The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1928, Page 149

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

of this publication: “Here are 111 pages of in-
tensely interesting matter, together with statistics,
and an illustration on almost every page. Some
pages offer as many as two, three, and even four
illustrations. Not only for summer reading, but
for reference throughout the year and for stimu-
lating mission-endeavor this ought to prove a valu-
able publication. The print is large and legible;
the paper is excellent.”

15. Our Two Missionary Periodicals. — Despite
the fact that the Missionstaube and the LutHERAN
Pioneer. have increased their size from eight to
sixteen pages without increasing the price (50
cents), the number of subscribers is the same —
12,500 and 5,400. For the first time during its
existence of forty-eight years the Missionstaube was
compelled to report a deficit in 1925. It is still
true what a competent person of our body says,
namely, that “these two periodicals have done their
utmost to bring their readers worth-while, interest-
ing missionary reading-matter. We are of the firm
conviction that an increase in the number of readers
of these papers would bring about an increase in
missionary interest and an increase in missionary
giving. The fact remains that the periodicals bring
missionary reading-matter which cannot be brought
in our synodical organs. And since this is so, we
are persuaded that particularly our pastors could
do their members no greater service and could not
better further the interests of Christ’s kingdom
than by increasing the subscription lists of these
publications.”

Both periodicals are celebrating their fiftieth
anniversary this year. The blessings that have
come to our missions through the agency of these
papers during the past half century are incalculable.

16. Liberal Donors. — At the last convention of
the Synodical Conference in Lockport, N. Y., the
writer received a letter in which he was informed
that a reader of the Missionstaube desired to bring
the Lord a thank-offering of $1,000 because he had

experienced God’s blessings in a business enterprise. °

He later added $350. In this way our station at
Atmore, Ala., received the church and school it so
much needed.—In the State of Washington a
friend of our Colored Missions donated the income
of a whole month to the cause. —H. K. in She-
boygan, Wis., three years ago, donated $1,000 for
the chapel at Hamburg, Ala. Last fall this friend
again gave $1,000 and $110 for a building site
and a chapel-school at Lamison, Ala. — Anna
Henn, member of Rev. Th. H. Albrecht (Wisconsin
Synod) at Lake City, Minn., and a warm friend

149

of our Colored Missions, bequeathed all her pos-
sessions to our cause. ‘The bequest amounts to
$3,670. — Several months ago Pastor E. H. Berter-
mann, of Wausau, Wis., wrote: “On December 17,
last, the treasurer of our North Wisconsin District,
Mr. W. H. Dicke, of Merrill, Wis., sent a draft to
the Board for Colored Missions in the amount of
$1,000 with the following particulars: ‘This sum
was collected by the ladies’ aids of Lincoln and
Marathon Counties, Wis., at their annual gather-
ings. This gift is a Christmas present of these
ladies to the Colored Missions and is intended for
the erection of a chapel at Ackerville, Ala.’ ”

Thus our rescue work among the poor and de-
spised children of Ham has its warm friends, who -
because of their love for the Savior and because of
sympathy for the freedmen are willing to bring
large gifts. May the Lord richly reward them and
by their example encourage others to do likewise!
May He also bless the many Christians, old and
young, who in their poverty bring actual sacrifices
for this holy work of missions!

17%. Needs.— Last, but not least. All our
mission-friends have been waiting for this point for
some time as they read through this report. We
first mention the old needs, needs for which appro-
priations were made two years ago, but which could
not be supplied for want of funds.

Old Needs.

a. Birmingham, Ala. — The sum of $15,000 was
appropriated to give this station a chapel-school.
We have here a congregation of seventy baptized
members, of whom fifty-six are confirmed. They
still conduct their services and school in a long,
dark storeroom, for which a monthly rental of $30
is paid. Almost 100 children are taught in this
room by two lady teachers. Birmingham, with its
population of 180,000, many of whom are colored,
is a very promising mission-field. Here are to be
found thousands of unchurched Negroes, and every
year not a few of our colored Lutherans move there
from our rural congregations. An adequate build-
ing has become a crying necessity. Our Alabama
colored Lutherans, realizing the great need, last
Easter collected $800 in their churches for a build-
ing site. The balance of the price of the building
lot the little flock at Birmingham expects to collect.
The many successes which we have in larger cities
where we have erected adequate buildings in recent
years, as, for example, in Chicago and St. Louis,
argue strongly for the speedy collection of the
$15,000 appropriated for Birmingham.