# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1928_S39
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1928. 39

therefore praise, honor and thanks for the blessing and prosperity that he has
so richly given to the sowing and planting of our dear missionaries in church
and school!

The statistical statement that the number of souls is now 969 greater than two
years ago naturally does not give the whole, full blessing that the Lord Jesus
has established in this time through our mission. The blessed influence that has
flowed from our mission work has extended to further thousands, yes to tens of
thousands. There are the approximately 3,000 pupils in the mission schools and
Sunday schools who have not yet joined the Lutheran Church but who are
instructed by our mission workers in God's Word and Luther's doctrine and
carry this precious seed into hundreds of parental homes. In addition there are
the strange visitors at the services as well as the strangers who are visited
during the week by our missionaries. So one may confidently assume that about
twenty-five thousand Negroes are favorably influenced directly or indirectly by
our mission.

Statistics cannot represent the full blessing of our Negro Mission. Pastor
Georg A. Schmidt, the superintendent of our mission field in Alabama, writes in
his report: "About five months ago I had a long conversation with a man who is
not a member of the Lutheran Church. But in the last few years he has
repeatedly attended our services here in Selma. He showed a remarkable
knowledge of the Bible and spoke intelligently about spiritual things. He had a
clear understanding of the doctrine of sin and grace. I also perceived in him a
correct understanding of other important doctrines of Scripture. I therefore
asked him: 'Tell me, where did you get this fine knowledge of Scripture?' He
replied: 'Pastor, I must honestly confess that I learned these wonderful truths
in the Lutheran Church.' This man is a leader in a sectarian church, choir
director in a local church, and also preaches at times in that church. So there
is still a large number of similar cases about which one could report, cases that
show that hundreds of those who are not on our congregational rolls, but who have
come to know Jesus and his saving love through the glorious work of our Lutheran
Church here in the Black Belt. Eternity alone will one day reveal how hundreds
who never belonged to our church in Alabama have nevertheless come, more or less
through it, to the knowledge of Christ as the only Savior of sinners."

New Mission Stations.

In these two reporting years mission work has been begun or taken over at the
following six places: 1. Ackerville, Wilcox Co., Ala.; 2. Maplesville, Chilton
Co., Ala.; 3. Catherine, Wilcox Co., Ala.; 4. St. Philip's, St. Louis, Mo.;
5. Buffalo, N. Y.; 6. Cleveland, O. Mission work could have been undertaken at
other places as well. For example, requests of this kind are on hand from
Baltimore, New York and other places.

How Work Is Begun at New Places.

Maplesville is a place between Selma and Birmingham. Last autumn Prof. Lynn,
the president of our Alabama Luther College in Selma, and our young missionary
Loyd Gauthreaux went from Selma to Birmingham to buy an organ. On the way they
met