# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1910_S31
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1910. 31

a school for their children. Because of the great distance
Pastor Kramer could indeed make the trip only a few times. The number of hearers rose
to 25 adults. Student Berger of Luther College kept school for several
months, which numbered 24 pupils. The field seems to be
a promising one, since many Negroes live all around, who, however, have
either no spiritual ministration or only a wretched one. Moreover there are
already some of our people in Memphis, Tenn., who can occasionally be served from
Merigold. For this reason the Commission decided to place a missionary at Merigold. A white man
is not wanted there, so the Commission called Candidate
Calvin Thompson, who finished his studies at Luther College in June,
for this field. He was ordained on 17 June of this year by
Pastor A. Witt in St. Paul's Church and has now for some
weeks begun his work at Merigold. May the Lord let
this little mustard seed in Mississippi grow into a tree with many branches!

5. Missouri.

St. Louis, Grace Church. (Missionary: Negro pastor James H.
Doswell.) A little more than two years ago, after careful
consideration of all circumstances, it seemed advisable to give up this mission, since it
seemed, in spite of much effort and expense, to be without result. But a
number of Lutheran Negroes remained faithful and did not let themselves be discouraged.
They assembled regularly in a private house and were edified
by God's Word. They also asked repeatedly for preaching and
school. This request could the less be refused as
about 40,000 Negroes live in St. Louis, among whom we surely
ought to sow the seed of the Word of God. The Commission
resolved to reopen this station and to have it served by Missionary
Doswell from Springfield, in the hope that a
colored missionary would find more entrance among the Negroes here
than a white one. On 30 May of last year Pastor
Doswell began his work in St. Louis and in the autumn moved entirely
here, in order to keep school, since in Springfield no school would get
under way. The services are attended by 15 to 20 adults;
on special occasions 40 and more appear. The congregation numbers 14 souls, 4 communicants and
1 voting member. The weekday school has 32, the Sunday school
30 children.

6. New York.

Twelve or thirteen years ago a good Lutheran woman, rich in knowledge, from our mission at Meherrin, Va., came to our Pastor A.
Holthusen in New York and asked for spiritual care. This
was also granted her. Soon more of our
colored Lutherans followed from Meherrin, since they found good earnings in Yonkers and in nearby New
York. About eleven years ago Holthusen's successor, Pastor A. v. Schlichten, was asked to