The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1925, Page 110

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110

A Mission Journey to Our Southernmost
Posts in Alabama.

On May 28 the undersigned left Mobile in his
car to meet Pastor G. A. Schmidt, Superintendent
of our Alabama Colored Missions, at Atmore, Ala.
After a delightful trip across historic Mobile Bay
he traveled from Fairhope, Ala., to Atmore, arriv-
ing there after a three-and-a-half-hour trip. Hav-
ing upon his arrival promptly met Superintendent
Schmidt, both immediately set out to look up
several Lutherans in Atmore and vicinity. About
five miles east of Atmore, at a place called Canoe,
we have three members. We knew that they lived
somewhere near Canoe, but did not know the exact
locality. While trying to make a guess at the site
of the dwelling of these people, we noticed a cotton
wagon ahead of us. On it were two Negroes. We
hailed them, and when we had come up to them,
Pastor Schmidt exclaimed, “Why, there are our
folks!”
them there, for otherwisé we hardly would have
found them. It was the Lord of the harvest who
had arranged matters so that we thus found one
another. After greeting them, we asked them
where they lived and received the necessary direc-
tions.
home of these people. The father and his brother,
whom we met on the road, are not as yet members
of our church. But the three children at home are.
The children were at work in the field, so we had

to wait for them. While doing this, we spoke about

our Lutheran Church to Bob Watson and his
brother Ed. Both said they wished to join our
church.

In the mean time the three children came home.
Upon seeing Pastor Schmidt, whom they remem-
bered from Buena Vista days, their faces fairly
beamed with happiness. When Pastor Schmidt

asked them if they had joined another church, they
answered in the negative. They told us that a sec-
tarian preacher had several times approached them
with regard to joining his flock. But they remained
trie and loyal to our Lutheran Church and would
not even attend a Sunday-school in a sectarian
church. Despite all temptations they remained
steadfast, although they were without a church of
their faith. I am sure our readers will rejoice with
us over such loyalty. Having received promises
from these people that they would attend our ser-
Vice on the following night, we returned to Atmore.

The next day we spent in looking up some more

of our people in the neighborhood. One family we

It was fortunate indeed for us to meet -

An hour afterwards we set out to go to the’

_ properly garnered !

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

found after a trip of thirty-nine miles through
woods and fields. The service, held in the home of
Mary Montgomery, one of the first Lutherans con-
firmed in Alabama by the sainted Pastor Bakke,
was attended by nineteen people. During this ser-
vice a child was received into the church by Bap-
tism, and seven partook of the Lord’s Supper. On
our trip in and about Atmore we found no less than
twenty-seven Lutherans! All of these had formerly
lived at Buena Vista, Ala., and had been received
into membership there, but later had moved to the
fertile farms of Atmore.

After having made a sick-call to the bedside of
Mary Montgomery in the Atmore Infirmary, we
left that town for Mobile, arriving there Saturday
afternoon. Here, too, we paid visits to members
and prospects, and on Sunday night we had an
attendance of sixty-seven colored people. During
this service another child was baptized, and seven-
teen came to Communion. Our membership in
Faith Church, Mobile, comprises thirty-nine souls.
In September, 1924, we had but fifteen souls.

The last lap of our journey brought us to Pensa-
cola, Fla. Here we discovered fourteen Lutherans.
Two families announced their intention to join.
The service, conducted in the sacristy of Immanuel
Lutheran Church, the Rev. W. C. Schrader, pastor,
was attended by fourteen. Here, too, Holy Com-
munion was celebrated, and the number of com-
municants was seven. On the following morning
three children were baptized. All told, a hundred
souls heard the preaching of the Word on this trip
of ours, five were baptized, and thirty-one were
guests at the Lord’s Table.

So we can readily see that. the harvest truly
looks promising! In closing, let me state that one
of our Mobile teachers, Channie Bonner, will carry
on mission-work and open a Sunday-school in At-
more. The undersigned will preach at Atmore on
the first and third Sundays of the month, at
10 o’clock in the morning. This will give him
enough time to return to Mobile for the evening
service; on the second and fourth Tuesday of the
month he will hold services at Pensacola, Fla.

May our Lord abide with us, leading us, as He
did at Canoe and Atmore, to our members! May
He continue to bless the work of our hands, so that
the great harvest in Alabama and Florida may be
Witr1am F. SouInk.

— Ee

“EVERY CHURCH should support two pastors —
one for the thousands at home, the other for the
millions abroad.”