British Guiana by O. E. DAVIS

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 20, 1908

British Guiana

By O. E. DAVIS

According to the decision of the West Indian Union Conference that I should take charge of the work in British Guiana, I started on my first trip early in April to hold quarterly meetings with our people; and as the geographical conditions of the country and the manners and customs of the people have been so often reported by other workers, I shall confine my report to the spiritual condition of the people and their needs.

Leguan Island

Calling at this place, I found the church much reduced, there being only eight members left out of a membership of more than thirty a few years ago. Owing to the illness of the elder, the meetings and Sabbath-school had been discontinued for months. I proceeded to elect new officers as far as possible, and filled vacancies by appointment. The church building is in need of repairs, and should, I believe, be moved to La Bagatella, a distance of two miles, which is the central village of the island, the estate where it now stands being abandoned. I have since visited this church, and find they are earnestly endeavoring to keep up their meetings, hoping soon to receive further help. I believe the membership would be increased if we could send a man there to do the work.

Tappacooma Mission

Calling at this place, I found the work under the charge of Brother T. J. Kennedy in a healthy condition. All the members, about thirty-nine in number, are of good courage; and the mission house is well advanced, with fair prospects of completion soon. At this mission we have recently lost by death one of the first native members to receive this message.—Brother James Jeffery,—who faithfully performed his duties as elder until the time of his decease. Various lines of the work were carefully presented, in which all manifested a deep interest. The school is making good progress under the management of Brother Kennedy, and as a result of his labors I baptized three adults before leaving.

Queenstown

At this place is located, it is said, the oldest company of Sabbath-keepers in the colony. A great deal of money and labor have been spent here, and at one time a membership of nearly thirty was on the church-roll; but by the many attacks of Satan, and for lack of help, they, like the company at Leguan, have been reduced to only sixteen members; and the church building must soon be abandoned if it is not repaired. There are a few waiting for baptism, and if we could only give more attention to the work here, I believe several more would soon unite in keeping the commandments. At this place we held a Sabbath-school convention; this was a profitable time to all.

Munker Pomeroon River

At this place we have a company of about thirteen in a fair state spiritually, and steps are being taken to purchase a building for church purposes. All seem to be of good courage, and the work is making some advancement. There are a few awaiting baptism at this place on my return visit. Arrangements had been made to hold a Sabbath-school convention here, but owing to another attack of sickness these meetings were interrupted, and I was obliged to return home without completing the plans for the work.

Bootooba, Demerara River

On my recovery from my illness I visited this place, and found it had been sadly neglected. It was in such a confused state, so many being found in questionable standing, that it seemed necessary to dissolve the organization, and reorganize. Accordingly, steps were taken to that effect, and out of a church of thirty-four members, only seven were found eligible to membership. With this number a new organization was formed. In the services the presence of the Spirit was felt in a marked degree, and many were moved to confess their sins, and declared their intention to re-consecrate themselves to God. We hope that at least a few may be reclaimed at some future time.

On finding a large number of children here who have school advantages only as they go three miles up and down the river in a canoe, and who are sometimes unable to reach home before dark, their frail bark frequently capsizing, and occasionally a child being drowned; and considering the willingness on the part of the parents, not only of our people but of others as well, to help maintain a school at this place, steps were taken to re-establish the school opened here several years ago.

This is properly an Indian mission, as nearly all of our members are full or part Indian, and the prospects are promising for a prosperous work to be built up here.

On a whole this report is not as encouraging as we wish it were, as it shows a decrease of membership compared with a few years ago, also a great wasting away of buildings. At this place the mission house once occupied by our workers is to-day only a skeleton, nothing being left but the frame. I think, however, that facts and figures are the most profitable to the cause, even if they show a deficit, for thereby we know the certainty of the matter, and are better able to correct the evil. Some may inquire the cause of this great falling off in membership; but the area of this conference is equal to that of Pennsylvania and South Carolina, and the means of traveling such that in order to reach the last-named place, a distance of one hundred twenty miles, and spend Sabbath and Sunday with them, means that one must spend six days in all. This people need a worker with them much of the time, as their environment is such that they are easily overcome, and fall into sin, and hence need to see the worker frequently; but it is impossible for one man to meet these people as often as he should, to say nothing of doing any aggressive work. We need at least two more good colporteurs to work along these great rivers, lined with human beings. And the city of Georgetown will furnish more work than one man can do before the Lord comes. Besides, we must have a man at the head of the work. As I look back to America, with her hundreds of workers and thousands of dollars spent every year, and besides this, thousands of lay members who can and should be God's helping hand in finishing up the work there, I often wonder why the workers are so slow to enter new fields yet untouched. Paul, when he was converted, did not go back to Jerusalem, nor remain at Damascus to tell what he had learned of the Lord; but he went at once directly into Arabia, an unentered field, and on to new fields. Are there not some Pauls in the home land who will listen to hear that Macedonian cry, “Come over, . . . and help us.”

O. E. DAVIS.