The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1933, Page 98

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98

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

Preach the Gospel!

In view of the notorious Laymen’s Report on
Missions, the words which follow, coming from the
pen of a man who fully realizes that the real pur-
pose of Christian missions is to bring the Gospel
to those who do not have it, are worthy of note.
And these words, coming from a man belonging to
the same circles to which also the members of the
Laymen’s Mission Committee belong, give us the
assurance that the Laymen’s Report did not give
expression to the opinion of all in those circles.
He writes : —

“We are sent, not to preach sociology, but salva-
tion; not economics, but evangelism; not reform,
but redemption; not culture, but conversion; not
progress, but pardon; not the new social order,
but the new birth; not revolution, but regenera-
tion; not renovation, but revival; not resuscita-
tion, but resurrection; not a new organization,
but a new creation; not democracy, but the
Gospel; not civilization, but Christ. We are
ambassadors, not diplomats.”

These are the words of Dr. McAffee, a former
moderator of the Northern Presbyterian Church,
and are surely worthy of careful study by all of us.
F.J.L.

The First Colored Mission Congregation
to Become Self-Supporting.

The first of all the Colored Mission congrega-
tions served by the Synodical Conference in the
past sixty years to become self-supporting is that
of St. Philip’s in St. Louis. There is one that fol-
lowed close in its footsteps, the congregation of
which the Rev. M. N. Carter of Chicago is the
pastor. That St. Philip’s has become self-support-
ing at this time is a strange happening and perhaps
an outstanding fact in the history of our Lutheran
Church in America.

The readers of the LurHERAN PIONEER have
read from time to time of St. Philip’s and its
development. We may assume that this paper has
been instrumental in arousing interest in our Col-
ored Missions, thus making it possible for our mis-
sion to conduct its blessed work, also making pos-
sible, to a great extent, the work of beginning and
establishing St. Philip’s congregation. This item is
brought to the attention of the readers of the
LUTHERAN PIONEER also as a debt of gratitude to
those who have read about our work, have prayed

for it, and have given unstintingly of their earthly
means that this work might be carried on.

St. Philip’s of St. Louis has become self-
supporting. The term self-supporting as employed
by the Mission Board of the Synodical Conference
indicates that congregations meet all their local
expenses and pay their pastor’s salary in full.
St. Philip’s congregation now merits this descrip-
tion. Since this is such a unique happening in the
sixty years of mission-work of our Synodical Con-
ference, the question most natural in this connec-
tion is, How did St. Philip’s become self-supporting ?

There are many factors to be taken into con-
sideration which bear on this question. Among
them are the erection and dedication of the church,
in 1927; the community where the church is now
located ; adverse conditions in surrounding churches
causing many people to turn to St. Philip’s; the
blessed influence of KFUO, our Lutheran broad-
casting station; the interest of other Lutherans,
either fellow-employees, former neighbors, or em-
ployers; the first love of St. Philip’s members for
the Church of the Reformation, as evinced in a
mission-minded congregation; the attitude of the
congregation of relentlessly working toward the
coveted goal of self-support. These are factors that
must be taken into consideration when the question
is answered, “How did St. Philip’s of St. Louis be-
come self-supporting ?”

However, an entirely wrong picture would be
presented were we to neglect to mention that the
primary factor in gaining this coveted goal was the
unmerited grace of God.

The mission of which St. Philip’s is the out-
growth struggled on for about twenty-four years,
carrying on its work first in rented store rooms,
later on in the abandoned school-building of Im-
manuel Church, and still later in a residence that
was purchased by the Mission Board. In each case
the place of meeting proved uninviting and al-
together inadequate for proper expansion. Then,
too, the mission was at that time in a locality
where the people shifted about a great deal, making
the work of keeping in contact with the individual
very difficult for the missionary. All this was.
changed when, on May 8, 1927, a new church was.
dedicated. This marked the beginning of a new
era in the life of the mission.

The church was built at a cost of $23,000, in-
cluding the cost of the lot. It was built under the
supervision of Mr. Theodore Steinmeyer, Architect.
The church presents an attractive and churchly ap-