The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1931, Page 114

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114

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

Alabama’s Own Mission-Station.

Back in 1920, when the work of our Lutheran
Church in Alabama was practically in its infancy,
the sainted Pastor Bakke determined to start a sta-
tion also in Selma, the largest city near the terri-
tory of our efforts up to that time. He selected the
section of the city most thickly settled by colored
people and one in dire need of the Bread of Life,
the section known as East Selma. Here in the
lowlands, along the Alabama River, whose waters
often drive the people living there from their
cabins, we find the poorest classes of the race, poor
in earthly things, but much poorer in spiritual
matters.

Among these neglected and despised slum-
dwellers, Pastor Bakke had the Lutheran Church
unfurl her banner of “God’s Word and Luther’s
doctrine pure” through the Rev. Charles Peay on
July 11, 1920. For over five years the work was
actively carried on by various pastors, although the
“going” was slow and laborious. <A day-school also
was conducted from the start, two teachers having
a steady enrolment of about one hundred.

The “building” that was used for church and
school purposes was an old two-room shack. Rough,
unpainted boards on the exterior; unfinished, dirty
walls in the interior, —that was the abode of our
station in the “Central City” of Alabama.

However, in spite of all the handicaps a little
flock was gathered for the Savior. A few heeded
the invitation of the Gospel and so came out of
the darkness of ignorance and superstition into the
marvelous light of God’s Word.

Then, in 1925, the Mission Board spent a large
sum to erect a dormitory and a recitation hall for
the newly founded Alabama Luther College in the
northern part of Selma. Since the need in other
directions was so great, the Board did not feel justi-
fied in maintaining two stations within a city, the
size of Selma. In future, services were to be car-
ried on in the college chapel, and the work in East
Selma was to be discontinued.

This was rather a blow to the little flock there;
for these people, as a rule, do not feel at home ex-

cept among their own kind and would hardly fit
into the congregational life of college students and
others more fortunate than they. But it was an
especially severe blow to the children who had been
attending our school. Closing down the station
meant turning out a large number of children who
had nowhere else to go for their education and above
all for the sincere milk of the Word. So a few of

us decided to carry on the work and not to turn
our backs on these people, who needed so badly what
only we could offer them. We felt that our Church
owed this community something after having made
our home in its midst for five years.

That was the decision we reached, and in the
firm conviction that the Lord would help our feeble
efforts we went ahead. The present teacher, Mrs.
Hattie Baxter, volunteered her services and began
work with little promise of receiving a regular
salary. The fact was that during the first year she
taught school and traveled to and fro every day
from her home for $20 a month and often less.
This sum was made up from personal contributions
of several workers and from a subsidy by the con-
gregation now worshiping in the college chapel.

The following year, at its annual convention,
Alabama Luther Conference adopted the East
Selma Mission as its own ward, as its own par-
ticular mission-endeavor. Each communicant mem-
ber in Alabama was to contribute six cents a month
for the support of this station. But although this
plan increased the income, it failed to provide at
all times the necessary funds, so that the treasurer
of the conference had many discouraging months
when the check handed the teacher was so pitifully
small as to be almost negligible. True, when dis-
tress pleas were sent out, loyal hearts rallied to the
cause by generous contributions and liberal pledges ;
but the sledding was always rough, the condition
of the treasury precarious.

However, during these years, from 1925 to 1930,
the work was continued, and even a better building
was rented at a higher price. A large number of
children attended the school and the Sunday-school,
although the attendance at church services left much
to be desired. So the little mission “rocked along,”
barely holding its own from within and without.

Then, during Lent a year ago, the suggestion
was made that a real effort be put forth to interest
all our Alabama members for a large Easter col-
lection for East Selma. The idea took hold, and
with the help of the Lord a fine collection was
turned in from all parts of the field. It amounted
to $750. There was great rejoicing over this splen-
did effort both among the contributors and the
East Selma members.

And from that time on our work took an up-
ward “swing.” Services since then have been held
more regularly and are better attended, the Sunday-
school is doing well, and the community in general
is taking more interest in the Lutheran Church.
This spring a class of eight was confirmed. ‘The