Chesapeake Conference by Roscoe T. Baer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 3, 1914

Chesapeake Conference

By Roscoe T. Baer

SINCE my last report the work in this conference has made some progress. The spring campaign was begun with the Columbia Union conference and institute, held in Baltimore, April 28 to May 10. This was a very profitable meeting, and our workers went out to their fields of labor with renewed vigor, and deeper consecration to win souls to Christ.

Five public efforts are in operation. Three of these have been conducted in church buildings. The other two are conducted in field tents, forty by sixty feet each.

Elder R. H. Martin conducted a series of meetings in the new church building at Wilmington, Del., a city having a population of 100,000. These meetings were fairly well attended, and some have already been baptized.

Brother H. L. Peden has conducted a campaign in the new church building at Hagerstown. This is a beautiful little town in western Maryland, with a population of 20,000. Five persons have already been baptized, and as many others are awaiting baptism.

Brother L. E. Froom has been laboring in Cambridge, Md., where there is a population of 7,000. He has conducted his effort in the Adventist church building there with good success. There are twelve new converts at that place, and a splendid interest, which is being developed as rapidly as possible. The daily press of Cambridge has given liberal space for all the sermons reported. The editor seemed as willing to publish the strong doctrines as the practical themes. This brought our work into prominence, keeping the church well filled at all the meetings.

Our tent efforts are conducted by Elder S. T. Shadel at Frederick for the white people, and Elders F. H. Seeney and G. P. Rodgers for the colored people at Baltimore. Frederick has a population of 13,000. The effort at this place has been blessed of the Lord. While there has been only a fair attendance, there has been a good class attending the meeting. A baptism is planned, when ten or twelve will unite with our church there, which has been organized less than a year. The effort for the colored people has been very successful. Seventy-five have signed the covenant to keep all of God's commandments, and sixty-five of these were out to church service on Sabbath. We are sure the Lord has signally blessed by sending the Holy Spirit upon this people. There are 225,000 colored people in the conference, with 90,000 in Baltimore. The colored brethren have secured a very neat building for their church home. This building cost $8,000 when it was built. Our brethren are getting it for $5,000. It is built of brick, and is therefore as good as new.

We are endeavoring to put our church members to work; and the plan is working out encouragingly, bringing manifold blessings to all who engage in it. One brother had a great burden for his neighbors, and he and his wife began to use literature freely, and connected with that personal work, which they did after working hours and on Sundays. The result is that three men with their families are rejoicing in the truth. These have all been baptized and received into the church.

We have six new church buildings located as follows: Baltimore, Hagerstown, Wilmington, Fords Store, Pondsville, Whitleysburg. Other buildings repaired and converted into suitable church buildings are located as follows: Baltimore, Rock Hall, and Cambridge. The German brethren have recently purchased a dwelling house, which has been altered by taking out the partitions on the lower floor. This arrangement gives them a very nice church in the best section of the city. Quite a number of accessions to this church are the result of the work done among the German-speaking people of Baltimore. Brother J. H. Wierts is pastor of the church. There is a company of German brethren located at Marydel that has requested to be organized into a church. This will probably be attended to before the next conference meeting.

Our people are loyal in supporting the work, and are ready to stand by it until it is finished in glorious triumph. The tithe this year will be about $12,000, an increase of $2,000. Offerings to missions are more than for the same period a year ago. In many places our Sabbath schools are raising fifteen cents a week, and in some instances the full twenty cents is realized. During the last two years the Sabbath school offerings increased $3,900. There is a good spirit among our young people. Quite a number are planning to enter the Washington Missionary College on September 16.

Just now we are searching hard for a city evangelist for our work in Baltimore. Our largest church in this city has been patiently waiting for a pastor for months. Our desire is to be faithful to God and unitedly move forward and quickly finish the work committed to us.

We are living in perilous times; the night of sin is almost over, and we look forward to the breaking of the day. We ask the prayers of the REVIEW family for the work in the Chesapeake Conference, that much more may be accomplished in the short time we have to finish the work.

ROSCOE T. BAER.