The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1933, Page 22

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22

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

theran Mission, 1810 Adams Street, in extending
to St. Philip’s a loan of $100, to be repaid at the
rate of $5 a month, has made it possible to make
a down-payment of $50 on this lot, to be followed
up with $8 a month to the homestead until $521
has been paid. The other $50 has been used to
buy an old three-room double house at 7821—23
Forshey Street, which contained enough material to
build this box chapel, 36X14 feet, with box-finish on
three sides, weather-board front, overhead ceiling,
and a passable flooring. Sand, cement, and roofing-
paper are being purchased at a cost of $25, to be
paid at the rate of $5 a month. All labor for tear-
ing down and moving materials and building the
chapel is being donated, as the congregation is
unable to raise even sufficient money for all the
materials desired.

Mr. Isaiah Washington, whose grandchildren at-
tend our Sunday-school, assisted from the start, and
he has laid the foundation and corner-stone gratis.
In addition to the male members — Cyril Manuel,
Eddie Joshua, Herbert Joshua, and Waldo White —
also Richard Terry, who intends to join St. Philip’s,
and Isaiah Johnson, Bob Quellen, and Paul Lewis of
Mount Zion have done hard labor in tearing down
the old building or carrying over the lumber, all
gratis. A small marble slab was found while the
lot was being cleared for the foundation, and this
has served as a corner-stone. It was lettered and
cut by Mr. William Thompson of Mount Zion.
Other Mount Zion members have promised assis-
tance for the week in which this is written. Messiah
Lutheran Church, Octavia Street, near Magazine
Street, has donated altar covers, a pulpit, and a
hymn-board with figures, together with the hauling
of these materials. Zion Church, St. Charles and
St. Andrews streets, is donating two dozen used
hymnals and Mrs. E. W. Kuss $1.05.

Should some one desire further to assist St.
Philip’s in its effort to stand on its own feet, his
attention is called to some of its needs: an altar,
church benches, a roll of wrapping-paper and a bolt
of cheese-cloth for papering the chapel walls, a run-
ner for the church aisle, several sacks of cement
for a chimney, steps, and walk, nails, three gallons
of creosote for the sills, five gallons of green creosote
for outside and rear walls, paint for the front of
the church and for the ceiling, floor, and furniture,
wiring for electric lights, stove and pipes, and labor
to complete the building for dedication. The col-
lection now to be raised will be used as the first
payment on St. Philip’s bill for materials.

The beginning has now been made at this corner-

stone laying in the name of the Triune God, and to
Him St. Philip’s also looks for the completion of
this task. The next chapter of St. Philip’s history
remains to be written between now and some Sun-
day in January, when we hope this chapel will have
been completed and prepared for dedication.

May the Lord richly bless all who have so kindly
assisted in this important work of erecting another
house of worship to the glory of our God!

0. W. L.

Our Colored Mission in Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles we have a colored mission of
seventy-six communicant members in charge of
Rev. John McDavid, who in addition to his congre-
gational work is very active in bringing the Gospel
to the inmates and patients of the many charitable
and correctional institutions in and near Los An-
geles. Under recent date he writes : —

“Last year Mrs. Witte left $500 in her will for
the colored mission in Los Angeles. The money
became available this fall. The Mission Board of
this District was the administrator of the will.
I suggested that the entire sum be sent to the Board,
but they thought it should be spent in accordance
with the donor’s wishes. We had no place for social
gatherings. At the rear of our church was a shed
16X20 feet. This we covered, wired, and plastered,
and we built a kitchen 12X12 feet in which we in-
stalled hot and cold water, gas, light, and sewerage.
We also built a shed from the church to this social
hall and laid a cement walk. Total cost, $260.40.
We have reserved $39.60 to furnish the hall. The
balance, $200, was sent to Mr. Eckhart, the Mission
Board’s Treasurer. The building was dedicated
November 138, 1932. Rev. Witte, the donor’s son,
preached the sermon. A number of our white
brethren rejoiced with us.”

We are gratified to hear that a portion of Mrs.
Witte’s bequest was used in this way; for we are
firmly convinced that the addition of this “social
hall” to the modest plant of our colored congrega-
tion in Los Angeles will pay great dividends. In
a large city like Los Angeles, where the membership
is scattered all over a very extensive area, such a
social center becomes almost a necessity. It is only
by having such a social meeting-place that the mem-
bers can be brought into contact with one another
and learn to know one another. We know that the
early Christians highly valued this contact and
spent hours together in social intercourse when
they met for their services and also at other times.