Offering for the Work Among the Colored People by C. B. Stephenson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 2, 1916

Offering for the Work Among the Colored People

By C. B. Stephenson

IN harmony with an action of the North American Division Conference, November 18 has been set apart for a special collection for the colored work in the South.

For a number of years the appropriations to the colored department have been wholly inadequate to take care of the work in a satisfactory manner. The appropriations are dependent upon the percentage of tithe from the conferences, and of course are affected by the amount of this tithe. As a result of the shaving of our budgets, a number of Southern missions have had to discontinue schools, and in some instances to lay off workers.

The colored people are very susceptible to the truth, and are hungering and thirsting for the third angel’s message. Now is the opportune time to work for them. “The night cometh, when no man can work.” Conditions are rapidly developing, especially in the South, that will make it very difficult, in my judgment, to work for this race a few years hence, as we can now.

This is a growing work, and in order to foster it we must provide additional workers and facilities. The following incident is an illustration: I was attending a camp meeting for the colored people in one of the Southern States this summer, and the mission school question was up for consideration. It was very apparent, from the discussion by the delegates, that a number of the churches were not able to pay a teacher. They did not feel that it was wise to send the children to the public school, and not being able to support a mission teacher, their children, of course, were without school advantages. A delegate from one of the large cities said: “We are not able to support a teacher. I am very much burdened for our poor children. We cannot send them to the public school, and we have no school of our own. Our children are in a pitiable condition.” His words made a deep impression on my heart. This is an illustration of many places throughout the South, as a result of the lack of means with which to support teachers and workers.

For lack of funds, many of our churches are not able to provide themselves with suitable church buildings. They meet in halls that are not at all suitable, or crowd into small rooms in dwelling houses. We should have a church extension fund, so that in special cases at least a few thousand dollars could be invested in providing church homes for these companies.

Offering for the Work Among the Colored People

(Concluded from page 2)

Provision was made at the fall council to assist in providing churches for several important centers. How much we shall be able to do depends largely upon the liberality of our brethren on November 18, when the general collection will be taken.

In behalf of the ten million colored people in the United States, who are extending the Macedonian cry, “Come over and help us.” I beg of you, after an earnest season of prayer, to consider the privilege and duty of lending a substantial helping hand to this long-neglected race.

C. B. STEPHENSON.