East Caribbean Conference
By Geo. F. Enoch
IN January the members of the East Caribbean Conference Committee gathered in Bridgetown, Barbados, for the purpose of transacting the business of the conference and laying plans for the prosecution of the work the coming tent season. It is hard for those who live on a large continent to realize the difficulties connected with the carrying on of the conference work in a field that is so cut up by sea water as the East Caribbean Conference. Each island is a little world by itself, and steamer communication almost isolates some islands, while making communication difficult among all. This is illustrated by the fact that although the conference has been organized two years, yet this has been the first conference committee meeting with all members present. In spite of the difficulties the work is onward. Encouraging reports were brought from all the field. One hundred and fourteen were baptized by the conference laborers during 1904. The total number of Sabbath-keepers in the conference, Dec. 31, 1904, was nine hundred and seven, an increase of one hundred and sixty-five for the year. All other branches of the work show corresponding increase. The tithe for 1904 was $2,292.49, an increase over the year before of $317.39; annual offerings, $252.46; donations to missions, $413.08, a total increase in tithes and offerings for last year of $676.82. In addition to this we have purchased an outfit of type and a job-press for the purpose of getting up the Caribbean Watchman more to our taste, and this is now almost paid for. Then different members of this conference have been glad to have a humble part in assisting in establishing the work in Washington. The island of Dominica has at last been entered by the living preacher, and the Lord is blessing the work of Elder Giddings in that field. A lot has already been donated, on which to erect a church building, and there is a good interest to hear the message. The Lord is blessing the work of the Caribbean Watchman, our missionary paper. We have been successful in arousing our people, and there is a general movement to place it and The Family Bible Teacher in as many homes as possible. We are making an effort this year to enlist every live Seventh-day Adventist in this work. Four specials are now being issued, similar to the Signs and Watchman specials. But with our laborers so far apart, and working under so many disadvantages, the word comes from our General Conference Committee that, owing to the low state of the Mission Board finances, some of our laborers must be withdrawn. With aching hearts we look at the work to be accomplished, and the heavy burdens our small force of workers are already bearing, which any reduction in the force will increase to those who remain, and then ask the Lord why this is necessary. But as the needs of such countries as Africa and the Orient, with their teeming millions, rise before us, we close up the ranks, and press forward with courage and zeal, leaving all with the Lord of the harvest, who has promised to finish the work and cut it short in righteousness. We are glad to report that our native laborers are developing and doing acceptable service. We earnestly pray that the Lord will raise a corps of efficient native laborers. Yet with a new field and no educational institutions, and the lack of what is considered in the home land the barest necessities, perhaps some can appreciate the problem we face. As we think of all the facilities in the United States,—the colleges, the intermediate schools, the sanitariums, the well-organized conferences, with large constituencies, and the well-equipped tent companies going forth to labor with several ministers, a company of Bible workers, singers, etc.,—and then face the unwarned multitudes before us, and realize that we have not a single one of those facilities,—when a tent meeting is to be held, each worker has to start out with only himself and wife, and perhaps a native assistant, and it is often the case that other duties are also pressing upon him heavily,—when we see all this, brethren and sisters, we can not possibly imagine that any Seventh-day Adventist who really grasps the situation, would say that we are swinging things too heavily toward the mission fields. Satan is stirring up men and women in the United States who have not the third angel's message, and they are denying themselves, and are filling the West Indies with a flood of errors that it will be almost impossible for us to counteract or eradicate. It is difficult for us to express the grief that wrings our hearts as we see these errors pushing ahead of the precious message, and closing hearts against us. Still we are of good courage. The Lord's hand is in his work. In every island his blessing is manifested. The enemy tries to bring in division and discouragement, but the love of Christ is uniting our hearts, and we are determined to press together. The coming season we expect a tent will be pitched in British Guiana, one in Antigua, and one in Grenada. Evangelical work is also being pushed in new fields in Dominica and in Barbados. On account of the withdrawal of laborers, it is likely that no new work can be opened in Trinidad, for which we are sorry. The literature campaign is being prosecuted as actively as is possible with our small force of laborers. Remember our field in your prayers.