# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1922_S31
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1922. 31

had been begun. When this member had finished his sermon in the visitation service, the colored listeners called out to him: "Keep on! Keep right on!" [Printed in English.] Such a thing he had never heard in his white congregation in St. Louis. He preached a second sermon. When that was over, they called again: "Preach on! If you can stand it, we can, too." So he had to preach a third time. — The collection is taken up in most of our Negro congregations somewhat differently from our white congregations. An usher steps to the front and puts the collection plate on a small table. A hymn is sung. During the singing the people come forward and lay in their gifts. If necessary, the usher gives them small change. — The celebration of Communion goes quietly. With decency and reverence the guests approach the Lord's table. White Lutherans in the South who happen to attend a service in the Negro Mission express their astonishment at the nice behavior of our people. Thus a visitor in New Orleans said recently: "The Negroes in the mission are just as quiet and well-behaved as our German congregations that I have seen here."

Fruits of the Word.

In the Negro Mission also the Word of our God proves its wonder-working power. It works regeneration and sanctification. Even quite deeply fallen Negroes have become, through our servants of the Word, new, different men and Christians, to the great astonishment of their neighbors. Hundreds, thousands of poor black people the Savior has rescued through our mission from the power of darkness and translated into his kingdom of grace, in which they have redemption through his blood, namely the forgiveness of sins. Like the eunuch from Ethiopia of old, they now go on their way rejoicing. By the power of the Holy Spirit they also fight against devil, world and flesh and walk in good works. That happens, to be sure, as with us, so with them, in great weakness. And yet there are joyful surprises here. One of our white missionaries once declared: "When we have visited our black Christians in their poor huts to comfort them, we have often found in them such strong faith, such patience and sure hope of divine grace that we have gone away from them ashamed and comforted, thanking God heartily, who has laid such blessed fruit on our weak labor." Even those who are outside notice that in the Lutheran Negro church it is different from other Negro churches. A woman in Alabama declared not long ago: "I would like to join the Lutheran church as a member; but in this church I cannot sin enough." A Southern businessman who has much business dealing with blacks once said to the writer: "If all Negroes were like the Lutheran ones, they would be all right." A Southern paper wrote some years ago: "Many of our