# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S150
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

160 Missions

to the deaf can be co-ordipated with the work of a hearing con-
gregation or mission, it will be less costly than to have a mis-
sionary come from afar. to serve them.. To combine missions to

_ the deaf with missions to hearing groups will not only’ be an
_encouragement to the missionary himself, but will also be an

incentive to students to join the classes in the sign language at
our seminaries and to prepare for the work among the deaf.
A real step forward was made by the Board when they called
a Secretary of Missions to the Deaf, Pastor John L. Salvner, for
forty-three years a missionary to the deaf, has accepted the ap-
pointment. With the assistance of this Secretary of Missions to
the Deaf, the Mission Board can now enter more fully. upon the
preparation of manuals, tracts, literature, and special aids for the
missionaries and their work. Be it suggested to grant the neces-
sary funds to make this possible... -
. Missions to the Deaf have by no means reached their peak.
Many fields are still untouched. There still is room for expansion.
Lack of manpower is one reason why much of the land could

- not be possessed. But there is seemingly another reason. It is

lack of interest in these missions in many of the synodical Dis~
tricts. At. many District conventions ‘little is said about them.
Only in a casual, way Deaf Missions are mentioned. No live, in-
spiring reports are heard, No thought is given to expanding the
work. Few of the congregations seriously look after the spiritual
needs of deaf children and deaf members. And what of hard-of-
hearing members? Little thought is given these to enable them
to: come and hear the Word of God. How easily could this be
remedied through the installation of audiophones. Few congre-
gations ever give it serious thought to provide hearing aids which
the pastor could take with him into the homes, to the bedside of
the hard of hearing, to the sick that he might bring words of
instruction, of warning, of consolation. :

That Districts, congregations, and pastors. give so little thought
to the spiritual needs of deaf members is no doubt owing to the
fact that it is believed that this. is not their: specific obligation,
but the obligation of the. Board of Missions to Deaf and Blind.
For this reason the question is frequently raised whether the Deaf
Missions ought not’ to be given over to the. Districts in which
these are located. It is believed that this would be in the interest
of efficiency, better and closer co-operation and. supervision, par-
ticularly in the faraway areas, if missions were assigned to, and
affiliated with, and supervised by, the District. ' It is, however, sug-
gested that the ‘Board of Missions. ‘to the Deaf continue as an
advisory body on missionary policies and methods, whose par-

ticular duty it will be to prepare literature and aids to the Deaf