The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1920, Sheet 77

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

expanding and needs so many new men and in-
creased financial support. (Pastor Bakke kindly
accepted the office and has already entered upon his
duties,.as our readers may sce from his article in
this issue of the Pronrer. He intends te make
Milwaukee his headquarters.)

6. That the Board be encouraged to increase the
salaries according to prevailing conditions. (Con-
ference adopted this resolution after hearing that
a 30 per cent. raise of salaries had been made in
the past two years, and that the committee was of
the opinion that the salaries should receive another
increase of 25 per cent., because the salaries received
by the workers are still greatly out of proportion
to the high cost of living.)

%. That the subscription price of the PIoNEER
and the Missionstaube be increased to 50 cents per
year. (The high cost of paper and labor made it
necessary to take this step. We hope that none of
our readers will find it desirable to cancel his sub-
scription, since that would only make bad matters
worse. )

8. The Conference urged the erection of the fol-
lowing buildings, as soon as the necessary funds
were available: A $30,000 Girls’ Dormitory at
Greensboro; a professor’s dwelling at Greensboro

- when necessary; chapels at Napoleonville, La.,
Albemarle, N.C., Plaquemine, La., Ingomar and
Tate Place, Ala.; and a High School and Normal
for the Alabama field, as soon as circumstances
permit.

9. The needs of Winston-Salem, N.C., and At-
lanta, Ga., shall be thoroughly looked into by the

Director of Missions, and the Board will then be.

asked to take the necessary steps to supply the
needs. —

After having read this far, dear friend, you will
have begun to realize that the Synodical Conference
was convinced that the Colored Mission stands in
need of very strong fmancial support. But let me
assure you that these resolutions were passed and
these appropriations were made after a very careful
survey of the whole situation. Those gathered at
Milwaukee saw clearly that God had opened the
-door unto us. wider than ever, and that all the cir-
cumstances and conditions cried loudly, “Now is
the time for you to act; don’t let the golden oppor-
tunity pass by!” And trusting that you would see

as they saw, they made these large appropriations. °

To carry out the building program as outlined above
_ under Nos. 8 and 9 will probably require the sum
of $125,000. This is a large sum, a very large sum,

,

75

we admit; but if we do not want to let the harvest
which God is offering us go to waste, we shall need
that sum for the “barns and granaries,” that is, the
churches and schools.

But there is another money-matter that must not
be forgotten. No. 6, above, tells you that the Con-
ference encouraged the Board to do the right thing
by the workers in the way of increasing their sal-
aries when necessary. <As a result of this recom-
mendation, the Board has in mind to give the
workers an increase of 25 per cent. And this will
mean that the running expenses of our Negro Mis-
sion, exclusive of the money needed for the erecting
of new buildings, will be about $125,000 a year!

All told, then, the Colored Mission Board will
need $250,000 in the next twelve months, if it is
to carry out the program of the Synodical Confer-
ence. This is a very large sum, indeed; but if all
of us do our share, it will not mean so very much
for each one of us. An average of THIRTY CENTS
from each communicant member of the Synodical
Conference will make up the sum. That would
mean a contribution of $30.00 from a congregation
of 100 communicants and a collection of $75.00
from a congregation having 250 confirmed members!
May God give us all willing hearts and hands, so
that the blessed work may not be hindered by any
one of us! \

There is one more thing that we shall have to
tell you in the way of news. The three conferences
of Colored Mission workers sent in a petition, asking
that permission be granted them to form a synodical
district of their own. This request shows that the
work is rapidly progressing. The matter being of
such far-reaching importance and the Synodical
Conference not having the time to give it that con-
sideration which it deserves, it was referred to the
Mission Board for further consideration with other
brethren. - The Colored Mission workers also have
been requested to consider the matter carefully in
all its ramifications in their conferences during the
next two years, that is, till the next meeting of the .
Synodical Conference. F. J. L.

Outlook of Our Missions at Napoleon-
ville and Plaquemine, La.
=

DEAR READER: —

When you notice in the columns of this issue
of the PIoNEER news from Napoleonville, you will,
no doubt, expect to read good news, or at least more