, some of our dear Christians are in arrears