The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 38

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER. 7

37

W. FF. Troeger delivered a sermon based on Luke
3523:

The October issue of this periodical reported
the installation of Rev. McDavid, the first colored
missionary of our Church on the Pacific coast. At
this writing, only four months later, the above good
news can be reported. After a quarter of a year of
earnest labor on the part of the missionary the rare
opportunity was offered of obtaining a very desirable
church edifice at the low price of $6,000, and the
mission board wisely made the purchase. This sum
was paid out of the chapel fund of Southern Cali-
fornia and the general chapel fund for colored mis-
sions. Plans have been perfected as to the payment
of the rest which inspire confident expectation of
success by the grace of God.

St. Paul’s Chapel is located at 666 E. 36th St.,
Los Angeles. The building is 3650 feet. There
is a large vestibule on the right 715 feet with two
large doors at each end. ‘To the left of this is
a Sunday-school room 1515 feet, with a seating
capacity of 40. To the left of this is another
Sunday-school room 715 feet. The main audi-
torium is 3636 feet, with a seating capacity of
175. The auditorium and the larger Sunday-school
room are furnished: with opera chairs. In the back
of the auditorium is a rostrum 6X15 feet, and to
the right of this a choir platform 6X10 feet. In
the ceiling are two concealed lights and artistic
drop-lights on the side-walls between the windows.
In the rear of the auditorium is a vestry 810 feet,
and to the left of this are the toilets.. In the base-
ment is a gas furnace. The windows are of orna-
mental and frosted glass. In the backyard is a
building 1418 feet. Both the exterior and in-
terior of the church were repainted, and the building
presents a very neat appearance. At the dedication
it was decorated with a profusion of potted and cut
flowers and palms.

St. Paul’s Congregation has 8 voting members,
32 communicants, and 50 souls. It is composed of
members of two stations, which were served by Pas-
tors J. W. Theiss and W. FF. Troeger. May this
newly established congregation grow and prosper
for the promotion of God’s glory and the salvation
of immortal souls! H. OsterHus.

—_—-s>———————_

New Mission at Jacksonville, Ill.

At the time when the Christians of the newly
founded churches of Macedonia and Achaia were
collecting funds for the ministering to the saints of

Jerusalem, Paul wrote to the congregation at Cor-
inth: “Your zeal hath provoked very many.” To
the end that the zeal for mission-work shown by
those spoken of in the following may provoke many
te like deeds, these lines are written.

It was in the spring of 1919 that Holy Trinity,
our colored congregation at Springfield. Tl., lost
a faithful member. This member was Mrs. Lula
White, who moved to Jacksonville, Ill. She had not
been connected with the Lutheran Church very long.
For years and years she had been led about in the
maze of sectarianism, not knowing the true light
that leads to heaven. But now that she had found
the Lutheran Church, or rather, that the Lutheran
Church had found her, she rejoiced in its pure
teachings and simple Gospel-preaching.

She was convinced that the Lutheran Church is
the hope of her people. She saw how the people of

Chapel at Jacksonville, Ill.

her race were being led by blind leaders of the blind.
What was to be done? There was no colored Lu-
theran church in Jacksonville. She and her
daughter Ada could attend the white Lutheran
church of that city; her daughter was privileged
to attend the Lutheran day-school there. But what
about the many colored: people of the city who did
not know the Savior? She was convinced that they
could not be induced to attend our white church
there.

With undaunted zeal and firm faith in Him who
has promised that His Word shall not return unto
Him void, she took the first steps toward establish-
ing a colored mission in Jacksonville. Upon the
advice of Pastor J. G. Kuppler of that city she
gathered as many as she found willing to listen to
the Word in her own home. There Pastor Kuppler,
an ardent friend’ of missions, who already was bur-
dened with many pastoral and missionary duties,
came and instructed those whom Mrs. White had
brought together. The work progressed nicely for