LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1929, Page 95

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

: indie is estimate

Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States. 1929. 101

Nagercoil, while a number of catechists and teachers were receiving
‘ ial instruction at various stations. The value of our property in
d at $130,125. Nevertheless a number of buildings
had to be rented. All this shows how God has granted our work in
India splendid success during the last three years.

Owing to the civil war in China, no such progress can be reported
in this country. The only station which was continually served by at
Jeast one missionary is Hankow. At the end of 1928 we had nine
missionaries, two lady teachers, and two nurses in this mission. The
number of native Christians is about 500. ‘There are seven native
evangelists, 4 chapel attendants, and two Bible women. The number
of chapels is 11, and of the reading-rooms, 4. In Hankow we have
eleven primary schools and a proseminary with eight students. Our
Concordia Seminary in Hankow could not be reopened as yet. At
all our stations in China, except Kweifu, we now have some property,
estimated to be worth $73,250. We must still pay out considerable
money for rent.

The number of our missionaries in China is four less than in
1996, owing partly to sickness and the civil war, but also to the fact
that the so-called “term question,” a difference of opinion regarding
the proper name for God in the Chinese language, caused several
missionaries to retire from service.

Of the $343,300 appropriated in 1926 for buildings in foreign
mission-fields $202,900 were intended for China and $140,400 for
India. On account of the war conditions the appropriation for
China was not used. For India only $54,074 were expended, $86,326
less than appropriated. The Board of Directors has recently set aside
an additional sum of $39,525 for land and buildings in India. The
Board hopes that Synod will make the remaining $46,801 of the for-
mer appropriation available for this year. During the next trien-
nium building operations in India will require at least $112,683 and
in China $125,000.

Our buildings in China have been damaged considerably during
the war. The Board of Directors has already appropriated $5,110.24
for the most necessary repairs and $3,409.62 to cover the personal
losses of the missionaries, at least in part.

Our expenses have not exceeded the budget appropriations. We
have made an earnest effort, so far without success, to gain for this
work pastors who have already had experience in the ministry. We
have also been unable to secure a Lutheran medical missionary, but
hope to send a candidate who is being trained for the medical mis-
sion to India within a year or two. We are also in touch with two
other young doctors, whom we hope to gain for this work.

The Board for Foreign Missions, together with the Board of