Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1958, Page 91

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Lutheran Synodical Conference, 1958 , 91

membership to 28,657. Our communicant membership at the end
of 1957 stood at 9,637. Fifteen African pastors are serving on our
staff with our American missionaries. There are 546 African teach-
ers active in our 81 elementary schools. The enrollment in these
schools in 1957 was 16,644. There are three secondary schools with
a total enrollment of 314. Conditions in West Africa are still favor-
able for the proclamation of the pure Word. This may not be the
case too much longer. Roman Catholicism is getting stronger.
Mohammedanism is making a concerted effort to win the natives,
and Communism is raising its evil head in more and more new
quarters. All of this coupled with rising nationalism bodes trying
times for the future. How essential then that we put forth every
effort to win Africa for Christ, while it is day, before the night
makes further work impossible.” Wo. SCHWEPPE

REPORT BY MISSIONARY WILLIAM WINTER,
NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA
(Dictated in the Missionary Board’s office in St. Louis, Mo., June 23, 1958)

This is Pastor W. Winter. Dr. Kurth has asked me to make
a report on conditions in our Nigerian field as I see them retro-
spectively now that I have returned to the United States on fur-
lough. The tour that I have now just completed was quite a varied
one, in my case. When my family and I returned to Nigeria in June
of 1955, I was asked to serve in the business office, due to the
absence of a business manager at that time. I stayed there approx-
imately one year, during which time I was able to learn quite
a lot about the business side of our entire work over in Nigeria.

In May of 1956, Mr. Ray Bowman returned to Nigeria and
again stepped into the business office. The Executive Committee
then sent me about thirty miles away, where I took charge of our
station known as Ukpom. Here I was placed in nominal super-
vision of sixteen congregations; however, my greatest work was in
teaching at our Normal School located five miles away in the
village of Ibakachi. My work in the churches of the Ukpom dis-
trict consisted primarily in conducting Communion examinations,
as well as in taking care of certain difficulties and problems that
normally arise in the life of every congregation.

The work at the Normal School was very interesting. Nigeria
is at the present time undergoing a great change in its educational
system. Up until about two or three years ago, all primary schools
were controlled and operated either by the government or by volun-
tary agencies, or as we would call them, mission bodies. The sup-
porters of the schools, namely the various villages and congrega-
tions, were required to raise the money necessary for the payment
of teachers’ salaries, putting up the buildings, as well as equipping
the schools properly for their children. Certain schools which were
approved by the government did, of course, receive certain financial
grants to help them in the payment of salaries or whatever other
needs the school might have.

About two or three years ago, however, the government of the
Eastern Region undertook what they called a Universal Free Pri-
mary Education, which was to make it possible for any child who
so desired to obtain a primary schooling. The people quickly and