West Virginia by S. G. Huntington

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Dec 29, 1904

West Virginia

By S. G. Huntington

From the “Thirty-ninth Annual Report of the Executive Board of the Baptist General Association of West Virginia,” we glean the following facts concerning the attitude of the people of West Virginia toward religion:—

“Only a little over one fourth the population of the State are members of any Christian church. Allowing nearly one fourth more for children under church age, we have left more than one half our entire population outside the pale of the Christian church. This is appalling to think of. And this number is on the increase; for while we are making progress in Christian work, we are not keeping pace with the increase of population. One well posted recently said, ‘There is four times more need for mission work in West Virginia than when our Board was organized thirty-nine years ago.’ Another one, equally well posted, added, ‘Yes, ten times more we need.’ . . . We think there are at least forty towns in the State with over two hundred and fifty people in each without any kind of religious service by any one. Many of these places would welcome a missionary sent by any denomination. There are also large sections of thickly settled country districts without any religious privileges worthy of the name.”

West Virginia has an area of 24,780 square miles, with a population of over 1,000,000 people. According to the preceding report only 250,000 of these are members of any church, thus leaving 500,000, not counting the 258,000 children that make no profession of any religion whatever, while only a very few of all combined know anything about the third angel’s message.

Manifestly this is a needy field in every sense of the word. At present there are but a small handful of Seventh-day Adventists in the State. These are doing all they can to spread the truth, but much remains to be done. Missionaries in deed and in truth—men and women who are not looking for salaries, but souls—can find opportunity to work here. The canvasser in this State finds all the new territory he wants. Books sell readily in these new fields. Beginners do well, while some of our old canvassers take orders to the amount of fifty or seventy-five dollars a week. These workers have given themselves over fully to this line of work; hence are greatly blessed of the Lord. It is the consecrated worker that succeeds. The people are kind and hospitable, and when the truth is presented to them in the proper way, they are susceptible to it. Seemingly this is one, at least, of those fields where we ought to have “one hundred workers where we now have but one.” There is not an Adventist physician or graduated nurse in the State and yet it affords the grandest opportunity for both.

Our Baptist friends assert that there is from “four” to “ten” times more need of mission work in West Virginia than there was “thirty-nine years ago.” A most wonderful confession for a people who believe and teach that the world is getting better, indeed! Nevertheless, as every Seventh-day Adventist knows, it is the truth just as the Scriptures teach. But what do all these things mean? What do they suggest to us?—That probation is fast drawing to a close, and that there is a great work yet to be done by the people of God, and only a short time in which to do it, in giving the last message of mercy to the world before the Lord comes. We are, indeed, in solemn times. May the Lord keep us faithful.

S. G. Huntington.