# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1954_S163
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Ev. Luth, Synodical Conference of North America, 1954 163

The salaries and rents of the two last-named pastors are shared
by the Synodical Coference and the Northern Illinois District mis-
sion boards.

There are other promising areas in and about Chicago, and
efforts will be made to Open up more mission stations, God grant it.

THE NORTHWEST DISTRICT
By the Rev. Amos A. Schmidt, Executive Secretary

Since April of 1951 the N orthwest District has conducted a mis-
sion in Seattle, Wash., for people of all races. The mission wor-
ships in the old Trinity Church building. This property, church

has a population of 24,218. Of this number 14,853 people, or about
60 per cent of the population, is white, and 9,365, or approximately

0 per cent, are non-white. We mention these figures simply to
give you an idea of the neighborhood and the community which
Wwe are trying to serve for our Lord J. esus.

The mission is completing its third year of operation. For more
than two and a half years we have had a resident pastor at Good
Shepherd, the Rev. George Derwig. Although at first the growth
of the mission was rather rapid, for the last. eighteen months the
membership has been almost static because of unforeseen circum-
stances. The success of this mission has not at all come up to our
expectations. A parochial school was conducted from September
of 1951 to June of 1952. However, then it was necessary to dis-

Since the beginning of work in this field the undertaking has
been one of our most expensive missions, During the year 1953
e congregation raised 2,054 for home Purposes and $165 for

Sive repairs, replacements, and redecoration were necessary,
The congregation numbers 150 souls, 31 communicants; the

average church attendance is 31; the Sunday school enrollment, 84,

The membership is divided about evenly between white and non-

white.

We pray that our heavenly Father may help us solve our

blems at Good Shepherd and that He may enable us to serve

OKLAHOMA DISTRICT

The Rev. Walmar W. Frank, Secretary of Missions
Report prepared by the Rev. Karl E. Lutze
Oklahoma’s Negro population is estimated at 165,000. About
one half of this number lives in smaller towns and rural areas, and

the other half is concentrated in the three largest cities of Okla-
homa: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Muskogee,