The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Page 98

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

s\

98

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

Fifty Years of Lutheran Colored
Missions.

Fifty years ago, this very month, at Fort Wayne,
it was that our fathers decided to begin missionary
work among the Negroes of the South. <A few
months later Rev. J. F. Doescher, the first man
called into the work, was already on the way, going
from town to town, looking about for promising
fields for our missionary efforts. Soon other men
were called into the work, which grew from year
to year, slowly at first, but more and more rapidly as
the years passed on. The number of missionaries
has increased to 109, who are laboring in no less
than fourteen States. Over 3,000 colored boys and
girls are being instructed in our mission day-schools,
-and in the two higher schools 131 young men and
women are being prepared to become pastors and
teachers. The various colored congregations served
by our laborers have a baptized membership of
over 5,000.

God having so signally blessed our labors among
the freedmen, we cannot let the semicentennial go
-by without thanking God for His past blessings and
invoking His help for the future. We feel that it
would be a sad neglect on our part were we to let the
occasion pass without proper observance. Through-
out the length and breadth of the Synodical Con-
ference our Lutheran Christians should meet in
their churches on the designated Jubilee Sunday to
offer unto God thanksgiving and sing praises to the
Most High for His past favors. Everywhere our
Christians should gather mutually to encourage one
,another to carry on the blessed work with increasing
zeal and vigor.

We are pleased to hear that our Negro Lutherans
intend to celebrate the anniversary in a fitting
manner. A committee, appointed for the purpose,
recently held a meeting and as a result of this
meeting the following suggestions are to be carried
out as far as possible in every part of our colored
Lutheran Church : —

“1. Date of Celebration, July 24. Where two or

more congregations are served by the same pastor,
the following Sundays may also be used.
» “2. Text and Theme for Sermon, Ps. 126,3. On
the basis of this text one may select as theme: Our
Gratitude to God on the Fiftieth Annwersary of
Our Colored Missions, showing 1. The basis of this
gratitude, 2. The expression of this gratitude.

“3. Special Singing by Children and Choirs.

“4. Joint Services. Wherever it is possible for

several congregations to have one big joint service,
this is recommended by the committee.

“5. Collection. It costs approximately $150,000
annually to support our Colored Missions. Of this
amount our colored Christians collect $25,000. The
other $125,000 must come from our white congrega-
tions. If ever there was a time when the need of
money was great in our mission treasuries, it is now.
We suggest that a special effort be made to raise
a large offering to send to the Mission Board in
St. Louis. ‘This will also show our gratitude to God
for the help we have received from others these many
years—help which we are still receiving abundantly.

“6. Publicity. The committee suggests that an
intensive publicity campaign be conducted in the
vicinity of all our churches. ... Wherever possible,
articles bearing on the work of the Lutheran Church
among the colored people, as well as articles of
general interest concerning the Synodical Con-
ference may be run in the daily and weekly papers,
thus giving our Church necessary, widespread, and
valuable publicity.”

We feel that the suggestions of the committee as.
contained in the above report could be largely fol-
lowed by our white congregations, and it is for this.
reason that we print them here.

May God open the eyes of us all that we see and
realize the, rich blessings He has permitted us to-
enjoy at His hands in our work among the Negroes
during the past year and may He give us courage to-
continue the blessed work with renewed vigor and.
zeal and hopefulness ! F. J. L.

‘Aunt’? Fannie Steele.

Finding Christ and Witnessing for Him
in the Black Belt.

We saw “Aunt” Fannie Steele in church last:
Sunday. Born before the Civil War, she belongs to-
the “old school” of colored people. We were glad to-
see her again in church. When on Sunday we put:
to her the first question, “Aunt Fannie, are you
good, or are you a sinner?” she answered without’
hesitation, “I’se a sinner.” But—vwe’re getting”
ahead of our story.

It was back in the early days of Black Belt
Lutheranism that “Aunt?” Fannie joined the Lu-
theran Church. The terrible World War was raging..
Slander, calumny, and evil reports were used in an
effort to stop the headway being made by the Lu-
theran Church, believed to be a German Church..
Every device was used by the devil to hinder the: