The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1923, Page 85

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aan The Lutheran Pioneer.

85

The following extract from the Director’s in-
teresting letter will give our readers the result of
his investigation : —

“Tn the eastern part of Greer, called Sunnyside,
stands a small new frame building, which was used
as a movie theater for the Colored people until
recently. ‘This building was our stopping-place.
Our coming Was unexpected. However, Rev. Fuller
soon succeeded in calling several persons together.
In my informal talk I stressed these points: First,
owing to the rapid expansion of our Colored Mis-
sions and the scarcity of laborers, we are not look-
ing for new fields. Secondly, the aim and object of

Rev. John W. Fuller.

our mission-work is not to provide an education for
Negro children, but to spread the knowledge of our
blessed Savior and to extend the borders of our
Lutheran Zion. During the discussion which fol-
lowed my informal talk one of the women said :
‘We would be glad to get a Lutheran church, even
if we-do not get a school.’ Jones Casey, who is
black in spite of his Irish name, made this state-
ment: ‘During the ten years that I have lived in
Sunnyside everything has been around here except
a church’ He and the others promised to send
their children not only to school, but also to Sunday-
school and to pay part of the expense of main-
tenance.

“The Negroes living in the eastern part of Greer
mostly own their own homes, which is a favorable

/

circumstance, since it will insure a more permanent
residence of our mission material.

“But let me also mention some unfavorable
circumstances. There are already three Colored
churches in Greer — Methodist, Baptist, and Holi-
ness (the sixteen Presbyterians have no church-
building and no services). The Baptist Association
maintains a school (in another part of town), which
had an enrolment of about 300, including children
from the country and from other places. Again,
the city and county are taking steps to erect a six-
yoom school about a mile away from the movie
theater. All this is inauspicious. However, our
people made the following explanations: 1. There
are unchurched Negroes in Greer, particularly in
Sunnyside. 2. Some parents would rather not send
their children to a Baptist school, where immersion
is stressed and made much of. 3. The new school
will not accommodate all children; and as the Lu-
theran school in Spartanburg is gradually making
the local public schools almost superfluous, so the
school which would be under Rev. Fuller’s direction
in Greer would also not have to fear competition.

“Rey. Fuller is eager to open a station at Greer
and has given me the assurance that he will not
slight the Spartanburg field. He is physically
strong and able to carry the additional burden.
I slept over the matter Sunday night, talked it
over once more with Pastor Fuller on Monday, and
in the afternoon made known to him my decision
to let him open a mission-station at Greer. He was
happy.”

Miss Eliza Johnston, a teacher of experience,
has been transferred from Charlotte, N.C., to take
charge of the new school at Greer. There is every
reason to believe that this competent teacher, by
God’s help, will do efficient work in the school, and
the faithful labors of Pastor Fuller, we hope, will
be richly blessed by the Lord. F. J. 1.

Roman Catholic Missions among the
Negroes and Indians.

Recently several archbishops of the Roman Cath-
olic Church in America sent out an earnest appeal
in behalf of the missions of their Church among
the Negroes and Indians in the United States. In
this appeal they give the following data, showing
the extent of the work conducted by the Roman
Catholics among the 300,000 Indians and 11,000,000
Negroes of our country : —