The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1894, Page 34

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* Our Mission Stations.

From the Report of our Mission Board, sub-
~ mitted to the Synodical Conference during its
recent sessions at Milwaukee, Wis., we clip
“the following news in regard to our Colored
Mission Stations:
Litre Rock, Arx.—This is our oldest mis-
sion station, it being founded in the year 187
The congregation suffered greatly during the
long vacancy, but two years ago the Rev. C. H.
Ruesskamp took charge of the station, and the
Lord has blessed his labors. The congrega-
tion has increased. From 40 to 60 attend the
services. ‘The school numbers 50 pupils. The
building, which is used for church and school
purposes, needs repairing, but the-congrega-
tion is willing to pay the expenses.
New Orveans, La.—We have three mission
; stations in New Orleans: =
.1. Mt. Zion, Rey. E. W. Kuss, missionary ;
Messrs. Vix and Meibohm, teachers. The con-
* __ gregation was organized in the year 1878. The

building, which was bought in the year 1882,

is used for church and school purposes, but it

is now in such a bad and dangerous condition

that it can be used no longer. A new building

. » must be erected here if the mission work is to

_ be carried on. All the delegates at the Syn-

odical Conference were convinced of this, and

therefore resolved to call upon all our con-

gregations to assist us in this necessary work.

The members of Mt. Zion congregation have

themselves already raised about $1000 “for a

new church building, and now let their white

brethren come to their aid. The congregation

numbers 261 souls, 106 communicant mem-

bers. The Sunday school is attended by 125

and the day school by 117 pupils. The mrersze
attendance at services is 80.

2. St. Paul congregation, Rev. J. Lankenau,
missionary. This congregation was organized
in the year 1881. It has a beautiful church
and a two-story school building. During the

_ past two years 25 were confirmed and 7 were
_ baptized. The congregation numbers 158 souls,
' 75 communicant members. ‘The seryices are
attended by about 50 grown persons and 50 chil-
dren. The Sunday school numbers 111] and

' the day school 90 pupils. In the school the
- missionary has been ably assisted by Miss
L. Trog. In the last two years the congrega-
tion has raised $413.55 for church purposes.
3. Bethlehem congregation, Rev. A. Burg-
_dorf;-missionary ; E. Rischow, teacher. This
‘congregation was organized in the year 1887
"and now has a beautiful church and a two-story
choo! building. It numbers 136 souls, 55 com-
"municant members. The average church at-
tendance i is69. The Sunday school is attended
by 179 and the day school by 146 pupils. The
mbers of the congregation have in many
ys shown their thankfulness for the work
‘done among them by the missionary. Rev.
dorf, we are sorry to hear, has become ill

.

health and preserve him for our mission field,
where the laborers are so few.

Menernrin, Va.—This station is served by
Rey. Schooff. The congregation has a church,
aschool anda parsonage. Itnumbers99 souls,
49 communicant members. During the past
two years 18 were baptized and 15 confirmed.
The average church attendance is 55. The

7. | Sunday school numbers 100 and the day schgol

66 pupils. Besides raising some money for
the mission treasury, the members of the con-
gregation have always been willing to do work
on our mission property, thus saving many
a dollar for our treasury. Rey. Schooff has
also several preaching stations in the Vicinity
of Meherrin.

SprincrieLp, Irt.—Our station at Spring-
field has passed through troublesome times,
the former missionary being compelled to re-
sign. During the long vacancy Professors
Herzer and Wessel of our Seminary at that
place kindly served the congregation as much
as their time would allow. The station num-
bers41souls, 25 communicant members. From
15 to 30 attend services. The Sunday school
numbers 38 pupils. The congregation has
raised $105 for church purposes. The Rev.
H. Meyer, formerly missionary in North Caro-
lina, has accepted the call to this station. May
the Lord revive His work in Springfield and
bless the labors of the new missionary.

