The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Sheet 39

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

1879, the enrolment had reached 115, and the school
already at that early date had the reputation of
being the best colored school in Little Rock. The
Sunday-school also enjoyed a healthy growth and
became a potent factor in the mission-work.

Upon Mr. Koenig’s return to the seminary to
continue his studies, Mr. H. Frincke (now Pastor
H. Frincke, of Monroe, Mich.) succeeded him. He
proved so good a teacher that Rev. Berg was soon
able to put him practically in sole charge of the
school. This arrangement gave the missionary
much needed time for other work. All that know
Pastor Frincke will be able to understand how it
was possible for one man to take charge of 130
colored boys and girls, though the writer is sure
that it must have taken even all the determination
and disciplinary ability he possesses to keep order
among so many volatile pupils.

The Membership Grows.

During the first fifteen months of his activity,
Rey. Berg was able to baptize thirty-two children,
of whom twenty-four had been gained through the
school. These children had not in all cases been
brought by their parents, but, having become con-
vinced of the necessity of Baptism after having been
duly instructed in the Word of God,at school, they
so long importuned their parents until they con-
sented to their being baptized. A number of adults
were also added.

Opposition Develops.

The young missionary soon encountered not a
little opposition. The secret societies, because of
his outspoken testimony against them, and the sec-
tarian churches, with oar he refused to affiliate,
left no means untried to hinder his work. The main
object of their attack was the mission-school. An
opposition school was opened in the immediate
neighborhood, and every means was used to draw
the children away from us. However, all their

. endeavors were of no avail, since the sum total of
all the pupils they succeeded in coaxing away was
only six, which loss was more than offset by the
large number of new pupils who continued to flock
to our school. Of course, this opposition compelled
our missionary to be on the alert day and night.
But Pastor Berg was endowed with just those quali-
fications which the situation demanded — tenacity
of purpose and intrepid courage. While defending
the walls of his citadel against the attacks of the
persistent foe, he never ceased to bring up new
stones to strengthen his stronghold. To the sarcastic

37

words of an enemy: “If you wish to keep those
people Lutherans, you will have to build a fence
around each and every one,” he promptly rejoined:
“That?s what I’m doing by continually instructing
them in God’s Word.” ;

Abundant Blessings.

God blessed Missionary Berg’s faithful labors
abundantly. The services were well attended, and
the school enrolment increased to such an extent
that three teachers had to be employed. Rev. Berg
himself taught the highest class in his study,
Teacher Jeske, who had entered upon his work
in the fall of 1879, taught the intermediate
grades, while the primary grades were in charge
of Mrs. Reed, a colored teacher, who taught .in a

St. Paul’s Lutheran Colored Chapel,
Little Rock, Ark.

building rented for the purpose. After the regular
school hours the missionary’s young wife gave the
girls instruction in knitting and needlework.

- The Net Breaks.

A separate building to house the school became
a crying necessity. But, alas! a call for funds to
erect a school-building was not heeded; the chil-
dren had to be turned away in great numbers; they
grew tired of waiting for the promised school and
went somewhere else — lost to us forever! Humanly
speaking, the first blow given to our promising
mission in Little Rock, a blow that inflicted wounds
from which it never recovered, was given, not by
our outspoken enemies, but rather by our friends,
who refused to make adequate provision for the
multitudes of children in whom the opening of our
school had awakened a desire for an education. The
cries of our hard-working laborers were not heeded,