The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1932, Sheet 165

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

Twenty-Sixth Report of the Board for
Colored Missions.
July, 1930, to June, 1932.
(Continucd.)

Piney Woods and Jackson, Miss.
By Rev. G. A. Scumipr.

Piney Woods School with its 300 students has
classes from the primary grades to a junior college
inclusive. Of the 300 students approximately 150
are young men and women in the high school and
junior college. In these classes the writer has
twenty periods of forty minutes each week. Each
week in the elementary grades the equivalent of
sixteen periods, each thirty minutes, is given.
- Besides this a blind class receives instruction four
times each week for twenty minutes.

The text-books have been our Synodical Cate-
chism and the Bible History. The blind class was
supplied with literature in Braille published by
our Church. :

Last year a confirmation class met three times
a week for an hour, and each Friday night the
teachers who conduct Sunday-school classes in the
large Sunday-school meet to study the lesson. The
writer conducted other classes by request, which
are attended mostly by members of the large faculty.

On Sunday mornings the Sunday-school meets.
After the lesson has been taught in the respective
classes, a review is held with the entire Sunday-
school, lasting about twenty minutes.

Sunday nights, vesper services are attended by
over three hundred persons, the number present
exceeding at times even four hundred.

Thus the seed of God’s Word is being sown
richly in the classroom and in the chapel, publicly
and privately, in sermons and in catechizations.
Much may be said about the fruits of the work.

About forty joined to form a definite group
(and joined the Lutheran Church) on Easter Sun-
day, and more are taking instructions with the
intention of joining the Lutheran Church. When
you realize that most of these young people knew
nothing of the Lutheran Church nor of what it
stood for before work was taken up here three
years ago, you will believe that the work has not
been in vain.

This year we have received into the church
fifty-two persons. At present the writer is instruct-
ing six more. There are among the singers, who at
present are traveling in various parts of the country,
“and among the students at home on vacation twelve

others who have given their names for instruction.
The outlook for a large class for next Easter is
very promising. We have every reason to believe
that God, who in the past months so wondrously
has crowned the preaching of His everlasting Gospel
with such blessed results, will continue to be among
us with His blessing.

Aside from these easily visible results, I have
noticed a seriousness which in a large measure had
been lacking along religious lines up until this time.
There is a regard for things spiritual which is not
easily put off. Religion has ceased to be a tradi-
tion — it has become a vital part of the very lives
of the children and students.

Needs.
The Board petitions the Synodical Conference
to grant $5,500 for a chapel and a parsonage in
Piney Woods.

Jackson, Mississippi.

Prior to the time when the writer was trans-
ferred to Mississippi, there were in the entire State
only two Synodical Conference pastors, one at Pas-
cagoula, the other at Gulfport, both serving white
congregations. As a result of the work being done
by Synodical Conference at Piney Woods a white
congregation has been organized in Jackson, Missis-
sippi. The writer, finding a few Synodical Con-

ference Lutherans here, preached regularly to these

in the home of a white Lutheran. To-day a church
and a parsonage stand completed for this congre-
gation, a young pastor is now active here in building
up this congregation, and the prospects for growth
are good. Mention is made of this here because
it is a result, a direct result, of the work of the
Synodical Conference at Piney Woods.

In the summer of 1931 the colored student
Theo. Johnson of Greensboro was placed here to:
do mission-work among the colored people. Jack-
son, with a population of about 19,000 colored
people, is said to have 10,000 unchurched colored
people. What a field!

Little visible progress has been made due to
the fact that Student Johnson has had no place
of worship. He conducts meetings in various homes
of colored people, with an average attendance of
upwards of fifteen. That little headway can be
made conducting meetings in different houses is
evident. On the other hand, there can be no doubt
that under God’s blessing a fine congregation could
speedily be built up among Jackson’s large un-
churched Negro population if a house of worship
were provided. Efforts have been made to find.