# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1926_S27
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1926. 27

has, could not be used, because that part of the city has in the meantime become somewhat
"white." So 13 acres were bought in northeast Selma.
On it stood a frame building, which is used as a residence for
the 13 boys. The grounds as well as the instruction building
and the residence (dormitory) cost altogether $48,948.92.
That exceeds by far the sum of
$20,000 set two years ago. But that the building was not too large
is evident from the fact that an addition for a further classroom has become
necessary. This will cost about $6,000. A further
residence is also desired. But the Board has answered that
one must be content for the time being. $20,000 was requested two
years ago for buildings; the children of the Atlantic, Eastern,
Colorado, Michigan, North and South Wisconsin, Southern and
South Dakota Districts as well as other friends have, however, given $26,845.

Details.

1. Golden Jubilee of the Negro Mission. At
its sixth convention in the year 1877 in Emanuel's Church at
Fort Wayne the Synodical Conference (*Synodalkonferenz*) unanimously and with joy adopted
the resolution "to begin and carry on a heathen mission, and indeed for the present among the heathen
or at least religiously neglected and forsaken Negroes of this
country." Thus this mission can celebrate next
year its fiftieth anniversary. This event should be celebrated in due fashion next year not
only in our Negro congregations but in all congregations of our
great Synodical Conference. The Board has appointed a committee, consisting of
Vice-President F. J. Lankenau and the writer, which has worked out plans for a
suitable general celebration and can submit these to the conference.
A history of the Negro Mission is also to be written.

2. Mission in Africa. Our Negro Christians have given our
Christians of the heathen in China and in India a chapel each. They
thus also have a warm heart for the mission among the blind
heathen. At their second General Conference, which was held last August
in Concord, N. C., the representatives of our Negro
congregations resolved unanimously and with great enthusiasm to ask their
Mission Board to lay before the Synodical Conference their wish that
it begin a mission in Africa. That is hereby done. To show that their wish is meant seriously, they
have also taken up a collection for the mission in Africa. The sum is
not yet known; it will be stated orally to the Synodical Conference.

3. The Second General Conference of our Missionaries
and Congregational Delegates, which was held from 12 to 17 August 1925
in the congregation of Missionary Melvin Holsten at Concord, N. C., was a fine
assembly blessed by God.
These conferences, which are held every two years, are a good
preparatory school for a future synod. The next conference in the coming
year will be a jubilee conference and will meet at Selma, Ala.

4. Contributions of our Negro Christians. Our Lutheran
Negro Christians are not rich farmers, not well-to-do
businessmen, not workers with large earnings. They are for the most part
poor servants and small tenant farmers. And yet last year they