The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 157

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

157

people in attendance to raise their estimation of
the work of our Church among the Negroes of
our country.

The service was attended by many white friends
from various congregations of Cleveland, among
them not a few of our pastors. The attendance of
colored people at this opening service was very
gratifying to the writer, who has in years past
helped to open a number of missions among the
Negroes. With one single exception it was the
best-attended opening of a colored mission that he
ever attended. What is still better, about half of
the Negroes in attendance took the trouble, after
the service, of evidencing their interest in the
missionary venture. The favorable location of
St. Peter’s Hall, the deep interest of Pastor Katt
and his people, and the zeal and enthusiasm of
Student Mueller dispose the writer to entertain
great hopes for the future of this new Negro mis-
sionary enterprise. If God will not withhold His
blessing, we feel that Cleveland will soon have a
flourishing Negro mission.

The movement to open a colored mission in
Cleveland was begun by St. Peter’s Lutheran
Church and, especially, by its zealous pastor.
St. Peter’s is located in what is rapidly becoming
the center-of Cleveland’s principal colored section.
Their location put the pastor and the members of
St. Peter’s in a position to see the vast opportunities
and to fecl the tremendous responsibilities in this
direction more than others; and for them to see
was to act. St. Peter’s first step was to put the use
of their Assembly Hall at the disposal of a colored
mission should one be begun. ‘This hall, up to
thirteen years ago, served the congregation as a
house of worship and is in every way well adapted
for mission purposes. Its seating capacity will be
ample. Besides, the congregation just recently
renovated the hall so it might have an inviting
Appearance. St. Peter’s then conducted an exten-
sive community canvass to find the unchurched
Negroes. No less than 160 members of the church
took part-in this canvass, which resulted in locating
850 unchurched colored people in the territory
bounded by GOth and 90th Sts. and Quincy and
Cedar Aves. Just prior to the opening of the mis-
sion the same canvassers covered the territory
bounded by Quincy and Woodland Aves. and 60th
and 90th Sts. To show its determination to do
things right, St. Peter’s called a student, who, under
the direction of its pastor, is to devote his entire
time and energy for the next year to the mission,

looking up prospects, doing personal mission-work,
and conducting services and Sunday-school. Student
Mueller arrived already a month before the open-
ing of the mission and during this time showed that
his heart is in the work.

The enterprise has the hearty endorsement of
the Greater Cleveland Pastoral Conference. The
Home Mission Board of the Central District has
also promised its support and has kindly agreed to
guarantee the salary of Student Mueller, while
St. Peter’s will provide and pay for his lodging.
An appeal has gone out to all the congregations of
Cleveland to help make this missionary endeavor
a success. .

In his appeal, Pastor Katt has pointed out to
our Cleveland churches three ways in which they
can help: “First, by praying for the new mission;
for ‘except the Lord build the house, they labor in
vain that build it.’ Secondly, by making the mis- .-
sion known wherever possible among the un-
churched colored people. Thirdly, by taking up
a collection for this mission, in order to reimburse
the Home Mission Treasury of the Central District
as much as possible for the money it is paying out
for this purpose, and sending it to the Central
District Treasurer for ‘Home Mission Treasury,
Colored Mission, Cleveland’ ”

We have good reason to believe that all our good
Christians in Cleveland will respond to this appeal
of Pastor Katt just as liberally as did St. Peter’s in
its morning service on the day of the opening of the
mission, when it collected $136 for this purpose.

Pastor Docter, editor of the Cleveland Lutheran
Messenger, has this to say of the new missionary
venture under the heading, “Our Negro Mission” :

“‘At last, then, our Lutheran Church will carry
on missionary work among the Negro population
of Cleveland, preaching the same Gospel among
these people that is proclaimed to you and helping
their souls: in the same way as yours. No one
familiar with conditions among the Negroes here
in Cleveland would deny that a great task is before
us. But it should not fill us with discouragement.
Do not let us say: ‘It’s no use; nothing can be
done!? Let us not, after a half-hearted attempt,
give up. Rather, may the greatness of the task
arouse us all to greater zeal, to a general parti-
cipation on the part of our whole membership.

The Messenger bespeaks for this, our newest
mission in Cleveland, the heartfelt prayers, the
gifts, and the cooperation of all loyal Lutherans.
The labor will not be in vain.” F.J.L.