Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1950, Page 39

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Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1950 89

Camden, Ala. . :

Holy Cross Church is located in Camden, the county seat of
Wilcox County, in which county we have fifteen congregations. The
mission station was established in 1925 by Superintendent E, A.
Westcott and today numbers 156 souls, 46 communicants, and
10 voters. Here we have a well-designed and. well-constructed
chapel-school building, for which any small congregation should
be happy. The Christian day school has an enrollment of 52. Miss
Carrie Hill, who has served many years in the schoolroom, is the
teacher.

Seven children were confirmed on Pentecost Sunday, 1949, by
Pastor G. Groerich, who was supplying during the vacancy. Just
previous to this time, twenty-seven were baptized. Another large
Baptism class is now being prepared. These ingatherings are
examples of the fruits of the Gospel in rich mission territory.
The Christian day school is the chief means for building this
congregation. ;

Little Armandie was a pupil in our Christian day school. She
became ill and died at the age of ten. Her father and mother were
Baptists, but because she had learned to know her Savior in our
Lutheran school and was baptized, the parents wanted her funeral
to be held in our chapel by the Lutheran pastor. The funeral was
just after Easter, and, because of the message of hope and comfort
in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, victorious over sin, death,
and the grave, this proved to be a most blessed occasion for the
many non-Lutheran relatives and friends who had gathered. Thus,
like the servant maid in the house of Naaman, little Armandie’s
life had been complete in pointing many to their Savior. “God
works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.” W.H.E.

Possum Bend, Ala. .

Our Savior Church is located about four miles south of Camden
and was organized by Superintendent G. A. Schmidt in 1918.
Being situated in the midst of the plantation system, it has lost
heavily by migration during recent years. The congegation con-
sists of 160 souls, 70 communicants, and ten voters. A two-room
school is still maintained, having an enrollment of 66. Mr. I. L.
Bridges and Miss Inell Bonner are the teachers.

On Palm Sunday, 1950, eight children were confirmed... In
a predominantly Baptist community, this is a great victory for our
Christian day school. The Lutheran Church is well known and is

‘highly respected throughout the community because of the superior
teaching done in our school. Children as far away from the school
as four miles choose to walk this distance every day rather than
ride a bus to the public school. There were seven this year in
the graduation class. Unique enough, all seven members of the
class were boys.

‘This congregation has given good support to our Academy in
Selma by sending students. It has provided consecrated Christian
day school teachers and now has two sons studying for the
ministry.

Rev. W. J. Pledger was called from this congregation to Balti-

more a year ago. Preaching services are being held every Sunday
during the vacancy by Rev. P. R. Hunt and Rev. W. H. Ellwanger.

Under the present subsidization plan this congregation has almost

doubled its contributions. W.H.E