Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1950, Page 75

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Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1950 75

Transfiguration, St. Louis, Mo.

Begun as a preaching station in November, 1903, Transfigura-
tion Church — originally Grace Memorial — was fully organized by
1917 at the end of Pastor George A. Schmidt’s fruitful ministry.
Meeting in no less than six different “store-front” locations until
the summer of 1946, under Pastors Herbert Claus, John Fey, and
William Seebeck, the congregation thankfully dedicated a new
and modern chapel on a prominent location on the fringe of
a modern housing project for Negroes on July 1, 1946. ' Cost,
$23,500. $12,500 have already been paid back to the Missionary
Board by the St. Louis Ladies’ Auxiliary for Negro Missions. The
congregation recently resolved to begin, “contract” payments to
the Missionary Board for the acquisition of title to the property.
Total contributions for all purposes in 1949, $1,171.82.

Statistics as of April 15, 1950: Souls, 165; communicants, 62;
voters, 11; Sunday school enrollment, 100; average church attend-
ance, 65. Vacancy in the pastorate since August 1, 1949. Juniors
ready for confirmation, D.v., on Pentecost, 6. Adults confirmed
this season, 2. GERHARD GROERICH, Interim Pastor

Mercy, St. Louis, Mo.

A preaching station, still “Filiale” of Transfiguration Church,
Mercy Mission, like Transfiguration, counts as its founder the
highly consecrated, now sainted, Margaret Baehler, in whose home
at 2617 Baldwin St. the mission was started some twenty years ago
and where the congregation still meets to this very day. Margaret
Baehler went to the little Negro children in her neighborhood,
gathering up as many as she could find, often washing, dressing,
feeding them on a Sunday morning, before taking them to her
home for a well-ordered period of Bible instruction and Christian
hymns and prayers. Almost from the beginning Concordia Semi-
nary students assisted her, canvassed the Negro section in the
vicinity, and conducted preaching services and classes of instruction
for confirmation. The St. Louis Ladies’ Auxiliary for Negro Mis-
sions just recently started a Building Fund for a new chapel for
Mercy Mission. Total contributions in 1949, $178.29.

Statistics as of April 15, 1950: Souls, 58; communicants, 11;
Sunday school enrollment, 35; average church attendance, 35.
Vacancy in the pastorate since August 1, 1949. Juniors ready for
confirmation on Pentecost, 2.

GERHARD GROERICH, Interim Pastor

St. Philip’s, Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Negro mission in Chattanooga was begun by the sainted
Pastor H. A. Bentrup in 1947, Services were held at the Y. W.C. A.
and ‘later in homes.

In May, 1947, the undersigned accepted a call to Chattanooga.
A list of four members and many prospects was given him when
he began his work as missionary.

In August, 1947, army barracks were bought and converted
into a chapel. The chapel was dedicated and named St. Philip’s.
The congregation was organized and grew from four to forty-eight
souls. Several families moved to other cities. Today the congre-
gation consists of forty-two souls, of whom twenty-four are
communicants. The present confirmation class consists of six. Ten