Greetings From the Field by The Delegates from Other Lands

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Oct 12, 1905

Greetings From the Field

By The Delegates from Other Lands

A MEMORIAL presented to the churches in America from the foreign delegates at the General Conference.

To Believers in America,

Greeting:—

The delegates who have come to the General Conference from lands abroad, representing all the great mission fields of the world, desire to send this united greeting and memorial to our beloved brethren in America.

We come from populous lands, where vast millions lie unwarned in the darkness of error. But we can tell our brethren that the power of God is in the fields to-day, and we know that we are well able to go in and possess the lands. In behalf of these peoples—our brethren and sisters, whatever the tribe or race—we thank our beloved brethren in America for the help in men and means that has been sent into the fields. The knowledge that your prayers are with them, and that a loyal body of believers is ready to sacrifice for the needy fields, is daily strength and cheer as your missionaries endeavor by God’s grace to press the battle to the gates in all the countries of the earth.

But, brethren, still the cry of our fields goes up to God, and it rings continually in our ears,—the cry of earth’s perishing millions who know not the way to life, but are wandering untaught in the darkness.

With this cry ever in our hearts, we ask you to pray and plan, and work without ceasing for the strengthening of the cause of this message in the great mission fields. We are not envious of our brethren and conferences in the home land of this movement for the development and multiplication of facilities with which to work. We rejoice at all that strengthens the stakes in order that the cords may be lengthened to reach to the uttermost parts of the earth. But we beseech you to look upon our need in fields abroad, where the work is growing upon our hands. We ask no provision for the multiplication of institutions as pioneer agencies. But with our resources taken up in field work, which brings abundant fruit in converts to the truth, we sorely need here a mission station, there a small training center, and facilities for producing a literature for the many-tongued millions.

In the roll-call of continents and great field divisions we respond as follows:—

L. R. Conradi, for Europe: To Europe, from ancient times, was the promise given: “God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” Gen. 9:27.

While the thousands of faithful believers from all portions of Europe, and speaking more than a score of different tongues, send greeting to this World’s Conference, they with their greeting mingle joyful praises unto God for his wonderful fulfilment of the prophecy quoted above, as applied to the spread of this message. They are living witnesses to the power of this last message, in not only raising up a people among the different nations of Europe, but its workers are already pressing their way into Asia, the land of Shem, into Canaan of old, and into northern Africa, the land of Ham. To-day again we hear the call from Macedonia, Greece, Siberia, Servia, yea, from Asia Minor, Persia, and northern Africa, “Come over and help us to finish the work among the five hundred millions of people living in this field.”

W. S. Hyatt, for Africa: The Lord has sent us the message: “Thus saith the Lord, The labor of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia . . . shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; . . . they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee.” Isa. 45:14. And now by the spirit of prophecy it is declared that “Ethiopia is stretching out her hands unto God.” We testify to you that this is the truth to-day.

Therefore we earnestly request you to hear the cry of the millions of Africa, as it ascends to heaven, pleading for the light of the everlasting gospel, and to place men in training for this work; also that missions be opened as soon as possible in a few great centers, such as Algeria, Sudan, Uganda, and the Kongo country, in order that the light of present truth may shine into the heart of darkest Africa, and thus assist in the fulfilment of the prophecy, and in giving the bread of life to Ethiopia, as she waits, pleading with outstretched hands.

“They are waiting in the wild, Sick and weary and defiled, And the Saviour’s healing word They have never, never heard; Ever hungry and unfed, Left without the living Bread— Waiting! Waiting!”

J. L. Shaw, for India: We have made a beginning. There are a few flickering lights among the darkened sons of India, but their need—the need of the uplifted cross of Christ—is more than words can tell. They are moving, mighty multitudes are surging, hurrying on to Christless graves, without hope and without God. We feel helpless to tell their need. There are the eighty-seven million Hindi people, without a representative of present truth among them. The great city of Bombay remains still unentered. Madras, and southern India, with her wealth of responsible and intelligent men and women, have scarcely heard a note of the message. There is the cry of Burma and Ceylon. Some one must learn and lead the way among the Hindi, Marathi, Telegu, Gugerati, Tamil, Punjabi, and scores of other tongues of India. Where are the workers, trained, tried, and true, to pioneer the way among these people? Now is the hour of opportunity in India, and we have the message for the hour.

“Come, for time is quickly fleeting, Come along without delay; India needs more faithful workers, Come for Christ’s dear sake we pray.”

J. N. Anderson, for China: According to God’s geography (Isa. 49:12), China is one of the four parts of the entire world; not in square miles, but in blood-bought souls. Four hundred millions are living, nay, existing, there. In a million villages and a few large cities they are gathered. Amid this surging mass of humanity stalk the giants of superstition, idolatry, degradation, and despair. Despite her national pride, China has absolutely no light, no hope. Her need is the one all-sufficient remedy, “This gospel of the kingdom.” We have been made the responsible trustees of this sacred treasure. Present truth means present duty. Already three different provinces have been opened; a mere nucleus of our literature has been created. The advance guard of the last message has entered the land of Sinim. The situation calls for a steady stream of consecrated reinforcements. The next four years should see no less than twenty-five additional workers

among China’s millions. Shall we have them? Who will go?

