The Work of the Southern Missionary Society
By C. P. BOLLMAN
At the close of the last school year the Southern Missionary Society had in successful operation eighteen colored mission schools with an average enrolment of thirty-five pupils. This is double the number of schools ever before in operation all at the same time, under the auspices of this society. The eighteen schools are scattered throughout eight different States as follows: Alabama, one; Florida, two; Georgia, two; Louisiana, one; Mississippi, nine; North Carolina, one; South Carolina, one; Tennessee, one. The work of the society began in Mississippi and was for a number of years confined almost wholly to that one State. But for the last two years, the policy of the society has been, while holding what has been gained in Mississippi for the cause of the third angel's message, to extend the work as rapidly as possible into other States also. Several of these mission schools require the services of more than one teacher; so that while the schools number only eighteen, the society employs twenty-seven teachers. The school at Vicksburg is the largest, and employs four instructors; the Mobile school had three teachers; Nashville, two; Yazoo City, two; Natchez, two; and Atlanta, two. The schools vary much in size, the smallest being at Ellisville, Miss., and the largest at Vicksburg. The number of these small mission schools, or, as they sometimes are, combined church and mission schools, ought to be greatly increased. The Testimonies tell us there should be hundreds of them. Each teacher is expected to be, and usually is, an all-round mission worker. In addition to instructing the children, the teacher visits from house to house, gives Bible readings, ministers to the sick, conducts cottage meetings, sells books and papers, and makes himself generally useful in the community where his lot is cast. The policy of the Southern Missionary Society is to do only one thing, and to do it well; namely, to establish and maintain mission schools; but the exigencies of the work have been such as to cause a number of departures from this policy. It is seldom that the society does not have upon its pay-roll several ordained ministers, whose work is directed by the several conferences in which they are located. This is the case at the present time. At the session of the union conference held in Nashville last January, a resolution was adopted requesting the Southern Missionary Society to undertake the work of establishing treatment rooms and a mission home in that city. That work has been undertaken, and Brother D. E. Blake, formerly in charge of the work for his people in South Carolina, together with his wife, Dr. Lottie C. Isbell-Blake17have been called to Nashville to take active charge of the proposed medical and evangelistic work. A good deal of time was spent by Elder C. F. McVagh, the president of the society, and by the secretary, searching for a suitable place in which to inaugurate the work recommended by the union conference. After several days spent in fruitless search, Brother Blake found in East Nashville a very desirable property, not for rent, but for sale for $4,000 cash. After careful consideration and taking counsel of a number of leading brethren, and of Sister E. G. White, it was decided to purchase the property instead of paying high rental for something not at all adapted to the desired purpose. Negotiations being opened up with the owner of the property, it was finally bought for $3,650 on payments extending over a period of two years. Five hundred dollars has been paid, and another $500 falls due July 8, with a like sum to be paid thirty days thereafter; the balance in one and two years, with six per cent interest on deferred payments. It is the hope and belief of the board of the society, that this medical work for Nashville can be financed without crippling the mission schools to any degree. Surely this is not more than we ought to do for the work among the colored people of the United States. The title to the newly acquired Nashville property is held by a legal board, of which Elder McVagh is president, and Elder G. A. Irwin a member, as is also W. A. Wilcox, treasurer of the Southern Union Conference. The enterprise is, however, to be financed by the Southern Missionary Society. This is quite an undertaking, in addition to what the society is already doing; but, brethren, we can do it if we all take hold together. 'If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us.' C. P. BOLLMAN,
Sec. Southern Missionary Society.