# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S132
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

182 Missions in General

IV. MISSIONS

A. MISSIONS IN GENERAL

The consideration of missions was introduced by the following
address of the Secretary of Missions, Rev. F.C. Streufert:

Writes the greatest missionary of all days (1 Cor. 16:9):
“A great door, and effectual, is opened unto me.”

Synod’s Mission Program — Past, Present, and Future

If an artist could portray in detail Synod and its glorious work
from the early beginning until now and step by step, in realistic
colors, visualize what the grace of God has wrought among us,
what a marvelous, awe-inspiring presentation this would be!

On the first panel the artist might present the immigrants as
they are breaking up from Saxony, severing their home ties,
bidding farewell to those near and dear to them, and then as they
arrive on the glorious shores of our country to seek religious
liberty. He might describe the upbuilding of the Church in Perry
County and the eagerness of the pioneers to spread the Gospel
in the near-by communities.

He might then depict the days of 1847, when the representatives
of the congregations in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri,
and New York assembled at Chicago to organize our synodical
body that they might be better fitted to carry out the Great Com-
mission of our Lord.

The artist might continue and tell of the zeal of the early
Lutheran pioneers to prepare and train pastors, missionaries, and
teachers for the purpose of supplying the congregations established
everywhere. He might present the rustic log hut, the first Con-
cordia College at Perry County, and the development of our higher
institutions at Fort Wayne, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and elsewhere,
and finally point to the wonderful setting at Concordia Seminary,
St. Louis.

The artist might describe a century of progress in the develop-
ment of our missions, following the missionary to every State
of the union, to the Canadian provinces, to South America, back
to Europe, onward to India and China, and now forward to Africa.
Awe-inspiring indeed. If you wish to see a miniature presentation
of the portrayal outlined, visit our exhibit in the Exhibition Hall.
But if we think of the many spiritual blessings which neither
artist nor writer can fully visualize, we cannot but get down on >
our knees in deepest humility and bless the name of Him who
privileged us to be coworkers with Him in rescuing perishing souls.