“O church of the living God! Awake from thy sinful sleep! Dost thou not hear yon awful cry Still sounding o’er the deep? Is it naught that one out of every three Of all the human race Should in China die, having never heard The gospel of God’s grace? Canst thou shut thine ear to the awful sound,— The voice of thy brothers’ blood? A million a month in China Are dying without God!”

J. W. Field, for Japan and Korea: Japan, the Kingdom of the Rising Sun, and Korea, the Land of Morning Calm, with over fifty millions of people, are open and waiting to receive the closing message of the gospel. The work has but fairly begun in these fields, yet good beginnings have been made. With but two families assigned to evangelical work in Japan, the need of increasing this force is urgent. Not for over three years has an evangelistic worker from abroad been added to our field. But more urgent still, if possible, is the need of pioneer workers for Korea, to take charge of this new and promising field, where the truth is spreading like a blaze. The truth must be published in these two languages, and funds are needed for the work. Not even a beginning has yet been made in publishing the truth in Korean. Yet scores of Korean Sabbath-keepers appeal to us to lead them on. We see the fiery pillar of God’s providence leading the way amid the night of error. Brethren, we must follow on. The new East is awakening to hear the message of the coming King.

J. W. Westphal, for South America: South America is still “the Neglected Continent.” Its unentered fields, long bound down in Romish error, call loudly for help, and the working force in those already entered needs to be increased. The once closed lands of Ecuador and Peru now call imperatively for an ordained minister for each to join the two lone colporteurs who have entered these two republics. It is surely a modest, too modest request, to ask for one colporteur to be sent to take up the work in waiting Bolivia, where as yet the banner of this truth has never been unfurled. One additional minister to the four already in Brazil is certainly not too much to reach the twenty-two millions of that land. Good office help is needed in Brazil. Argentina calls for a French laborer. Definite steps must soon be taken to reach the hundreds of thousands of Indians in our great field. “The King’s business” and his speedy coming demand haste.

G. M. Brown, for Mexico: Nearest to your own borders lie these needy mission fields. Persons have recently begun to keep the Sabbath in three districts of Mexico, and we need workers of some experience to follow up and extend these interests. Two active men are needed who can instruct the people, and work from house to house. And besides, we should have in Mexico three more field colporteurs to sell our literature. In that priest-ridden land we shall have to support such workers, and the answer to this call would mean eighteen hundred dollars added to our Mexican appropriations. Further, we need funds for the production of literature.

A. J. Haysmer, for the West Indies: The work is spreading from island to island, and everywhere honest souls are found waiting for the message that we hear. Broken up into island fragments, our field requires more laborers to watch over and develop it than would be needed if it were one land. But our hearts are one, and the believers among the isles greet you in the common faith, praying that a few more workers be added, that we may reach out to unentered parts. Cuba calls for its first minister, and Hayti’s voice, long heard, now cries from the wayside anew that it be not passed by.

E. H. Gates, for Oceania: “The isles shall wait for his law.” So wrote the prophet of God twenty-six hundred years ago. For ages Oceania waited in the South Seas to hear the precepts of the law of love which is to be written in the heart by the Spirit of God. Between Eastern Asia and the Americas are thousands of islands, with a population of between fifty and sixty millions. Of this vast multitude, millions are pagans, other millions are Mohammedans, while great numbers are cannibals.

To evangelize these millions before the close of the generation which saw the signs of Christ’s coming, we have at present, including ministers, licentiates, nurses, doctors, teachers, and canvassers, less than twenty-five workers. The spirit of prophecy says to us, “Send an alarm through the length and breadth of the earth. A great crisis is just before us. God is now restraining the forces of evil, that the last warning may be given to the world. There should be one hundred workers where now there is only one.”

The Philippines, with seven to ten millions of people, just arousing from their four hundred years’ slavery to Romish superstition, cry aloud for release from Satan’s shackles. Twenty-five millions in Java, many of them fierce, fanatical votaries of Islam, demand a share of our missionary efforts. The quarter of a million in Singapore, representing almost every language on earth, presents a most interesting field. Melanesia’s savagery and ignorance call loudly for the gospel of peace and light. Australasia is standing manfully by this work for the populous fields round about.

This, our beloved brethren, is our briefest answer to the roll-call of the nations. Truly has it been said to us by the spirit of prophecy: “From India, from Africa, from China, from the islands of the sea, from the downtrodden millions of so-called Christian lands, the cry of human woe is ascending to God.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, page 179. And devoutly do we thank God for the added words: “That cry will not long be unanswered.” We can see the gleams of the golden morning piercing the darkness of our fields. The coming of Christ, the Desire of all nations, is heaven’s answer to the world’s cry. For this let us work and watch and pray together until the victory is won.

In the bonds of the common faith, we greet you, and thank you once again in behalf of our brethren, of many nations and kindreds and tongues and peoples, who are to-day thanking God that you have sent to them this glorious message of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

THE DELEGATES FROM OTHER LANDS.