# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S192
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

’ churches in the South and will gradually also demand more attention

192 Various Missions

matters. The development of self-support will naturally be a slow
process because of the present racial handicap. The mission must
depend on the financial support of the Synodical Conference for
some time to come.

The Lutheran day-school is acknowledged as the proper back-
ground for a Lutheran congregation, and yet we must confess that
the number of pupils has somewhat diminished during recent years.
This condition, however, is attributable almost entirely to local
adverse conditions.

Wherever practicable, the young people are. organized into
congregational and district groups. Thus we have an active Luther
League in the Louisiana field. This district is blessed, too, with an
aggressive L. LL.

The race question has been given much attention by various

in Northern Jocalities. .
Africa

At its last convention in Cleveland, 1935, Synod was privileged
to hear the report of our Survey Committee on Africa. A resolu-
tion was adopted to begin mission-work. This resolution was con-
curred in by the other synods of the Synodical Conference. Ac-
cordingly your Board called on Dr. H. Nau, a member of the Survey
Committee, to do pioneer work in Africa. He was granted a leave
of absence from his duties at Immanuel Lutheran Coliege for one
year, and on March 4, 1936, he and his wife sailed from New York
and began work in the Ibesikpo land, Nigeria, Africa. The task
was not an easy one; but God in His grace granted consecration
and determination to His servants. While Dr. Nau busied himself
especially with the indoctrination of the natives by preaching and
by instructing and guiding the teachers of the various schools,
Mrs. Nau directed her attention, as time permitted, to the native
women, teaching them Bible-stories and Christian hymns and also
instructing them in home work (naturally in a limited way).

Thirty-two preaching-stations were served by Dr. Nau, and :

some attention was also given to the Central School. The Central
School is owned and operated by the various congregations. In
this school we hope to train our future native missionaries. De-
mands for the missionary’s service increased so rapidly that your
Board was compelled to provide help at an early date in a field
white unto harvest. Repeated calls for seasoned and experienced
men failed. December, 1936, brought the good news that young
Pastor Wm. H. Schweppe and Candidate Vernon Koeper had ac-
cepted the call into the Africa Missions. On March 14, 1937, these
young workers, with their wives and a deaconess, Miss Helen |:
Kluck, R.N., sailed from New York and arrived in Africa on