Collection › LCMS Convention Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1926 · 33rd Convention, Holy Cross Church › Page 124
LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1926, Page 124

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

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124 Proceedings of Thirty-Third Regular Convention,

Our Colored Missions.

Report of the Board.
(German Report, p. 210.)

Our mission-work among the twelve million Negroes of our
country is carried on under the auspices of the Evangelical Lutheran
Synodical Conference of North America. Since our Synod consti-
tutes the largest part of the Synodical Conference, and since it also
furnishes most of the money and has furnished all but two white ,
missionaries, we gladly comply with the request to submit a written ic
report on the wonderful work God is doing through our missionaries
among the freedmen of our country.

The Lord, in [is -mercy, has permitted us to see a splendid
forward movement of our work among the colored people during the
past triennium. It happened more than once that our missionaries
received forty, fifty, and more persons into the church in one day
by Holy Baptism or by confirmation. During these three years our
Colored Missions experienced a net growth of 18 per cent. This truly
marvelous increase of 18 per cent. will appear all the more striking
to us when we consider that the growth of our Synod was only about
2 per cent. The total number of souls, or baptized members, who were
under the spiritual care of our missionaries at the end of last year
was 4,709. Adding the 5,500 pupils who attend our day-schools and
our Sunday-schools, but have not as yet joined our Church by receiv-
ing Holy Baptism or confirmation, we have a grand total of approxi-
mately 10,000 Negroes who come in contact with God’s Word and
Luther’s doctrine pure every week. Our missionaries are now at
work in fifteen different States of the Union. The largest fields are 4%
to be found in Alabama, Louisiana, and North Carolina. The Black :
Belt of Alabama, where our work was begun ten years ago, has so far
proved to be the most promising field. 4

At the close of 1925 the staff of mission-workers consisted of 105 “g
laborers: 7 white professors at Greensboro, 1 white superintendent, "3

’ 15 white pastors, 1 white helper, 3 colored professors at Selma, 18 col- ;
ored pastors, 20 colored teachers, and 41 colored lady teachers —
23 whites and 82 colored. The colored laborers are educated and
trained at Immanuel Lutheran College in Greensboro, N.C., and at
Alabama Luther College in Selma, Ala.

It is a pleasure to note how frequently our colored Lutherans
approach the Lord’s Table. Last year the number of guests at the
Communion table was 7,446. On an average every confirmed member
communed about three times during the year; some communed even a
five and six times. Tf the numberof guests at the Lord’s Supper is
a barometer of spiritual life, then the members of our colored Lu-
theran churches are an example for us to follow. .