# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1928_S38
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

38 Proceedings of the thirty-first convention

than anyone else. Unfortunately they sometimes succeed in luring one or another
of our members into their lodge net and holding him there in spite of all our
efforts.

"What a curse they are for our poor people! They cheat them of their good
money, keep them fast in poverty and bring before them teachings that lead them
to hell.

"It is a hard, bitter struggle that we must wage. The obstacles sometimes seem
insurmountable. Yet we do not despair. We continue to oppose, with the sword of
the Spirit, the Word of God, this enemy of Christ and his Church, and are sure
that with God we shall win in the end and keep the victory."

God gives our missionaries here and there gratifying victories. But it is and
remains a fact that the lodge system constitutes a great obstacle.

5. Finally we name the nomadic life of the Negroes as an obstacle. Unfavorable
local conditions, the search for work and earnings, cause many of our members,
who for the most part own no home of their own, to move now here, now there. We
have in the quarterly reports these two divisions: "Losses by Removal to Parts
Unknown" and "Number of Members Temporarily Absent" [printed in English, with
the German rendering in parentheses: "Verluste durch Wegzug in unbekannte
Gegenden" and "Zahl der Glieder, die zeitweilig abwesend sind"]. In the second
column relatively large figures often stand. In one congregation 20 of 139 souls
are absent, in another congregation 43 of 125 souls, in a third 11 of 53, in a
fourth 10 of 43, in a fifth 14 of 30 souls, and so on. Because the "temporarily
absent" then often change their address, one finally loses all contact with
them. So no small number must be struck from the list of many a mission
station.

These are, then, the special obstacles with which our mission has to contend.
Whoever appreciates these obstacles to some extent will doubtless think: "In
this Negro Mission surely no great success is to be expected." Yet we must not
forget here the Lord's mission promise: "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world." This glorious promise guarantees us success also in this
mission.

Successes.

The Lord Jesus, according to his promise, has been with our dear missionaries
also in the past biennium (1926 to 1928) and through their faithful service has
made a fine number into disciples. Two years ago the number of souls or
baptized members who were under the care of our missionaries amounted to 4,917.
Today the number of souls is 5,885. That means a net increase of 969 souls in
these two years. This is by far the greatest increase that has ever been
recorded in such a period in the history of our Negro Mission. Given in
percentages, the growth in these two years was 19³⁄₁₀ percent. What this
increase of 19 percent means we shall understand better if we make a comparison
with one of our synods. Our Missouri Synod had in the last two years an
increase of 22,945 souls, or a growth of 2¹⁄₁₀ percent. From the gratifying
success of our Negro Mission it is surely clear that the exalted Lord Jesus has
been with our missionaries and that he strongly acknowledges this work,
despised by many people. To him be