# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1954_S145
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

ie A MeN Ma A ta

Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America, 1954 145

Sunday school is attended by a few who do not attend our
day school, and for this reason we have a nice enrollment of 70,
taught by 3 teachers.

During the past two years the congregation contributed
$2,694.55 for the Lord’s work, and our day school tuition totaled
$531.75. The Sunday school collections amounted to $189.79.

The congregation pays $960 toward the pastor’s salary and $100
of the teachers’ salary per year. We receive $260 per month from

e Missionary Board, for which the Congregation is truly grateful
to the Synodical Conference. E. R. Bercer, Pastor

St. Philip’s, Jackson, Miss.

St. Philip’s Lutheran Church, located in Jackson, Miss., “the
crossroads of the South,” was “opened under very humble condi-
tions and handicaps, having no place for services of its own.

On December 8, 1933, the Rev. H.C. Bates was called as pastor,
Services were still being held in homes. With a mission gift of
ten folding chairs and a handmade pulpit from Our Savior Con-
gregation at Piney Woods School the little “house church” came
into its first possessions, Regular Sunday Services, all special
Services, Sunday school, and Wednesday-night Catechism lessons
were faithfully held,

On Easter Sunday, 1936, the “house church” made its final
move from “house to house” into the home of Mrs. W. E. Manna-
way, just two blocks from where the present chapel now stands.
Here the little flock made steady progress, organized, and became
known as St. Philip’s Lutheran Church,

By now it was evident that the congregation was in need of
a place of its own for services. About two years later, plans were
begun for a new chapel. A study of the records Show that many
plans were prepared by Mr. Gerhardt Kramer of New Orleans, La,,
before a suitable plan was finally chosen. It seems that the guiding
principle in choosing a plan was economy; hence the chapel finally
Constructed measured only 18’x38’ with a vestry 7x9’. It soon
became evident that the new chapel, although beautiful and well
appointed, was lacking something — a meeting room or extra space
for Sunday school and youth work. In spite of this great incon-
venience, the congregation continued to make “slow but steady
Progress,” to use the words of the former pastor, until its progress
was disrupted by the plague which hit most young congregations
in the South — World War II.

In November of 1945 St. Philip’s lost its pastor. This coming