Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1950, Page 40

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40 Proceedings of the Forty-First Convention,

Longmile, Ala. ;

Our Redeemer Congregation, Longmile, was founded in 192:
and consists of 58 souls, 35 communicants, and 7 voters. It is
situated in the midst of a Government reclamation project. About
ten years ago Federal authorities purchased the large plantation
of this section of the county and divided it into farms of 80 acres.
Well-planned houses and farm buildings were erected. The farms
were provided with stock and implements and then leased on the
basis of the rent paying on the investment for procuring the title.
By this means our families are becoming landowners, which should
substantially help in preventing loss by a migrating population.
As a result, sixty per cent of the membership consists of families
having moved into this area in the past decade.

Here we have a Christian day school of 28 pupils and a Sun-
day school of 48. Mr. Fred Andrews is the teacher. Six children
were confirmed on Palm Sunday, 1950. This congregation ap-
proaches the 100-per-cent mark in church attendance. Preaching
services are held twice in the month, and the vacancy pastor usually
finds the small chapel well filled from the front row to the rear.
Rev. R. E. Neely formerly served the congregation. W.#HLE.

Tilden, Ala.

Mount Calvary Church, Tilden, had a very promising begin-
ning in the second year of Lutheranism in Alabama. A large
crowd was gathered under a beautiful water oak near the present
site of the chapel. Rev. N. J. Bakke preached on 1 Cor. 6:20. The
instruction classes followed, and on August 12, 1917, forty were
baptized, and forty-one were confirmed. There was a school of more
than one hundred; however, opposition by secular and religious
groups and migrations soon cut down these gains. In the past
decade the congregation just about held its own and now numbers
78 souls, 20 communicants, and 3 voters. The day school has gained
and during the past year had 48 pupils. Mr. Percy Hensfeld is
the teacher. The Sunday school has an enrollment of 36. The
contributions have increased from $93.30 in 1940 to $211.63 in 1949.

Seven children were baptized on Sunday, April 23. Two years
ago seventeen were baptized. Seven children were confirmed in
1949, and a class of eight is now being prepared for confirmation.
These are fruits of the Christian day school.

The confidence of a certain Baptist minister in this community
has been gained through the school. He sends his children to our
school, a distance of four and a half miles. They must pass a public
school as they walk this distance, yet they do so willingly in order
to be taught the Holy Scriptures. The father says he preaches the
Lutheran Catechism even though he occupies a pulpit in a Baptist
church. Through the day school one of his sons has been won
for the Academy and is studying for the ministry. God be praised
for this victory of the Christian day school! W.HLE.

Buena Vista, Ala.

St. James, Buena Vista, is one of the oldest congregations in
Alabama, having been organized in 1916 by Rev. J. S. Montgomery
soon after the sainted Rev. N. J. Bakke founded Rosebud and Oak
Hill congregations. It now numbers 110 souls, 55 communicants,