Collection › LCMS Convention Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1926 · 33rd Convention, Holy Cross Church › Page 111
LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1926, Page 111

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

Ey. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States. 1926, 111

Immigrant Mission Board for Western Canada.

Memorial of the Mission Board of the Alberta and
British Columbia District.

Since the immigration laws of Canada were modified in 1925,
since Canada has opened its doors to the people of Central Europe,
and since the Canadian government and other organizations are
making efforts to win new settlers for Canada, a strong stream of
immigrants is pouring into Western Canada, and many thousands
of Europeans are preparing to found new homes in Canada. 17,000
immigrants reached Winnipeg up to March 1, 1926. Authorities esti-
mate that about 200,000 immigrants will arrive in the course of
this year.

Not a few of these immigrants are Lutherans [from Russia,
Poland, Galicia, Roumania, and Germany]....

A new era is therefore dawning for our church-work in Canada.
It is necessary, however, that we make timely preparations in order
to direct the stream of immigrants to those points where our Church
is represented. An evil our mission-work always had to contend with
was the fact that’so many Lutheran immigrants settled in distant,
out-of-the-way places or were scattered among people of another faith.
The spiritual care of these fellow-Lutherans required many men and
much money. This evil can be somewhat mitigated, small missions
can be strengthened, men, and money be saved for our Synod if we
begin mission-work among them in time.

Our Synod has an Immigrant Mission Board in New York. Its
work, however, differs radically from that’ which must be done in
West Canada. Besides, the Board is too far away efficiently to super-
vise and direct the work in our District. We have consulted with
this Board and with its approval and at its suggestion take the
liberty to petition Synod to provide for the spiritual welfare of immi-
grants by naming an Immigrant Mission Board for West Canada and
empowering it to call an immigrant missionary to Winnipeg and to
supervise his work.

Memorial of the Mission Board of the Manitoba and
Saskatchewan District,
( Abridged. )
i Canada is divided into two parts, the Eastern and the Western
f~ Canada. The open arable stretches are found in the West. Most
immigrants will therefore probably settle in this part of Canada. All
immigrants going to Western Canada, however, are immediately en-

f°. trained from the steamers and sent to Winnipeg via the two chief

Canadian lines. Winnipeg, like New York, is the gateway to the
West. In Winnipeg, all immigrants are unloaded and housed in
large immigrant barracks. Here they receive the necessary informa-
* tion and are distributed on branch lines throughout the West.