# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1922_S32
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

32 Proceedings of the twenty-eighth convention

people will tell you that the Lutheran Negroes are on the whole the best that we have." They are much sought after by the whites as domestic servants, because it is known that they are honest and industrious. Thank God for this fine reputation which our black Lutheran fellow Christians enjoy among their fellow citizens!

Church Contributions.

Right giving for God's kingdom also belongs to sanctification. How does it stand in this respect with our Negroes? As is well known, the blacks are for the most part poor, often destitute. But as the widow in the Gospel put her mite into the treasury, so also do our poor black brothers and sisters. There a woman, say, carries a chicken into town on Saturday — perhaps her last — in order to be able to lay her gift on the collection plate the next day. It is quite gratifying to see how our dear people increase in the virtue of liberality for God's kingdom. Seven years ago the church contributions amounted to $5528, last year however $30,865. That means an increase of more than $25,000! Among the gifts of our Negro Christians last year was also the proceeds of the bequest of the late Ellen Bransford in the amount of about $10,000. Ellen Bransford was a former slave. She joined our mission congregation in Little Rock, Ark. When some years ago she entered into the rest of the people of God, it was found that in her will she had bequeathed her entire estate to our Negro Mission. Many a one who, when drawing up his will, probably never thought of his church may well have said and asked: "Can one really make a good Lutheran out of a Negro?" — Although our Negro Christians have now made such fine progress in liberality for church purposes, they do not now want to stop. In June they held their first General Conference in New Orleans. On this occasion they celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Synodical Conference. In the jubilee service they laid over $2600 on the table, which they had brought as a thank offering. In the business meetings the main question was: How can we bring it about that we raise ever more for our mission work? Unanimously and with joy two things were resolved: every congregation should try to raise its monthly contribution to the mission treasury by 15 percent; and every congregation should further fix a sum which it will raise monthly toward the pastor's salary; this sum is then to be deducted by the treasurer of the Mission Commission when he sends out the monthly salary. May God give them strength to carry out these resolutions!

Steadfastness of Our Lutheran Negroes.

Do the Negroes who join our church also prove steadfast and faithful? This question is often asked, sometimes in a doubting tone. What are we to and must we answer?