# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S59 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1950 59 held to their Lutheran church during these nineteen years of waiting for a house of worship. We have lost great opportunities of having a very thriving and prosperous mission in Baton Rouge. At one time many members of the faculty. of Southern University were interested in the Lutheran Church. After many years of waiting an Episcopalian mission was started, a church was built, and we lost them for our mission. Baton Rouge is nearly in the center of the State, and many of our members from our other Lutheran congregations drift into Baton Rouge. They would like to live here, but they soon move out because we have no Lutheran church building. C. P. Taomeson, Pastor Augustana, Alexandria, La. I began work here on September 14, 1924, and in the spring of 1927 our present church-school was erected with the help of the Sunday school children of the English District of New York. Today we have an enrollment of 78 pupils and two lady teachers. Quite a few children were gained for our church through the day school. During the last two years 15 children were baptized, 12 adults and children were confirmed. And even though many have moved away, we have 112 members of which 54 are communicants. Services are well attended. This year four catechumens were confirmed. The interior of our chapel was painted two years ago at a cost of $90, and the congregation paid $426 for the pavement on William- son St. Porches and steps of concrete were built to replace the old wooden porches at a cost of $98. The congregation pays $80 a month towards the pastor’s salary and $25 a month toward the salary of one of the teachers. The congregation is planning more improvements in the near future. E. R. Bercer, Pastor St. Philip’s, Jackson, Miss. The present pastor was installed at St. Philip’s on January 29, 1946, During the last two years 13 souls have been added to our list — 6 children baptized, 2 adults baptized, and 5 adults confirmed. The congregation now numbers 48 souls, 29 communicants, 11 of whom are of voting age, and 19 baptized souls. St. Philip’s has 29 contributing members. During the year 1949 these 29 mem- bers contributed’a total of $719. The highest personal contribution toward this amount was $124. This is a fortunate exception rather than the rule, for our little flock is made up of people from the laboring class. We have only a few professional and business men. We also have a goodly number of mothers and school children who have no personal incomes. We also have several blind people who are very much dependent. From its total contribution the congregation paid $387 toward the pastor’s salary. The rest went for current expenses. Our current expenses are exceptionally high because of the fact that for the next nine years we must pay $205 plus interest each year to retire a $2,000 debt for street improvements (paving, etc.). This fact has also hindered the congregation in its efforts to raise funds to build. Now we do not need a new church, nor, as yet, a larger place for worship, but we do need very urgently a meeting room