# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1916_S80
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

80 Proceedings of the twenty-sixth convention

opened in August 1914, has been temporarily given up, because Missionary Hill in Yonkers and Brooklyn already has more than enough work. The most mission stations are in Louisiana and North Carolina, namely 11 in Louisiana and 25 in North Carolina.

When we were assembled two years ago at Milwaukee, the watchword was: For the time being we will not extend our field of work further, but first build up the newly opened stations properly. We were led to this by the debt in the mission treasury, the plan to erect ten new chapels, and the outbreak of the World War. But the all-wise and gracious God did not want any standstill. Unexpectedly and wonderfully he opened for us last late autumn a great door in the State of Alabama. It came about like this: At the end of October 1915 the chairman of the commission received from a certain Rosa J. Young of Neenah, Wilcox Co., Ala., a lengthy letter, in which she reported that some years ago, with the help of the whites and the colored in that neighborhood, she had founded a private school for Negro children; about 150 children had attended the school, but because of the bad times it had become necessary to dismiss two women teachers; she herself hardly received enough tuition now to keep body and soul together; the school would probably soon have to be closed altogether. In moving words she described the great spiritual need of the Negroes in that neighborhood, asked for help and offered to transfer the entire property — the school and the unfinished chapel together with five acres of land — to us legally, if we would instruct the children in secular knowledge and in the Lutheran faith. The chairman sent this letter to the Mission Director for investigation of the matter. When the latter, shortly before Christmas, was traveling home from the southeastern mission field, he called at Neenah and investigated the situation. When the commission at an extra meeting on January 3 heard his report, it recognized at once that God was calling us to this new region in the "Black Belt," and urgently asked the Mission Director to travel again to Neenah as soon as possible. The colored worker Lane in St. Louis was instructed to travel with him, and Miss Young was called as teacher. After the trustees had legally transferred the property to us, we had the school repaired, the chapel completed and the whole painted. God laid his blessing on the work of our three workers. The number of pupils once exceeded 150. On Palm Sunday, April 16, 11 persons were baptized, and 49 adults and 21 children confirmed. On Easter Sunday 5 infants and 42 children between the ages of six and eleven were baptized. After this service the Christ Church at Rosebud was organized. A congregational constitution was adopted, and Missionary Lane was called as pastor. The congregation numbered on the day of its founding 22 voting members, 70 communicant members and 117 baptized souls. On July 2 Missionary Lane baptized 14 children together with 3 men and con-