The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 165

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

165

bers of our Alabama congregations who had gone
to Pensacola were so insistent with their requests
that we come and preach the Gospel there that we
finally felt compelled to take up the work there.
Missionary Kreft visits Pensacola once a month.
The white congregation of Pastor Schrader permits
us to use the sacristy of their beautiful church.
But there is one great drawback — the church is
far removed from the Negro section of the city.
The Superintendent believes that intensive work
in Pensacola would show good results. A chapel on
a suitable site would cost about $8,000.

56. St. John’s, Joffre, Autauga Co. (Rural
charge. Founded in 1917. Missionary: Paul J. G.
Weeke,* since March, 1924.) Persons, 42 (gain, 5) ;
communicants, 22; ‘voters, 8. Pastor Weeke’s
second station is ;

57. Bethlehem, Holy Ark, Autauga Co. (Rural
charge. Founded in 1922. Missionary: Paul J. G.
Weeke,* since March 1924.) Persons, 73 (gain, 8) ;
communicants, 49 (gain, 15).

58. Slate Normal School, Montgomery. Mis-
sionary Weeke lives in Montgomery. In that city
there is a large State Normal School for the
colored. ‘The weekly services which Pastor Weeke
conducts there are attended, on an average, by 150.
The students come from all parts of the State.

59. Veterans’ Hospital, Tuskegee, Ala. Near the
famous colored school at Tuskegee our Government
has erected a large hospital for colored veterans.
Pastor Weeke has called attention to his work in
the columns of the PIoNEER. :

60. Pilgrim, Birmingham. (Founded in 1928.
Missionary: Wm. Eddleman, since October 4, 1925.)
Superintendent Schmidt writes: “A building is
& crying need here.
The colored sectarian churches here are in many
instances handsome structures. Our Lutheran
Negroes have turned their backs upon the outward
attractiveness and splendor of these churches and
serve God in the Church which has become dear to
them. I believe a large congregation ‘could’ be
gathered in Birmingham if we could give to our
faithful ~colored Lutherans a- church) and school
where they could gather without being disturbed.”

Persons, 61 (gain, 23) ;- communicants, 48 -(gain, -

19) ; voters, 15.

: 61. °Prinity, Selma, Ala. (Bounded in 1919.
Missionary : Prof. Paul Lehman, since 1924.) The -

services are held in the chapel of the new college.

Prof. Lehman preaches twice every Sunday and:

also makes a considerable number of visits during

It would cost about $15,000. -

the week. A new school was erected on the college
property in September, 1925, at a cost of $2,800.
By building on the college campus, we saved $700.
The children of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas gave
$3,689 for this purpose. The school is attended
by 125 pupils; it also serves as a practise school.

The school in East Selma has not been
abandoned. When Mrs. H. Baxter, the teacher,
was asked, “How much salary do you expect?” she
answered, “Whatever the church wants to give
me.” She gets from $10 to $25 a month according
to what the congregation in Selma finds itself able
to pay. She is teaching 65 pupils. The congre-
gation has a baptized membership of 70 (gain 19),
a communicant membership ‘of 50, and 13 voting
members.

IsoLATED CONGREGATIONS.

62. St. Paul’s, Los Angeles, Cal. — Pastor
W. Troeger in Santa Monica, and- Pastor J. W.
Theiss, in Los Angeles, for a number of years faith-
fully cared for the spiritual needs of the Lutheran
Negroes who came from New Orleans. After
repeated requests of the brethren of Southern
California our Board of Missions took over the
work last summer and transferred Pastor John
McDavid from Charlotte'to Los Angeles. He was
installed there September 13, 1925. -A suitable
church was bought for $6,002.80. For this purpose
there was in the treasury $1,608.37. Temporarily
our Mission Treasury has advanced, the remainder.
Dedication took place January 17, 1926. The con-
gregation numbers 11 voting members, 40 com-
municants, and 66 souls. Missionary McDavid has
preached in Oakland several times.

63. St. Mark’s, Atlanta, Ga. (Organized 1913.
Missionary: John Alston, since 1919.) The con-
gregation has grown. Communicant members, 38
(increase, 9); souls, 52 (increase, 19). Barly in
April, 1926, the Mission Board acquired by purchase
a building site at the corner of Arthur and
McDaniel Sts., where a new chapel will be erected.
The lot measures 60100 feet, and it cost $500.
Street improvements have increased the cost’ to
$1,434.79. ‘Architect Steinmeyer has been author-
ized to draw up a-plan for the new church. Two

syears -g0) '$8,000-was' appropriated for the building.

The- children ofthe Central District contributed
$7,712.64. ° Perhaps‘one of’our adult members will
- be found who will contribute - ‘the remainder of
the sum.

64. St. Matthew's, Meherrin, Va. (Country con-
gregation, organized in 1886. Missionary: L. G.