Collection › LCMS Convention Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1926 · 33rd Convention, Holy Cross Church › Page 112
LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1926, Page 112

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

112 Proceedings of Thirty-Third Regular Convention,

Report of Committee 12.

In view of the heavy stream of immigrants pouring into Western
Canada, we recommend that Synod elect a Board for Immigrant
Missions which is authorized to call a missionary for immigrants
landing in Winnipeg.

This recommendation was adopted.

Mexico City, Mexico.

- Report of the Mission Board of the Texas District. Abridged.

(German Report, p. 191.)

By wonderful direction of God we have come to Mexico City.
Owing to the opinion that a number of our congregation-members
were scattered in Mexico, the Mission Board of the Texas District
was asked to send a man to make a survey of the situation. The
Board called Rev. C. Frieling, who moved to Monterey early in 1922
and made a search for our brethren in the faith. His search was
in vain, however, until he came to Mexico City. Although he found
none of our congregation-members, he did find a large German
colony, which was without spiritual ministration whatsoever. With
the approval of the Board he settled here toward the close of 1922 in
order to begin work in this colony.

The colony is an old one. Loehe mentions it in 1848 in his
Kirchliche Mitteilungen. Its present size cannot be easily deter-
mined; figures vary between 1,500 and 3,000. All, with but a few
exceptions, — some members of our congregations have been found
among them,—-are Germans from Germany. Almost: all vocations
and degrees of wealth are represented. A large German school is
being maintained, in which evolution is taught. instead of Luther’s
Catechism.

Repeated efforts have been made to start a church. Stories are
told of various pastors who worked there temporarily. There was
no continuous service until Rev. Frieling came. God wanted to turn
the work in this large city over to us. The difficulties with which
the missionary copes are greater than would appear from a distance.
These Germans have grown up under state-church conditions; a free
church is something entirely foreign to them. They are also accus-
tomed to distinguish only between Catholics and Protestants. They
cling to their German ways and are exceedingly wary of anything
that is new and strange to them. Many refuse to attend our services
because they are conducted in a church which Americans at one time
built and used.

Still the attendance of Rev. Frieling’s services has slowly in-
creased. A certain group has formed which clings to Pastor Frieling.
A winnowing has even taken place since the effort was made to