West Virginia by W. J. TANNER

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 18, 1915

West Virginia

By W. J. TANNER

AFTER fourteen years’ labor in other fields (eleven in the West Indies and three in Canada) the writer was called to return to the United States on May 1 of the past year, and settled in West Virginia. When Mrs. Tanner and I left our native land, we did not expect that we should ever return to it, and during all these years our minds did not change in this respect. However, Providence ruled otherwise. First, Mrs. Tanner’s health having failed through long residence in the tropics, we were forced to seek a cold climate; then, after three short years in the interesting province of Quebec, circumstances over which we had no control made it seem best to return to this country. We enjoyed our work in those other fields, where the Lord gave us many rich and profitable experiences; and it has required considerable effort on our part to reconcile ourselves to the thought that we are back laboring in the United States again.

However, we are beginning to like our new field, “The Mountain State,” and to feel at home here. The Lord has abundantly blessed the work in West Virginia the past year, in spite of several changes that have been made in the little corps of workers. The tithe has increased, for the second time the conference has more than made up its share of the annual fund, and thirty-seven accessions have been made to our numbers by baptism.

One of the most encouraging features of the work here is the circulation of our literature. Our book sales for 1914 amounted to over $15,000. When it is remembered that our membership is but 240, the significance of these figures will be better appreciated. Yet much more might be done in this and other directions; for the developing of the coal, oil, natural gas, and other industries is bringing thousands of persons into the State annually, thus enlarging our field of activity and increasing our responsibility.

All things taken into consideration, we can report that the outlook for 1915 is very encouraging, and with our little band of consecrated workers we hope to see the work here strengthened greatly.

W. J. TANNER.