# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1920_S27
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1920. 27

The room is now becoming too small. A hall is not to be rented. A small chapel has become a necessity. Until now Winston-Salem, High Point, Elon College and Greensboro were served by one missionary. Now the first two stations named are to get a missionary of their own. In this way better work will also be possible in Greensboro.

The largest congregation in the Carolinas we find in Concord. The beginning was made there in 1891. The little group which Pastor David Koonts had gathered formed the nucleus. Last autumn a daughter congregation was called into life in the suburb of Shankletown. As a result Grace congregation in Concord lost 35 souls. It now still numbers 231 souls and 123 communicants. These contributed $1185 last year for church purposes. On average, then, each confirmed member gave $10. Grace stands in the front rank in this respect. In general there is a fine life in the congregation. The conduct of the members must have made a good impression on the whites, for a prominent businessman once said to the undersigned: “If all the Negroes would be like the Lutheran Negroes, they would be all right.” The congregation is still served by Prof. Schwehn in Greensboro (72 miles away). He also serves the congregation at Drys Schoolhouse and Shankletown and is, besides, visitor of the whole southeastern territory. — Figures: At the end of 1915 the mission in North Carolina counted 543 communicants and 1088 baptized members, at the end of 1919, on the other hand, 620 communicants and 1148 baptized members. The exodus to the North is strong.

The Alabama Field.

To this mission field God led our Negro Mission at the close of the year 1915 through Teacher Rosa Young. Four years ago work had already been begun at three places (Rosebud, Oak Hill and Vredenburgh). To these there have now been added the following nine stations: Buena Vista, Tinela, Midway, Possum Bend, Nyland, Taite, Ingomar, Tilden, Joffre. All stations are located in the country. But since some of our members have also moved to cities, we have already taken steps to serve our people churchwise also in the cities of Selma, Birmingham and Mobile. In the short time since our mission has been in Alabama, the LORD of the harvest has let us gather many dearly bought souls into his kingdom. At present the territory counts 378 communicants and 697 baptized members. The 11 schools were attended last winter by about 900 Negro children. These hundreds of black children learned there the saving truth that JESUS is their dear Savior. — For the Alabama field our workers request a high school at which teachers for this field can be trained. The reasons for this will best be heard from the mouth of their representative.