The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1932, Page 132

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132 THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

tables, it rendered selections at all of the services
and open sessions of the conference under the direc-
tion of the writer.

At dinner-time Miss Rosalee Taylor, a Sunday-
school teacher, favored the diners with selections
on the piano. A, WILEY.

Pastor G. M. Kramer, the pastor of Bethlehem,
this year’s host of Luther Conference, is celebrating
his silver anniversary as pastor and missionary
among the colored of New Orleans this year. It
was in this month twenty-five years ago that he
came to New Orleans as a candidate, a graduate of
our seminary at St. Louis, and he has faithfully
worked there ever since. For years he has also had
charge of Concordia Mission in Carrollton, a suburb
of New Orleans, and for some time he has served
as superintendent of the Louisiana Field. — Upon
occasion of the recent convention of the Synodical
Conference at Mankato, Minnesota, a special anni-
versary service was held in honor of Pastor Kramer
in recognition of his long and useful labors, in
which Dr. John T. Mueller preached the sermon.
F.J.L.

Our Colored Mission in Oakland, Cal.

Prof. Otto H. Theiss of our college at Oakland
has kindly served our colored mission in that city
for several years. We herewith print a recent report
of his on the progress of his work: —

For some time I have been awaiting the oppor-
tunity to give you a more detailed report of our
mission in Oakland.

That the blessing of God is attending our efforts
here seems evident. The figures of the annual re-
port submitted to you also indicate that there has
been some growth and progress.

On Easter Sunday we had the largest attendance
of our brief history when approximately sixty were
present. On this day we confirmed three women
who had been without previous church connection
and accepted into membership two young women
and a man. The latter three had been confirmed
in New Orleans. The young women have been in
Oakland for the past few years, while the man has
been here for twelve years, but only a few months
ago was found and induced to join our mission.
Of course, this was a very happy day for us and

for the members of our little mission.

The fact that the average attendance has been

_ steadily increasing makes me feel very hopeful for

he future. We feel that the growth from an ay-

erage attendance of six to twenty is very encour-
aging. On Easter Sunday seventeen partook of
Holy Communion. The fact that some of our com-
municant members who are employed by the rail-
road must work on Sunday also cuts into the average
attendance.

There is quite a group of young people con-
nected with the mission, and we have thought it
advisable to organize a young people’s society, which
meeis regularly once a month. In this group there
are about eight who, I feel confident, will gladly
receive instruction for confirmation. I shall begin
their instruction as soon as I can possibly do so.

It has also been thought advisable to have an
organization of the ladies; for they are revealing
a most encouraging interest in the mission. Because
work makes it impossible for some of the ladies to
be present in the afternoon, it was resolved at the
last meeting to meet on the first Friday evening
of each month. This group numbers about twelve.
Two of these I hope to have ready for confirmation
by Pentecost.

These organizations have not been forced, but
have rather arisen at the suggestion of the folks
themselves. They do provide an opportunity for
further instruction and, by their social programs
and events, for additional contacts with unchurched
colored folk. It is characteristic of these people
to enjoy organizations and activity, which with care-
ful guidance and supervision can be of real value,
I believe, to the work of our mission. No doubt
you will agree with me that it is a very fortunate
circumstance that my wife is deeply interested in
the mission and by her experience in the profession
of recreation and social-service work is well able to
do most of the necessary work in connection with
these organizations. I trust that you will construe
the mention of this fact as merely an attempt to
give you a complete picture of the work which is
being done at our Oakland mission and as being
made without any personal reflection.

Our Sunday-school, which has been in existence
for about nine months, has not grown as rapidly

as I had expected. This is to be attributed chiefly ’

to the fact that I have not had as much time as
I should have liked to have for this work. Although
the average attendance has increased from about
six to twelve, I feel satisfied that the results will
be better as soon as I shall be able to devote greater
effort to this work. I expect to use some weeks
of the summer vacation for it. One of our most
capable women, who until the first of April lived