Pieper's plea for “Our Negro Mission” (1884) – “difficult conditions”, “enthusiastic misbelief”, “carnal emotional excitement” (among Blacks)

    Old Missouri has been criticized by the LC-MS for not promoting work among the Blacks, formerly referred to as Negroes.  But we find an honest report, and a plea, from the young Prof. Franz Pieper in the April 1, 1884 Der Lutheraner, vol. 40, p. 51.  Let us first hear his report:

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Our Negro Mission.

 

At present there are six workers in our Negro Mission, three missionaries and three teachers. The teachers are distributed among the individual stations in such a way that in Little Rock, Ark., one missionary and one teacher are working, and in New Orleans, La. one missionary and two teachers are working. In Meherrin, Prince Edwards Co. Virginia, the missionary also presides over the school. It will no doubt be of interest to the dear readers of Der Lutheraner if we share here some data from the recently requested parochial reports. Communing members or members entitled to communion are in the wards 61, namely in New Orleans 42, in Little Rock 15, in Meherrin 4. In 1883 new members were admitted 42, in New Orleans 33, in Little Rock 6, in Meherrin (until February 1884) 3. Through apostasy and exclusion the mission lost 10 members in the past year, 6 in New Orleans, 4 in Little Rock. There were 371 pupils in the parochial schools, 215 in New Orleans, 116 in Little Rock, 40 in Meherrin. 225 pupils were still taught the Catechism and Bible History on Sundays: 125 in New Orleans, 80 in Little Rock, 20 in Meherrin. 27 adults were taught: 20 in New Orleans, 6 in Little Rock, 1 in Meherrin.

If one compares the success of the Negro Mission with that of the so-called Inner Mission, however, the comparison is very much to the disadvantage of the former. And this circumstance has been the cause that here and there hearts have grown cold with regard to the Negro Mission. But one should keep in mind that the Negro mission works under completely different and more difficult conditions. The Negroes must mostly be won individually out of gross superstition and the most enthusiastic misbelief by the power of the Word of God. It is true: the sects [Baptists, Methodists, etc.] working among the Negroes usually have greater “successes” to show. But we would probably also have these “successes” if we wanted to put ourselves on a par with the sects in our work. The latter refrain from winning souls and gathering congregations through thorough instruction in Christian doctrine; with a so-called revival or conversion they believe the work is done. But what is claimed to be a revival or conversion is even more frequently a mere carnal emotional excitement among Negroes than among whites. Now we too do not want to have unconverted but converted members in our Negro congregations. But we seek to attain this goal solely through the clear preaching of the Gospel, which bears its fruit in its own time, and only those Negroes are admitted to our congregations who have undergone lengthy catechism instruction and can give an account of their faith.

But we do not think that what has been achieved so far in the Negro Mission by God's grace is so small. Is it a small thing that a number of adults, some of whom were unbaptized pagans, have been won over, who now rejoice that they have come to the knowledge of the pure Gospel, who gladly hear God's Word and live a godly life? Some have already fallen asleep blissfully in the comfort of the Gospel we brought them. Above all, it is no small thing that several hundred children learn our Lutheran Catechism, this incomparable epitome of the entire Biblical teaching, which Luther himself “as an old doctor” still prayed daily, day in and day out, year in and year out. This is a seed which, by God's grace, will bear its fruit.

Our main task in this country remains, of course, the so-called Inner Mission. This is the next work to which the Lord of the Church has directed us here. If we neglected this work, we would leave the good work undone, which the Lord demands of us in the present circumstances. But besides this, we should also have a heart for the Negro mission that has now been started. In this work, too, the Lord is with us according to His promise. As far as the earthly means are concerned, God should have given us enough so that we can carry out both the Inner Mission and the work of the Negro Mission and the mission to the Jews. May He Himself, the Lord, who has blessed us so abundantly, cause all good things to abound among us! F. Pieper.

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      Pieper describes conditions among the Blacks at that time as “gross superstition and the most enthusiastic misbelief”.  We see the effect of this “enthusiastic misbelief” in the Black Jazz and Blues music which is so influential in the world today, an "enthusiasm" promoted by Methodists and revival methods. — Pieper's description was given to impress the teachers among the "Negroes" that they are to let the Word of God do the work, and not begin to employ the means of the "sect" teachers, such as the Methodists and Baptists, – enthusiastic means. — One wonders if part of the reason that so many Black basketball players in years past had “Luther” in their name was because of these Old Missouri “Negro Missions.”

     Later that same year, on Oct. 1, Pieper published a plea for the “Negro Mission”, (p. 148-149). We publish our translation in the next Part 2.  Then in Part 3, we hear from the father of the OLD Missouri Synod, C.F.W. Walther on "Negroes in the South".

      Let the reader judge whether the Old Missouri teachers and leaders exhibited any degree of what is called “racism.”  Could the LC-MS charges against Old Missouri be a sign that the LC-MS is losing the Word of God, and going over to enthusiastic methods to try to be effective? (If I get time, I will answer the charges of Dr. Gregory P. Seltz, former Lutheran Hour Speaker.)