The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1933, Page 71

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER 71

the concert and the address; a free-will offering will
be taken in the interest of the school.

“Now I have written a few pages about the work
that is being done here in Mississippi, and there is
much in this letter that has to do with finances.
It is hard to write about these matters in days like
these. On the other hand, however, I could tell many
interesting little stories showing what wonderful re-
sults are being accomplished through the work at
Piney Woods. 1 shall sum it all up in the remark
of Mr. McLaurin, who, after having been in a class
conducted twice a week for last year’s confirmands,
a class in which I am teaching church history, said,
“What would have happened to us if the Lutheran
Church had not brought us the truth?” This re-
mark he passed about three weeks ago after I had
pointed out the differences between Lutheranism
and Calvinism.

“Yes, what would have happened to these boys
and girls at Piney Woods if the Lutheran Church
had not brought the truth to this school? Let us
thank God that in these troublesome times He,
through the preaching of the crucified Christ, adds
souls to His kingdom and thus rescues them from
eternal destruction.” —

The report of Pastor G. A. Schmidt plainly
shows that God has given us the right man for the
important work at Piney Woods, and He is permit-
ting us to gather a rich harvest through his labors.
Work such as is being done at the Piney Woods
school is worth supporting because of its great re-
ligious and economic value. By the untiring labors
of Pastor Schmidt the students are directed to the
one thing needful for time and eternity, and by the
earnest efforts of Mr. Jones and his staff of compe-
tent assistants these same students are being fitted
to become good and useful members of society.
There can be no doubt that it is schools like the
Piney Woods institution that our colored people
need. FJ. L.

Colored Mission Items.

The week-day-schools in the Eastern Field of our
Colored Missions have never been so well attended
as they should have been. But from a recent report
of Superintendent Wm. Gehrke we gain the impres-
sion that very strenuous efforts are being made to
improve the day-school situation. There are twelve
Christian day-schools in this field, and the enrol-
ment is 698. Several of these schools are primary
schools, having only the four lower grades, while
the others are full grammar schools. Four of the

full grammar schools have two teachers, and one has
even three instructors.

The Lutheran Announcer, the weekly bulletin of
St. Philip’s, St. Louis, brings several interesting
items. On Sunday, March 12, Pastor Schulze bap-
tized thirty-two children in the morning service,
What joy this must have been for pastor and
people!— The pastor of St. Philip’s has opened
a day class for adult catechumens. This class meets
on Wednesday morning at ten-thirty. Another adult
class meets on Wednesday evening. — St. Philip’s
has a standing missionary committee, consisting of
seventeen members. They report that the mis-
sionary opportunities are so great that the com-
mittee must be enlarged to keep up with them. The
great interest the members of St. Philip’s are show-
ing in getting new members largely accounts for
the rapid growth of this young congregation.
St. Philip’s is the first one of our colored churches
that has become self-supporting this spring. — The
young people of this church are also very active.
Recently a new society of young people was or-
ganized. It will be made up of members that have
reached the age of twenty. .

Accessions in the Alabama Field have been as
follows: By baptism, seven; by confirmation and
readmission, six.— The Lamison members expect
to raise a bale of cotton on their church property;
the proceeds will flow into the church treasury, of
course. Through the children of our mission an at-
tempt will be made to induce the farmers around
Lamison to raise as much of their own food neces-
sities as possible. —'The Oak Hill members are
fencing in their cemetery and beautifying it by the
planting of flowers. They are also placing shrub-
bery and flowers around the church. — Most of the
Alabama colored congregations are falling in with
the Mission Board’s suggestions to set up a budget
and then strive to reach the goal set by themselves.

Our white brethren in Oklahoma see great
prospects for work among the colored people of their
State and are very desirous to see such work begun
at the earliest opportunity.

From Baltimore comes the news that the family
of Pastor Schlichting has had an increase, a baby
boy having arrived on March 5. Congratulations !—
The members of our Cleveland mission are showing
great missionary zeal; missionary teams are work-
ing hard to bring strangers to the services, and other
visitors are approached and asked to come again.
Among the recent visitors was a colored man who
addressed the pastor in fluent German. He has re-