# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1912_S26
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

26 Proceedings of the twenty-fourth convention

thankful for the gift of the pure Gospel. A former slave, Mrs. Helen Bransford, not only gave $100.00 to the mission treasury two years ago for the paying off of debt, but also, as a thank offering for the conversion of her only son, bequeathed by will her whole estate, amounting to several thousand dollars, to the Negro Mission. Another well-to-do Negro woman wants to follow her example. It would be advisable for our mission director to stay in Little Rock for a month, to determine whether it is now time for a missionary to be appointed.

2. Illinois.

Springfield, Holy Trinity. (Vacant.) Prof. O. C. A. Böcler of the seminary at Springfield has faithfully served the congregation in the biennium just past. It counts 40 souls, 28 communicants, 7 voting members (male members who are entitled to vote) and 22 Sunday school children. Two years ago there were 78 souls, 40 communicants and 12 voting members. Some have moved away from Springfield. Prof. Böcler testifies that the members attend the services diligently and strive for a Christian walk of life. The church is worth about $3000.00, the parsonage $600.00.

3. Louisiana.

a. New Orleans. According to the last census 116,000 Negroes live in this large city; of these only 16,000 belong to a visible church. We have there three congregations, each with a weekday school, Luther College and two schools recently called into being.
Mount Zion. (Missionary: Pastor Albert O. Friedrich.) This first and oldest mission of ours in New Orleans, which was begun in April of the year 1878 in the well-known and notorious Sailors' Home, counts 220 souls, 104 communicants and 21 voting members. The church, probably the finest in our southern field, is worth, with school and lot, about $10,000.00. In recent years the station had suffered many losses through frequent change of preachers and through long vacancies. During the last vacancy Pastor G. M. Kramer of the neighboring Bethlehem station again took faithful care of the congregation. For various reasons some were of the opinion that the congregation could and should be served continuously by Pastor Kramer with the help of the other workers. So Mission Director Bakke was commissioned to work for a time in Mount Zion in order to find out whether it would be advisable to appoint a missionary of its own again. He worked there about five months with great exertion. The LORD has visibly blessed his work. Church attendance has risen by about 40 percent; the number of communicants has increased; apostates have returned; collections and contributions have improved considerably. So, under the direction of the Commission, a pastor was again elected and called, and indeed by the congregation.