Norra Carorina.—In this state we have
several large and prosperous mission fields.
There is the mission field of Rey. N. J. Bakke,
comprising-the following stations: Concord,
Rimerstown, Gold Hill, Rockville, Mt. Pleasant.
These stations number 260 souls, 159 com-
municant members. 254 pupils attend the
Sunday schools, and 70 attend the day school
at Concord, which is served by Mr. Rolf as
teacher. During the past two years missionary
Bakke baptized 115 and confirmed 124 per-
sons. His largest congregation is at Concord.
This congregation has grown, during the past
two years, from 55 souls to 123, and from 35
communicant members to 80. - The average
church attendance in Concord is 140, and be-
sides the day school there is a large Sunday
school attended by 135 pupils. In Concord
our Mission Board has erected a beautiful
church building for $1800. An organ, werth
$400, has been presented by St. Matthew’s
congregation in New York; a bell, worth about
$90, by the Young Ladies’ Society in Joliet,
Il. ; a communion service by Rev. Sprengeler’s
congregation in Milwaukee; a baptismal font
by the young people of our congregation in
Altenburg, Mo.; several church books by Rev.
Koestering’§ congregation in St. Louis.

The next mission field in North Carolina is
that of Rey. Phifer, comprising the stations of
Charlotte and Lexington. These stations num-
ber 65 souls, 35 communicant members. The
ayerage church attendance is 50. The Sunday
schools number 131, and the day school at
Charlotte 99 pupils. In the school the Rey.
Phifer is ably assisted by his wife. At Char-

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Jotte a church building has been erected for

$1300. The lot on which the building is erected
was presented to our mission by two English
Lutheran congregations of that place.

The next mission field in North Carolina is
the one heretofore served by Rev. H. Meyer,
who has been called to our mission station at
Springfield. The Rev. C. Schmidt, a graduate
of our Springfield Seminary, will now take
charge of this field. It comprises the sta-
tions Elon College, Holt’s Chapel and Greens-
borough. Besides serving these stations, the
Rey. Meyer visited other places, preaching the
Gospel and instructing the children.

Our mission fields in North Carolina also
need church and school buildings. The Syn-
odical Conference therefore resolved to erect
the most necessary buildings and to cali upon
all our congregations to send in a collection
for this purpose. May God move the hearts
of our people to heed this urgent call, and may
He, who has so richly blessed our labors, con-
tinue to prosper our work among the colored
people at all our mission stations.

——> - eo +

A Lesson for the Hard Times.

These are hard times, and our mission treas-
uries must suffer. This should not be. Many
of our people, itis true, can not give so much
as formerly, but there are many others whom
God has richly blessed and who have an abun-
dance. They should not do the mean thing
of excusing themselves with the ‘‘hard times.’’
These are the very times in which their faith
and love for mission work are tried. Seeing
others in want, they should give from their
abundance more liberally than at other times.
To them the Bible says, ‘‘Your abundance
may be a supply for their want,’’ 2 Cor. 8, 14.

A pastor, pleading with his congregation
for liberal gifts for the mission cause, said
that many warnings were given in the Script-
ures of the danger connected with the posses-
sion of much money. He would tell his hear-
ers the best way of meeting the danger, and
tell it by a story. And this is the story:

A cottage-at the foot of a hill was once
flooded by a stream which burst its banks,
and rushing into the cottage ruined it. The
poor old -woman who lived there went to a
neighbor to bewail her loss. Her furniture
was all spoiled, her home was entirely ruined.

“But, dear me!’? she said, ‘‘you have had
the flood as well as I, and it.does not seem to
have done muchharm. Howisthat?’? ‘‘Oh,”’
replied her neighbor, ‘‘when the water came
in at the back door I opened the front door,
and it ran through and just washed the floor
clean. Why didn’t you open the door and
let it run out??? Some people want that les-
son about their money. Often, when it runs
in, ié works much harm, because they do not
open the front door of giving to Christ’s cause
to let it out. Money hoarded and hugged be-
comes a burden and curse.