The South Caribbean Conference by W. A. Sweany

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 18, 1909

The South Caribbean Conference

By W. A. Sweany

It is impossible for those living in the lands of passenger-trains and electric cars to fully understand what it means to try to hold a conference in these island fields, where the almost continuous quarantine restrictions and the ever-increasing perils of the sea make traveling a most uncertain and unpleasant experience.

Owing to the inability of our union conference president to meet his appointments, on account of quarantine restrictions, the date for holding our conference was changed five or six times. At last it was thought to be definitely fixed for January 1-6, and accordingly, my wife and I took deck passage from Grenada to Trinidad, where the meeting was to be held. Located between a pigpen and a duck coop, on a slippery iron deck, with the sky as our only shelter, we had a rather more pleasant passage than usual, as we were favored with good weather, only three or four showers falling during the journey, from which our umbrellas protected us fairly well.

On reaching Trinidad we learned that our president, Elder J. B. Beckner, and the union conference president, Elder U. Bender, were unable to leave British Guiana, where they had gone to attend conference, owing to the quarantine restrictions, resulting from an outbreak of yellow fever. Under the circumstances, holding the conference was out of the question; so we held a service each evening during the week, while waiting for a boat to take us home. These services were well attended by the people of the city and the Port of Spain church; and the members of the other churches of the conference who had come, seemed to derive benefit and enjoyment from them.

We reached home on the morning of January 7, after an unusually pleasant deck passage, having had an awning over us; and the same afternoon we received a cablegram to return to Trinidad, Elder Beckner having succeeded in reaching there. So on the twelfth we left home again, and had almost an exact repetition of our previous trip,—pigs, fowls, and all.

Elder Bender was unable to reach Trinidad, which we all regretted very much, but we held the conference January 13, 14. I have not the data for making an exact report, but there were delegates present from eight of the nine churches of the conference, and two new churches were admitted.

Despite our meager force, reduced almost to the vanishing point by the death of Brethren L. J. Briggs and R. L. Price during the year, and the removal of Elders D. E. and S. A. Wellman with their families, the field reports of the few workers revealed encouraging progress.

Openings abound, and calls come from all directions, for most of which we can do nothing but pray. There are twenty-five places in Trinidad, a dozen in Grenada and Carriacou and Tobago, where tent-meetings or other public efforts could be held any time, with every indication of success. But we can not man one tent! Think of this, brethren in the stronger conferences, and share with us, if possible, some of your able workers.

Elder Beckner was re-elected president. The force this year consists of two ordained ministers, two licentiates, and four missionary licentiates.

We reached home January 17, and were called to St. Patrick's the next day to conduct the funeral of Brother Cornwall, and did not return for three days. In our absence, Elder Bender, whom we had been trying for so long to see, spent half a day in our home, as he chanced to pass this way, en route to Panama and Jamaica. Our failure to meet him was a great disappointment to us and to him; but such is life in the West Indies.

We shall soon be leaving this part of the field at the request of the union conference and Mission Board, to open up the work in the unentered Bahamas. Who feels a burden to recruit the depleted forces in this hard, needy, but interesting and fruitful field? Some one must come, and that right early. Who shall it be? "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest," and as you pray, say, "Here am I; send me."

W. A. SWEANY.