# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1908_S54
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

54 Proceedings of the twenty-second convention

keep. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth workers! c. We lack money. To carry on our mission we need $1720.00 monthly. In addition, we are deep in debt, deeper than ever before at the time of presenting the treasurer's report. Already at the last convention of the Synodical Conference the mission treasury had a deficit of $3881.79. This has now risen to $9152.13. But it is very hard to borrow money for the Negro Mission, and it is altogether oppressive to continue the work under such a burden of debt. We ought earnestly to set about paying off this debt.

4. With regard to our institutions, various problems confront us: determination of the actual purpose and character of each of them, conditions of admission into them, support of poor pupils, contributions to the household fund, and other matters — whose solution ought to be sought at once. Your Commission therefore recommends that the Commission for the Negro Mission be given the charge to draw up a regulation to this end (say with the participation of our missionaries and other experienced men) and to lay this before the next convention of the Synodical Conference.

5. Your Commission is of the conviction that, in the present state of the Negro Mission — setting other things aside — two theological institutions are too many. Since we now have the required facilities in Greensboro, your Commission recommends that our colored preachers be trained only in Greensboro, but that in Luther College at New Orleans the preparatory and teachers' course be retained.

6. The number of readers of our two mission papers is as follows: the "Missionstaube" [The Mission Dove] has 22,800 subscribers, the *Lutheran Pioneer* 5000. The "Missionstaube" yielded during the last two years a net profit of $5100.72, the *Pioneer* one of $578.74, together $5679.46. Both papers ought to have, in the wide circle of our congregations, among the large number of our communicants, four times as many readers as they have. All friends of missions are asked to take the circulation of these papers to heart. — Prof. Bischoff has again served the mission with blessing during the last two years by his excellent editing of the *Lutheran Pioneer*. — Prof. Herzer has again helped out our mission in Springfield, Ill., kindly.

7. The faithful friend of our Negro Mission, Mr. "Unknown" ("Unbekannt"), has again each year paid his welcome visit to Mr. Treasurer Burgdorf and handed him both times $500.00 for the Negro Mission.

8. Visitations have been held: by Pastor Obermeyer in North Carolina, Springfield, Ill., Little Rock, Ark., and St. Louis, Mo.; by Pastor R. Kretzschmar in New Orleans, Mansura and Napoleonville, La.