The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1929, Page 76

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76 THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

from which the extensive Home Mission work of
the whole body may, in a measure, be judged:
Alberta and British Columbia, 192; Manitoba and
Saskatchewan, 135; Minnesota, 119; North Dakota
and Montana, 109; Texas, 78; California and
Nevada, 44; Oregon and Washington, 74; North
Wisconsin, 57; Colorado, 20; Central, 56; South-
ern, 58; English, 52; Western, 63. F. J. L.

An Important Branch of Mission-Work.

We refer to the industrial work in foreign mis-
sion fields. Of course, the industrial work never
dare come first, for the saving of souls, the evan-
gelistic work, must always occupy that place. But
to many hundreds of converts industrial training is
an important part of mission-work. For when
a poor Hindu or a Mohammedan becomes a Chris-
tian, he is frequently cut off entirely from all his
past means ‘of earning a living and then becomes
either a great burden to the mission that baptized
him or else a beggar of some kind. And, unfor-
tunately, for the good of Christian missions in
India the “burden kind” and the “beggar kind” of
converts are only too common in India to-day.

The purpose of industrial missions is to take
these converts who are a burden or beggars and

make them over into self-respecting, self-supporting ~

Christan men and women, who command the respect
of all classes. When once Christian missions will be
in a position fully to carry out this purpose of in-
dustrial mission-work, Christianity will have a good
many more open adherents than it has now.

Is this industrial training of converts really
worth while? It seems as if this question is satis-
factorily answered by what we have said above.
Most missions in India are trying it out with suc-
cess. All that know about it call it real “practical
Christianity.” The good it will do to India as
a whole, and to the cause of missions in particular,
is bound to be great. Only, of course, it must
always be regarded as a means towards opening the
way for the Gospel and never become an end in
itself. The Gospel of Jesus must always come first
and remain first. ©

The industrial work of the Missouri Synod in
India has only been started and is still a tiny, weak
infant, in need of very careful nursing if it is to

prosper. But we understand that it is giving great

promise. Five native women in the Nagercoil and
‘Tinnevelly fields are teaching about a hundred
women the art of lace-making under the super-

vision of two missionaries’ wives. This mission also
engages two native male industrial workers.

To give a male convert the necessary industrial
training requires about a year. After only twelve
months’ training one who has been a burden to the
mission or a beggar can take care of himself and
family without any outside help. After a year’s
training as mechanic, say, as carpenter or black-
smith, a young man has great opportunities opened
up to him if he has the native ability to profit by
them. And not a few have this ability.

Our joy is great and our hopes strong as we
think of the possibilities of this part of mission-
work, this auxiliary of real mission-work. Our wish
is that this vital branch of missionary activity may
be strengthened as the needs demand it. F. J. L.

Items of Missionary Interest.
By the Eprror.

Kannapolis, N.C. — Five girls were recently con-
firmed at this station by Pastor Malloy after they
had been carefully instructed in the Lutheran doc-
trine. Superintendent Alston reports that these
young Christians gave an excellent account of their
Christian knowledge in their examination and made
a bold confession of their faith.

A Returned Missionary.— Dr. Kleid has recently
returned from Hankow. Circumstances induce him
to stay in this country, and he will probably find
employment in one of the hospitals of Oakland, Cal.
Dr. Kleid was in Hankow five years.

A Visit to the Pacific Coast. — Rev. Drewes, the
executive secretary of the Board for Colored Mis:
sions, recently spent several weeks on the Pacific
Coast, particularly in Los Angeles and Oakland,
where he inspected the work being done by the
efficient and energetic Rev. John McDavid. From
his report it seems very desirable that another
worker be placed in California, at Oakland, where
the prospects are very good. The colored population
of Oakland and Berkeley is said to be about 20,000,
and the colored churches in these two cities are few
in number. 3

A Confusion of Words.— Pastor Dorpat, Sr.,
when showing the danger of false teaching, by way
of illustration said that the preaching of false doc-
trine was like putting arsenic into a fine-looking
cake. An old colored woman who had never heard
of arsenic thought that the pastor was speaking of
acing, and this was her reaction to the illustration:
“What is dat man talking about? Puttin’ icin’ in