Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1954, Page 138

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1388 Proceedings of the Forty-Third Convention,

Gethsemane Congregation at Hamburg is almost entirely a con-
gregation of women and children. All children in the school are
Lutheran except two, and we expect to win them for baptism.

These three congregations are in sections of Alabama from
which people have been leaving for the past ten years. Nearly
all the young people go away to the North. We try to keep them
with the Lutheran Church. Whenever it is possible, they are trans-
ferred to Lutheran congregations. Other factors, such as free trans-
portation, free textbooks, modern buildings, and school lunches,
have reduced the enrollments of our day schools.

In view of these things the future does not look very bright
when we think of building self-sustaining congregations. At pres-
ent we are striving for improvement and have made some progress
in church attendance and in contributions. It is a problem to keep
our aging buildings in repair. We have accomplished some things in
this respect and will do more as money becomes available.

R. E, NEELY
Southern Field Reports

THE SOUTHERN FIELD
By the Rev. G. M. Kramer, Superintendent

The sainted Dr. Lankenau once remarked, “New Orleans
churches are very strategically located.” No, we have not moved
the churches, but somehow the strategy has bogged down. As in
every large city, the population is in a state of flux.. Entirely new
Negro sections have sprouted out of the soil that was swampland
but a few years ago. Our members are forced by necessity of
housing to move to these new sections, and the churches are left
way-back-yonder. We have seriously discussed starting new mis-
sions. What after the start is made in some store front or private
home? There is no money to buy or build, and no progress can
be expected. That is past expansion history, and the brethren are
not keen on starting a project that will die eventually. Kindly
give expansion in the teeming city of New Orleans some serious
thought. The climate is wonderful; the prospects are bright; the
human relations are ideal for mission work. Our Church and its
work has the good will of everyone who knows the name Lutheran.

The last two years have brought changes mostly for the good.
In the cities of Shreveport and Baton Rouge, buildings were bought
and converted into chapels, with enough floor space in both of them
to start a school. In the Shreveport property there is enough room
upstairs for the pastor and family to establish a nice home. In
Baton Rouge the work is now progressing nicely. In Shreveport
progress seems slow in coming.

Then, vacancies have been filled; first, by calling Candidate
Victor Moritz, of our Springfield Seminary as missionary at large.
He devoted his efforts mainly to pastoring the vacant Mount Zion
Church and School, and in December, 1952, he was called by the
congregation as its regular pastor. Again, in June, 1953, Candidate
John E. Ellermann, from our St. Louis Seminary, was called also
as a missionary at large, but installed and ordained as associate
pastor of Bethlehem and Concordia congregations. For more than
one reason it was deemed advisable that Pastor Ellermann devote
his entire time and effort to the large congregation, Bethlehem,