Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1950, Page 33

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1950 88

for salaries and current expenses, the congregations of Alabama,
including the Gulf Coast congregations, collect annually at Easter
time an offering of $700 to $1,000 for home-mission expansion. The
Sunday schools also raise offerings for African missions. Last
August at the annual conference, when these offerings were re-
ported, a total of $2,490.07 was gathered in. In 1948 the African
mission offering amounted to $2,431.90. These offerings are turned
over to the Missionary Board to be used in our Nigerian mission
field as most needed.
Recently the undersigned was present in a Sunday school
where extra offerings for missions are taken up each Sunday after
the regular contributions have been received. This small rural
church has in this manner already collected $75.76 for the African
mission rally.
New Subsidization Plan

Under the subsidization plan recently introduced in the Ala-
bama field, our congregations are being put on a sounder financial
working basis so that they will realize in a greater measure than
ever before their accountability toward self-support. According
to this plan, the congregation is subsidized, not the worker. Sixteen
of our congregations have thus far adopted this plan. In adopting
this plan, voters consider more seriously individual pledges and
contributions needed in order to balance the budget. The treasurer
and the other officers gain a deeper insight into the meaning of
stewardship in the raising and handling of funds for the Church,
and thus the congregation is strengthened toward self-support.
In one of our congregations adopting this plan, the contributions
through the first three months were increased seventy per cent.
Seven Christian day school teachers, previously supported entirely
by the treasury of the Missionary Board, now are partly supported
by the congregations they serve.

“The Missionary Lutheran”

A plea is also made in this report for greater support of the
Missionary Lutheran. This mission paper is the official organ of
the Missionary Board, published monthly for the purpose of bring-
ing to our people doctrinal and inspirational reading adapted to
their needs. It features news colums from the Executive Secretary
of the Missionary Board. Articles are also brought fresh from
the field of labor by our missionaries in Nigeria. The 1,056 indi-
vidual subscriptions scattered through the congregations of the
Synodical Conference should be increased. This would go far in
helping to bear the cost of printing, so that more copies could be
circulated gratis for use in our many mission congregations. The
Rev. Wm. G. Kennell of Pensacola is the editor.

Conclusion

The workers of Alabama desire to express sincere appreciation
to the congregations of the Synodical Conference for their financial
support and for the invaluable guidance, counseling, and super-
vision given through the Missionary Board. The letters and visits
of Executive Secretary Karl Kurth have always been most helpful
and encouraging. All praise and glory for fruits of our labors be
given to the Triune God!