General Meeting in Haiti by G. G. ROTH

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 22, 1916

General Meeting in Haiti

By G. G. ROTH

G. G. ROTH

RESPONDING to a call from the General Conference, I visited the French field of Haiti during March and April, to attend a general meeting. This republic has a population of two and one-half million, the majority of whom speak French, and the others, especially those in the interior, speak the Creole; but most of them understand French.

Since the United States has assumed the protectorate of the island, conditions have changed in favor of prosperity and the security of the country. Streets are cleaned, roads are built, and plans are laid for the building of railroads.

The general meeting was the first ever held here, and lasted ten days. It certainly was a blessed meeting. God came very near us. Never had I witnessed so much of his power as I did in that meeting. There were two hundred of our people in attendance. Many came from the interior of the island. Thirty-two were baptized, and many others are anxious to receive baptism. Nearly all these converts came from Catholicism.

WORKERS ATTENDING THE HAITI GENERAL MEETING

Pledges amounting to 667 gourdes (a gourde is equal to twenty cents) were made to help pay the school-teachers during 1916, and 542 gourdes collected for the erection of a school building. The salary of an ordinary workingman is twenty cents a day. Seventy-one Bibles, 1,450 New Testaments, and 1,200 Gospels were sold. Thirty copies of “Life of Christ” in French were ordered, and thirty subscriptions to La Sentinelle were taken.

American officers and soldiers expressed astonishment at seeing our tent so well filled with such a good class of people. It was inspiring. Among them were judges, lawyers, doctors, generals, etc. Even the mayor of Grande Rivière, where this meeting was held, was baptized, and the justice of the peace said it would not be long until he should join our church.

During 1915 the 266 members in Haiti paid $641.68 tithe, $26.63 for missions, $38.36 in Sabbath school offerings, and $216.10 for church expenses; a total of $922.77. I can say that it is wonderful when we take into consideration the revolutions of the past two years, also the declaration of other religious bodies who say it is impossible to get anything from the people to help carry on gospel work.

After the general meeting I spent two weeks with the tent in Port de Paix, where Brother E. Curdy is at work. The attendance was good, especially when the stereopticon was used. A church building is being erected here.

My next stop was at Port au Prince, the capital. Here I visited the minister of finance and commerce to request the free entrance of our books and papers. We expect the request will be granted. On Sabbath we met with the group of believers there, seven or eight in number.

By the only railroad of importance in that country, I reached St. Marc, where Brother Isaac Nord is laboring. He is assisted by Jules J. Baptiste. As a result of their labors here the past few months, they have organized a church of fifteen members.

I am glad to be able to say that all our workers in Haiti really possess the spirit of the message and are preaching it with power and good results.