# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1914_S48
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

48 Proceedings of the twenty-fifth convention

As for public worship, this room is not at all inviting to strangers. The visitors must sit on the small school benches." Under such conditions our mission work in this promising place makes little progress. A chapel must be built in which school can also be held. A building lot would cost about 300 to 400 dollars, a simple chapel between 500 and 600 dollars.

St. Paul. Missionary: Ed. H. Schmidt. Teachers: Aaron Wiley, Wm. Seeberry, John Thompson (installed September 21, 1913), Sylvina Raymond. St. Paul is our most populous congregation. At present it numbers 395 souls, 173 communicant members and 26 voting members. 94 souls were added to the congregation in the two years reported. From Missionary Schmidt's report we take the following statements: "Without doubt more adults have been added to the congregation in the two years than ever before in a corresponding period [31]. The confirmation classes made up of children were not exceptionally large, to be sure, but still satisfactory. Our mission is situated in a Roman stronghold, and the Roman custom of confirming children at the tender age of nine years has evidently affected the size of our confirmation classes in recent years. Attendance at the services has risen somewhat and has climbed to an average of 165. Still, on the whole, the attendance ought to be better. Contributions have steadily increased, so that the congregation is at present in a good financial condition. The contributions amounted to $1339.35; of this 800 dollars were delivered to the mission treasury. The prospects for growth are good in general. That applies especially to the school. We hope that in the next two years we shall double our enrollment. Because of the growing school attendance we urgently need more room. Miss Sylvina Raymond, who since last fall has been in charge of the fourth grade, which had to be set up, is with her class in the sacristy. That can go on only one more year, however. The need could probably be best relieved by adding about 25 feet to the school. That would probably cost 1,700 dollars; but then we should have four roomy classrooms for many years. Our Lutheran Church is evidently gaining in favor with the people of the neighborhood. It happens not infrequently that strangers attend our services, and they always seem very pleased. A number come back almost regularly after the first visit. The mighty influence of Rome and the secret societies are a great hindrance. Yet it must be said that the Lutheran Church enjoys a very good reputation and is respected for its doctrine and practice."

Trinity Chapel. This branch of the St. Paul congregation is located in the northern part of the city on Elmira Street. There Missionary