The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1916, Page 13

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

13

if our work is to be continued. The question is
this: Shall we abandon the field, and send the
more than hundred children we have in our school
out into the streets again, from where we have
gathered them during the past three years that we
have been working there?

Pastor Kramer writes that the nearest public
school is almost three miles distant. Le also in-
forms us that, when our school was first opened
there, children nine, ten, and thirteen years of age
came who had never attended a school before, who
could neither read nor write, and who knew nothing
of God nor their Savior. The school soon num-
bered over a hundred pupils, and if there had
been room and a greater teaching force, the num-
ber could have been increased, for there were still
not a few children who were spending their days
on the streets.

Of course, the services have not been attended
by a large number of grown people, despite the
numerous invitations extended to them; but this
may, to a certain extent, be attributed to the dilapi-
dated condition of the old hall, which has been the
home of our mission during the past year; and
this indifference of the adults should not discourage
us as long as we have so large a nnomber of chil-
dren to work upon in our school. St. Paul’s Mis-
sion in New Orleans, to-day our largest Colored
congregation, in its first years did not grow through
the direct work of the missionary among the grown
people, but rather through the work done in our
school. ‘The adults, however, came later. And we
do not doubt that eventually not only the children,
but also the adults will be drawn to us in Car-
rollton. Surely, it would be a great pity were we
to give up our field in Carrollton, as long as we
have the opportunity to reach more than a hundred
children daily through our school.

Let our kind readers consider the case carefully,
and we feel certain that they will have to come to
the conclusion that there is but one alternative:
namely, that of providing an adequate home for
our mission in Carrollton as soon as possible, in
order that the good work may goon. ‘F. «J. Ta.

Always Hear Good Sermons.

“Some folks,” said Rastus Johnson, an old

Colored deacon, “go to church with a pitchfork;
and they pitch a little piece of the sermon first
‘at one acquaintance and then another, till there

is none left for themselves; and then they find
fault with the preacher. I like to see folk take
a rake with ‘em and draw up all the little bits that
do *em good and take *em home with ’em. Those
that do this always hear good sermons.”

——_—___—9-.

Items of Interest from the Colored
Mission Field.

GreEeNnsBoro, N. C.— On January 1, Rev. Lynn
received a new adult member into his Grace Church
by Holy Baptism. ‘I'wo others, who were to be re-
ceived at the same time, were prevented from ap-
pearing on account of illness. God willing, these
will, however, be received in the near future.

New Or.eans. — We rejoice to be able to tell
our readers that Rev. Ed. Schmidt, of St. Paul’s,
has declined the call to Jonesville, Ind., but are
sorry to be obliged to say that Rev. Friedrich, of
Mount Zion, after conscientious consideration, has
come to the conclusion that he must accept the
call of the white St. John’s Church at New Orleans.
Rey. Friedrich has been a faithful and successful
worker, and his departure will be a decided loss
for our Colored Mission.

ALABAMA. — Our readers will rejoice to hear
of the promising new field which has been opened
for us in Alabama. Field Secretary Bakke lett
St. Louis on the 11th of last month to take tempo-
rary charge of the field. Illness prevented Rev. Lane
from accompanying Rey. Bakke, but he was able
to follow a few days later.

ATLANTA, GA. — At last Atlanta is to have
chapel! The contract for the new building, whicl
is to cost $900, was signed a few wecks ago, and
we hope that when this reaches our readers the
workmen may be busy. ,

Mount Preasant, N; C.— The parsonage at
Mount Pleasant is to get an addition at a cost -
of $190.

Sraristics oF Our CoLorep Misston. — At they
end of 1915, the total number of members in our
Misssion was 2,221. ‘I'he communicant member-
ship was 1,164, a gain of 120 over the preceding
year. ‘The yoting membership was 276. Our
schools had a total enrolment of 2,262, a gain ‘over
1914 of almost 300 pupils. The’ number of bap-
tisms was 143, a gain of 41 over the year before.
The number confirmed was gratifyingly large, 172

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