The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1922, Page 11

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

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God keep and preserve the faith of these who were
received into the true Church on the birthday of
Tlis Son!

During the year 1921 eleven hundred and sixty-

$2,000 will build a chapel like this.

four persons went to Holy Communion in the
various stations of our Alabama ficld. Six years
ago there was not a known Negro Lutheran in the
entire State of Alabama, and to-day the records
show that nearly twelve hundred Negro Lutherans,
born and reared on the plantations of the “Black
Belt,” confess Luther’s faith by kneeling around
the Lord’s altar! Those of you who are supporting
our mission read again Is. 55, 11, rejoice in the
Lord, and increase your contributions for the cause.
During the year over two thousand and five hundred

We need more buildings like this in Alabama.

dollars was collected among our Alabama Negro
members! ‘This is truly wonderful when we con-
sider the condition of the people from whom this
money came. ‘The crops were very, very poor last

year, and many were not able to pay the rent for
the land, to say nothing of the fertilizer, food, cloth-
ing, ete. Then, too, many worked and are working
for less than a dollar a day. Nineteen hundred and
twenty-one saw the baptism of 4 adults and 44 chil-
dren, the confirmation of 23 adults and 37 children.
No, there were no new stations opened. — Looking
over the above figures, ask yourself the question:
Does mission-work among the Negroes really pay?
The only answer is, “Yes.” — Watch Alabama’s
record for 1922. With God’s help we hope to show
you a good “starter” by Easter. :

The hearts of the children at Vredenburgh,
Buena Vista, and Tinela were made happy during
the Christmas season by the receipt of a number of
picture-books from the Walther League of Zion
Lutheran Church of Snohomish, Wash. The books
were sent by Miss Bertha Nemitz. God bless these
friends in the far Northwest who have ¢o kindly
remembered the little Colored boys and girls in the
“Black Belt”? of Alabama! Besides the little bag of
candy, the picture-book was all that many of them
received during the Christmas season. So you see,
dear friends, what .may have seemed small to you
meant much to us. Once more we thank you.

R. O. L. L.

Notes on Our Statistical Report.

The apparent increase during the past year has
been greater than is apparent, due to the fact that
a number of our missionaries have pruned their
membership lists very closely. Names of persons
who had been carried on the lists though absent for
years have been taken off. In one case 19 names
were canceled in this way and for this cause, in
another 65.

The Mission is conducting 35. mission-schools,
in which 13 male teachers, 9 pastors, and 35 lady
teachers are instructing 2,650 pupils. This decrease
in the number of pupils is due to several reasons.
For one thing, the school at Plaquemine was ordered
out of the lodge-hall, and a new building has not
yet been completed. The small room that is being
used in Plaquemine for school purposes can accom-
modate only 32 children, while in the hall 98 were
enrolled. Owing to the great onrush of children in
Alabama and the lack of room to take care of all
that came, a tuition fee of $1 per year was charged
last year. This had the desired effect, and reduced
the enrolment by 227 pupils. Strange to say, how-
ever, the average daily attendance was just as good