The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1924, Page 80

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80

The Lutheran Pioneer.

81. Trinity, Elon. (Founded in 1891. Mis-
sionary W.. H. Lash, since October, 1923.) The
baptized membership has grown from 11 to 18 since
last fall, and the services are attended, on an aver-
age, by twenty persons.

Our North Carolina field comprises 21 con-
gregations and preaching-places with a baptized
membership of 1,177 and a confirmed membership
of 694.

South Carolina.

82. St. Luke's, Spartanburg. (Founded in
1913. Missionary John W. Fuller, since December,
1920.) The baptized membership has increased by
eighteen during the past two years and now num-
bers 90. The services are well attended: in the
morning by 94 persons, in the evening, on an aver-
age, by 84. The pastor, Miss Pearl Windsor, and
Student H. Rivers last year taught 172 children in
the day-school. More room is needed for the
school. The Sunday-school has an enrolment of
130 pupils and is the second largest in our mission.

83. Greer. This town is situated eighteen miles
west of Spartanburg. Last fall Pastor Fuller took
up the work here and has so far gained eight mem-
bers. Last October a day-school was opened, and
Miss Eliza Johnston was put in charge. The school
was attended by 60 pupils, and the parents of these
children praise the school very highly. One mother
told the writer: “It’s just scan’lous de way she
learns de chillun de Bible.” (Of course, she used
the word “scandalous” in a good sense.) A man
had this to say of the school and teacher: “She’s
the grandest teacher that has ever been here in
Greer. It is surprising how she learns the children
out of the Bible. My parents sent me to Sunday-
school; but my children loses me in the Bible.
I have to look it up. Other parents say the same
thing of their children: ‘They just stump us in
religion.’ My children learned more this one year
than they: did in three years in two other schools.
We all want Miss Johnston to come back.”

The Alabama Field.

In the Black Belt of Alabama lies our latest and
most promising mission-field. Though the work
was begun here only in January, 1916, we have
' to-day no less than 1,257 baptized members be-
longing to our Church in this State. The super-
intendent of the field is Pastor G. A. Schmidt. The
members of this field are still in the happy days of
their first love, and in many respects our congrega-
tions remind one of the golden age of the Christian
Church. All that have visited this new field haye

returned filled with wonder at what God is doing
here and praise the Lord for the manifestations of
the power of His Gospel as shown in our Negro
congregations of Alabama.

34. Christ, Rosebud, Wilcox Co. (Founded in
1916. Missionary Charles Peay, since September,
1921. He lives in Oak Hill.) Here is where we
began to work in Alabama. As it is the first, so
this congregation is also our largest charge in Ala-
bama. We have here a baptized membership of
211, a confirmed membership of 103, and a voting
membership of 19. The people of Rosebud love
their Lutheran Church and‘are ready to tell any-
body of their love. The old chapel and school, one
building, is in a bad condition and should be re-
placed by a new building. The cost of a new build-
ing would not exceed $1,500.

35. St. Paul’s, Oak Hill, Wilcox Co. (Founded
in 1916. Missionary C. Peay, since August, 1917.)
This is our second oldest and second largest charge
in Alabama. Baptized membership, 121; con-
firmed membership, 73. During the months of
April, May, and June twenty-three new members
were received. At present eight adults and two
children are being prepared for confirmation.

86. Our Savior, Possum Bend, Wilcox Co.
(Founded in 1916. Missionary Edward A. West-
cott,* since August, 1921.) Baptized membership,
79; confirmed membership, 41. The church is
about four miles from Camden;
members heard that there were people in Camden
who would visit the Lutheran services at Possum
Bend if they had a way of getting there, they at
once bought a Gospel-wagon for the convenience of
these prospective churchgoers. Since then one may
see this Gospel-wagon every Sunday, drawn by two
mules, filled with churchgoers, wending its slow
way from Camden to Possum Bend and return.
Surely the manifestation of a fine missionary spirit
on the part of the people of Possum Bend! — When
the congregation celebrated its fifth anniversary two
years ago, one T'om Williams was present at the
celebration of the Lord’s Supper. He had been e
deacon in some sectarian church for forty years.
The Word found root in his heart. Later he said:
“Tf ever I wanted to partake of the Lord’s Supper,
it was on that Sunday.” He went home with the
resolution to become a Lutheran member. He car-
ried out his resolution and is to-day a faithful
member of our Church. It is only when the creek
between his house and the chapel is swollen so high
by the heavy rains as to make passage impossible
that his place in church is vacant. Then there is

and when the.