Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1950, Page 23

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Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1950 23

which conforms to the principle of “God’s Word and Luther’s doc-
trine pure,” men who are determined to know nothing (among
the people of Nigeria) save Christ and Him Crucified and Resur-
rected. The six chief parts of Christian doctrine are thoroughly
expounded by our missionaries in lectures, in instruction classes,
and in sermons. Day after day they are “preaching the kingdom
of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus
Christ, with all confidence.” Acts 28:31. Through the preaching
of the Word “the Lord is adding to the Church daily such as
should be saved.” Acts 2: 47.

However, not only is our Church in Nigeria blessed with
faithful pastors, but also with consecrated teachers, interpreters,
elders, and lay evangelists. All of them are of great assistance to
our missionaries in bringing the Gospel to young and old in the
churches, in the schools, in the homes, in the cities and villages, and
in the rural communities.

Recommendations Carried Out

In the report of the Missionary Board to the convention in 1948
definite needs for the future were presented, and recommendations
were made to the assembly by the Floor Committee on African
Missions which were to be carried out by the Missionary Board.

Establishment of a Seminary

The first recommendation dealt with “the establishment of
a seminary as a means toward building up a native ministry in the
African Mission as soon as possible.” The details connected with
doing so were “left to the discretion of the Missionary Board.”

We are happy to report that a seminary was established in
January, 1949. A mud-block house was rented for a nominal price,
and the seminary was opened with an enrollment of ten students.
The Rev. Norbert Reim, who had served as missionary in Nigeria
for one full term, was called as full-time professor. He was
installed by the Rev. J. P. Kretzmann, Dean of the Seminary, on
January 13, 1950. The President of the Seminary, the Rev. Wm.
Schweppe, delivered the sermon on Psalm 2. It was a great day
of rejoicing for our Lutheran Church in Nigeria when it was priv-
ileged to lay the cornerstone of the permanent seminary building
in connection with the installation service. God willing, we shall
now have a native ministry. In the future it will be possible, as
ministerial candidates graduate from the institution, to extend our
work into other provinces and to replace our American workers
who cannot return because of ill health with African pastors.

Establishment of a Secondary School

Another recommendation of the Floor Committee pertained
to the “establishment of a secondary school in Nigeria as a means
for preparing natives for Seminary and Normal School work.”

This recommendation was carried out when a secondary school
was opened in January of this year in one of the Boecler Memorial
buildings on the Obot Idim Compound. Pastor J. L. Konz is acting
in the capacity of principal until such a time when an American
teacher assumes this responsibility.