The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1924, Page 18

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18

The Lutheran Pioneer.

sionary John McDavid, since July, 1905.) The
baptized membership grew from 158 to 172 during
the last two years. The people are mostly poor and
move about greatly. Only a short distance from
-our church is a stately sectarian church. The day-
-school suffered last year because Rev. McDavid, who
has charge of four congregations, could no longer
-assist, and also because a large public school was
-opened very near our school, which has its home in
the basement of the church. The property stands
in great need of repairs.

14. Mount Zion, Charlotte. (Founded 1896.
Missionary J. McDavid.) The baptized member-
‘ship has grown from 56 to 60. No increase is to
be expected, since this church is located in a part
-of town where the well-to-do white people are locat-
ing. Our members, though few in number, are in
-pretty good circumstances, and their church contri-
butions last year averaged $10 per communicant.

15. Bethel, Charlotte. (Founded in September,
1911. Missionary J. McDavid, since June, 1923.)
‘This station has not made much progress. The
baptized membership is 58, the confirmed member-
ship 37. The school has an enrolment of 40 pupils
:and was conducted by Miss Letha Sizer.

16. Bethlehem, Monroe. (Founded in 1900.
Missionary J. McDavid, since June, 1923.) A few
‘years ago this congregation had only six souls left;
‘to-day it has increased to 27. ‘Teacher Gordon
Ferguson last winter taught 40 children in the day-
school. The Sunday-school has an average atten-
-dance of 33, and the average church attendance
is 40. The missionary writes: “The people here
sare enthusiastic about their church.”

17. Mount Calvary, Mount Pleasant. (Founded
‘in 1893. Missionary Frank D. Alston, since July,
1928. He lives in Charlotte.) Many of the former
members of this church now belong to our congre-
gations at Concord and Drys Schoolhouse. A few
_ good members still remain, and they do all they

can; but the prospects are not favorable. Our
church is separated from the little town by a wood;
hence but few strangers ever find it. Baptized
‘membership, 96; communicant membership, 63.
Seven children and twenty-three adults are tem-
porarily absent. The average church attendance is
10 children and 33 adults.

18. St. Peter's, Drys Schoolhouse. (Founded

in 1897. Missionary F. D. Alston, since July,
1923.) Communicant membership, 26; baptized
‘membership, 34. We have a most faithful mem-
bership at this place, a flock that would not be
diable to go astray even though without a shepherd

‘the average church attendance is 39.

for years. The members keep the property in the
best possible condition and take pride in doing so.
Some time ago they surprised their pastor by put-
ting a beautiful altar carpet in the church, re-
placing the old choir chairs by new ones, and pro-
curing a new Communion service. For the writer
it is always a great pleasure to visit this congre-
gation.

19. Mount Calvary, near Kannapolis. (Founded
July 6, 1902. Missionary IF. D. Alston, since July,
1919.) This congregation is growing niore rapidly
than any of our other churches in North Carolina.
The baptized membership grew from 49 to 107 in
the past two years. The services are attended on
an average by 49 children and 51 adults. These
services are held on Sunday afternoons. As. the
church is getting too small, the congregation last
year built an addition measuring 30 by 36 feet.
The total cost of this addition was $1,200, of which
the people paid half. The labor was also largely
furnished by the members, who worked without pay.
The old chapel now serves as a school. Last year
the enrolment at the school was 45, almost all of
the pupils being Lutheran children. Jxcellent
work is being done in the school. Our members
have proved excellent workers and have succeeded
in bringing in almost all the unchurched of the
neighborhood. While the Sunday-school enrolment
is only 83, the attendance is at times as high as 111.
Our members let their light shine before men to
the glory of their heavenly Father. Here is what
the owner of a store in Kannapolis said some time
ago: “I tell you, men, I haven’t got much to say
about these colored churches around here; half of
them are doing no good. But there is one colored
church I would place ahead of all colored churches

and equal with a whole lot of these white churches, ~

and that is that little Lutheran church over there
in Texas.” (The neighborhood where our church

is located used to be known as Sandy Ridge, but is

now called Texas.)

_ 20. St. John’s, Salisbury. (Founded i in August,
1895. Missionary Carrington R. March, since June,
1923.) This was always a hard field to cultivate
and still is. The baptized membership is 37, while
This com-
paratively good church attendance gives some rea-
son for hope that better days may come.

21. Bethel, Conover. (Founded in 1895. Mis-
sionary C.R. March, since January, 1924.) This
station has taken a new lease of life. Jive years
ago there was but one member left, for which reason
the chapel was sold and the field abandoned. But

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