Report From the Southern Union by S. E. WIGHT.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 4, 1915

Report From the Southern Union

By S. E. WIGHT.

THE South is probably affected by the reverses in the financial world more than any other part of the United States. There has been great suffering in some places, especially among the colored people in the cotton districts. With these reverses, caused by the war in Europe, has come a studied plan to prepare for the worst, so that the people generally have adjusted themselves to the conditions, and business is again making some headway. The same determination to rise above difficulties, manifested in other districts where discouraging conditions have existed, is seen here.

It seemed for a time that our colporteur work would be paralyzed. Many of the workers delivered only a small part of their books. It was very discouraging, but with persevering effort they have labored on. Great faith has been manifested by these workers in the triumph of the third angel’s message. Only those who are in the field, or have passed through a like experience, can form any idea of the blessings that have come to the laborers who have stayed by the work during the hard times of the past few months. The Lord has been mindful of his workers and work, and avenues have been marvelously opened before the laborers. During the present year $15,579.99 worth of books have been sold and delivered, and $30,144 worth of orders are yet to be delivered.

The population of this union is a little more than nine million. With the exception of Louisiana, which is largely French, the people are of English descent. The most of our work has been done for the English. The results from the evangelistic efforts have not been extraordinary; however, for the last three years the increase in membership has been 288 for each year, and for the first six months of 1915, 199 were added. The prospect is good for an equal number to be added to the church in the last half of the year. The same methods of work employed in other fields are followed in this. Church schools, rural schools, and small sanitariums are being established. There are two treatment rooms conducted by Seventh-day Adventists in Nashville, two in Birmingham, and one in New Orleans. It is the policy to establish a church school wherever a church is raised up, but the lack of teachers is hindering this very much. There are at present eighteen church schools in the union, ten white and eight colored.

The work for the colored people is very interesting. The workers have succeeded in reaching a well-educated class. Their talent has added much to the interest, and demands increased facilities for the work. Two beautiful, substantial churches have recently been built in Louisville, Ky., and one in New Orleans, La. A church near the Fisk University, in a good colored district, formerly occupied by the white Presbyterians, has been secured for the colored congregation in Nashville. Preparations are now being made to build a church in Memphis.

The Lord has certainly gone before and prepared the way marvelously for the spread of this message among the colored people. In Mansfield, La., a colored woman, by seeking God and studying her Bible, was led to observe the Sabbath. She kept the Sabbath several months before she knew there was another person in the world observing the seventh-day Sabbath. She was finally found by a white Seventh-day Adventist family. A servant of this family was a friend of this colored woman, and recognized the faith of the two as identical, and became the medium of communication between them. It was found on examination that she had all the message with the exception of two points. She and the people who know her recognize God’s hand in leading her out of darkness into this marvelous light.

S. E. WIGHT.