The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 148

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148

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

daughter of St. Paul’s was served by Pastor Wild-
grube till November, 1925. On November 15 Pastor
S. Thies, till then pastor at Geneseo, IIl., was in-
stalled as pastor of Trinity. He also teaches at the
mission-school, which is attended by 45 pupils. The
congregation has experienced a slight increase. It
has 5% baptized and 50 confirmed members. The
services are well attended.

5. Bethlehem, New Orleans. (Founded in 1887.
Missionary: G. M. Kramer,* since August, 1907.)
From the viewpoint of service, Pastor Kramer is the
senior among our missionaries. He has been serv-
ing the same congregation since he entered the
colored work nineteen years ago. This speaks well
for Pastor Kramer. Pastor Kramer is better known
to the readers of our German missionary periodical,
Die Missionstaube, than he is to the readers of the
PIONEER since he frequently writes most interesting
articles for the former. Besides serving as pastor of
Bethlehem, he is also the superintendent of the
Louisiana field, in which capacity he renders most
valuable and highly appreciated services. His con-
gregation is one of the best congregations of our
Negro Missions. The present baptized membership
is 229, an increase of 20 persons in the past. two
years. Last Easter he had the pleasure of confirming
his largest class of confirmands, thirteen, among
them several adults. The mission-school is attended
by 241 pupils; the Sunday-school has an enrol-
ment of 145.

6. Concordia, New Orleans. (Founded 1912.)
Pastor Kramer* serves also this congregation, which
is in Carrollton, a suburb of New Orleans. This
congregation had but a slight growth in the past two
years. It has a baptized membership of 40 and a
communicant membership of 31. The school, whose
teachers were Peter Robinson and Eldria Taylor,
had an enrolment last school-year of 112. ‘The
Sunday-school has 73 pupils. Though the total
baptized membership of this congregation is only
forty, there is an average attendance of 37 at the
services on Sunday mornings and of 20 at the
Wednesday evening services. ‘

7. St. Paul's, Napoleonville. (Founded in 1905.
Missionary: Wilfred J. Tervalon, since 1925.) This
station gives much cause for worry. ‘The prospects
are not bright, largely due to the lodges, which are
yery strong here. Then, too, there have been de-
creases due to removals. The congregation numbers
only 18 baptized members, while the communicant
membership is 18. A decrease of 13 members in the

me last two years must be recorded. Missionary Ter-
_yalon writes: “I have again and again tried to gain

the parents’ consent to baptize or confirm a number
of children in my school, but in vain. I shall try
once more in September, when the children come
back to school. I hope to gain a few. The
indications are that the enrolment of our school
will be larger this fall.” — Missionary Tervalon is
of the opinion that a mission ought to be opened in
Baton Rouge, the capital of the State. Baton Rouge
is about sixty miles from Napoleonville. The matter
will be investigated.

&. St. Paul’s, Mansura. (Rural congregation.)
Founded in 1899. Missionary: C. P. ‘Thompson, °
since 1925.) Missionary Thompson, who is a child
of St. Paul’s, was transferred here last fall. The
congregation is developing satisfactorily under his
leadership. The present baptized membership is
112 (26 more than two years ago) ; communicant
membership, 66. The school is well attended. When
I last visited the school, May 5, it was a very rainy
day, and yet I counted six double seats which had
,three occupants each. This fall ten more children
of the congregation will be of school age. This
prospective increase in the enrolment of the school
has led the congregation to consider the feasibility
of building a large room under the chapel. At the
time of my visit the congregation was adding a
sacristy to the chapel and beautifying the altar. The
people are paying for these improvements them-
selves; they amount to $300. I shall never forget
the beautiful words of appreciation spoken by one
of the deacons of the church at Mansura in acknowl-
edgment of all that the white Lutherans have done
for them and their children in the twenty-six years
of the congregation’s existence. Missionary Thomp-
son says in his report: “The work is progressing
well. ‘The outlook is promising. I am just now
instructing six adults and expect to organize a still
larger class in the near future. Our members are
enthusiastic church-workers. ‘Their one desire is to
become self-supporting. I encourage them in this
wish all I can.” — This mission-station lies about
two and a half miles from the village of Mansura.
Years ago it was called Cocoville; now that most of
the people are Lutherans, it is called Lutherville.
Twenty-six years ago the Lutheran Church was
wholly unknown in that locality.

9. Augustana, Alexandria. (Founded in June,
1923. Missionary: I. R. Berger, since September 14,
1924.) The number of baptized members is almost
twice that of two years ago. Despite the dis-
graceful condition of the building in which the
mission is housed the membership increased from
34 to 57. Two years ago $6,000 were appropriated