The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1923, Page 21

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

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21

When we left Selma,
rain was falling. The moisture-laden air
penetrated to the bone. The roads were muddy.
But to our joy forty-two people attended the service,
notwithstanding the fact that the weather was worse
than at any other time this winter.
walked two miles,

set aside for a special service.
a heavy

One woman
bringing with her three children
to be confirmed and the smaller ones to be baptized.
A case of love for the Savior and His Word.

The entire day was spent in our little building,
which serves as school and chapel. A special offer-
ing was lifted for a new building, which is badly
needed at this place. The collection amounted to
$28.83. This little congregation also pays $5 toward
the pastor’s salary each month.

After the service we drove our Ford over two
miles of lumber trail through the darkness and the
driving rain to baptize a sick boy. In this home,
the home of one of our newly confirmed members,
five children were baptized by us that evening.

This little service over, we headed our Ford
toward Selma, having been able to add fifteen souls
to the Chureh, and being again convinced that there
are in this world people whose love for God’s house
will cause them to walk through cold and rain to
hear the message of the Word. —G.A.8S

ALABAMA’S ANNUAL Report. — The Superin-
tendent reports that the church attendance shows
quite an improvement for 1923, though there is still
an opportunity for improvement. The average at-
tendance every Sunday in 1922 for the whole field
was 638. ‘The average Sunday-school attendance
for 1922 was 538. ‘The attendance at the Lord’s
Table is a pretty safe indication of the spiritual life
of a church. Such being the case, our Colored

Christians in Alabama give us cause to rejoice, for

the 520 communicant members of our Colored con-

gregations in that State attended the Lord’s Table

in 1922 no less than 1,536 times. The financial
goal which these mission-churches set for last year
was $3,000. Because of the general poverty of the
people of the Black Belt, men ‘acquainted with con-
ditions were afraid that the mark had been set too
high. However, the total contributions in the field
for last year amounted to no less than $3,525.03.
These earnest Christians have set the goal at the
$4,000 mark for 1923. During the year 1922, 232
baptized members were added to the various mission-
churches of this field. ‘Che Alabama Sunday-school
enrolment is 1,031; the day-school enrolment, 793.
The twenty-nine laborers in oe field, pastors and

teachers, made 5,971 visits in 1922, and the nine
pastors preached 890 times during the same period.

ALABAMA’S ‘TEactieRS’ ‘TRAINING-ScHooL.
This new institution has an enrolment of nine
students. he rented dwelling ‘is full to capacity.
A number of the Colored congregations have sent
food supplies for the school, and this has helped
greatly in keeping down the running expenses of
the institution. A friend of the school recently

presented this institution with a sewing-machine.

JUBILEE Service ar Possum Beno. — On
February 11 the congregation at this place cel-
ebrated the fifth anniversary of its organization.
Upon the occasion a neat sum was raised by the
celebrating congregation for its chapel fund.

BirmMincttam. — A year ago work at this place
was discontinued, but it has been resumed. The
first service was well attended and gives promise of
increasing attendance, which, no doubt, will mate-
rialize once it is known that the work has again
been taken up.

Moni.e. — For the past two years monty ser-
vices were held in this city in the school of Pastor
Hennig’s white congregation, which was kindly put
at the disposal of our Colored Christians. Now,
however, a house has been rented for the work, and
a Sunday-school has been organized. FJ. L.

Colored Mission Statistics for 1922.

For several years past the Director of Colored
Missions, Rev. C. F. Drewes, has carefully compiled
the statistics of our Negro Mission at the end of the
year and in this way given us all an opportunity
to note the progress of this blessed missionary enter-
prise of the Synodical Conference.

The statistical report of our Colored Missions
for the year 1922, as given in the February number,
gives much cause for thought and thanksgiving.
Compared with the previous year, a decided prog-
ress is to be recorded in practically every phase of
the work. Here are the totals as given for 1922
compared with 1921: Pastors, 30 (gain of +) ; con-
gregations and preaching-places, 57 (gain of 1); 3,
baptized members, 3,705 (gain, 252); communi-’
cant members, 2,105 (gain, 126); day-schools, 38
(gain, 3); day-school pupils, 2,684 (gain, 3+);
Sunday-school pupils, 2,729 (gain, 149). In the
course of the year our pastors baptized 246 persons .

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