# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S196
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

196 "Missions

earnest and careful consideration to the-many requests that came
before us. Only eternity will reveal what our program has meant
to men and women scattered over the face of the earth.

Since our work has been so widely publicized in the interest
of the special collection, we shall refrain from repeating here
what has been well and repeatedly said in other publications.
However, we. want to acknowledge the wholehearted support of
our people in enabling us to serve our men and ‘women in the
armed forces. We have always had the funds to do what we felt
was necessary to do. We have enjoyed the co-operation of the
whole of our constituency, Many people and many pastors have
‘ helped our Church’s war effort in a self-denying and laudable.
fashion. Thanks to all of them!

. At this writing (April 1) we have 200 chaplains in the Army
and 10 in the Navy. By the time of the convention we ought to
have about 30 more in order to meet our full quota. We had
filled our quota in November and then were advised in February
that our quota for the Army had been increased by 36. The
chief reason why we have so few chaplains:.in the Navy is that
the educational requirements of the Navy demand four years of
college work in addition to three years of seminary training: Not
enough 'men meeting these requirements have applied for Navy
chaplaincies,

Other Statistics: Number of service pastors, 28; number of
contact key pastors, 756; number of service and parish pastors,
137 (Mo. and N.L.C.); number of men and women in service,
103,000;. baptisms by chaplains, 844; by service pastors, 92; con-
' firmations by chaplains, 351; by service pastors, 117; marriages
by chaplains, 2,195; by service pastors, 538; communed by chap-
lains, 81,149; by service pastors, 21,302; services conducted by
chaplains 30,132; by service pastors, 3,253; pieces of literature sent
out per month, 1,000,000; number of “In Memoriam” scrolls. sent
out, 812. A ,

From November 1, 1940, until April 1, 1944, the Commission
Spent approximately $1,000,000. A few of the major items have
been the following:

Office salaries _ _- $110,000' Expense of Contact key

Office rent 0. 18,000 pastors +6. 19,000
Office Equipment 18,500 Ferub centers a 20,000
; Wa... 0 . .service pastors
Loyalty News _____. 40,000 Automobiles ——_. 18,000
Service Prayer books __--- 29,000 Pension Fund ____ 17,000

Postage 60,000 Canadian Office 9,000