Cape Conference, South Africa
By E. R. Williams
A NUMBER of white people have recently accepted the truth at Cape Town, Kimberley, and other places in this conference. The workers seem of good courage, and are taking hold together to carry the work to a triumphal finish. Elder J. N. Loughborough’s recent visit to this field has been a great blessing to our churches, and his recital of the experiences in the early part of the work, and especially in connection with the spirit of prophecy, was very much appreciated. In my report of work in the Orange River Colony some months ago, I referred to Solomon Molotsi, a leading Bechuanan minister, who became interested in the truth, and who invited my wife and myself to speak in his church at Bloemfontein, which we did, presenting the soon coming of Jesus and the third angel’s message. Some of his people accepted our teaching, and Molotsi became somewhat afraid of what the result might be; so after we had left Bloemfontein, he closed his church to our people, he himself taking a somewhat negative position with reference to the message. The truth has been working nevertheless, and recently I received the following letter from Joseph Rasmeni, one of our native brethren who accepted the truth some months ago. We give the letter in his phraseology. He says:— “DEAR ELDER WILLIAMS: I received your letter, and was very glad to hear about you. We are all well. O, about the church of S. Molotsi, you know that old Mrs. Molotsi and her family they are glad to hear about Elder Williams, and they give themselves to join the Seventh-day Adventists. This is done on the first of August, 1909. You may remember that all this is from your preaching at Kroonstad. So to-day your free to preach at Molotsi’s church. We praise God, who opens the door that was shut. Molotsi and Mrs. with kindest regards to you and Mrs. Williams. Also Mr. Mtimkulu has his family. We are all kindest regards and best wishes unto you and all brothers. J. RASMENI.” I also received a letter from Brother Mtimkulu, our native worker in Bloemfontein, saying that Molotsi had invited him to speak in his church, that he had done so, and had an excellent interest. Molotsi has charge of about three thousand natives, and also has a number of native ministers working under his direction, several of whom are interested in the message. Of course we can not tell yet what the result of all this will be, but we expect to see many of these people identify themselves with the Lord’s closing work. There are about twenty thousand natives in the location at Bloemfontein alone. In all the towns in the colonies there are thousands of these people, many of whom seem anxious for the truth. We have only one native worker (J. R. Mtimkulu) among this great multitude scattered throughout the Cape and Orange River colonies. We ought to have a number of others, and there are several good men who are doing all they can, and who would be glad to spend all their time working among their people if we were able to support them. These men can be maintained for about ten dollars a month. As soon as our finances will permit, we expect to do much more for the native people in the colonies. This conference, on account of the depressing times, has been having a hard struggle, and has been running behind for some time. But through the mercy of God, we are beginning to catch up a little. It has been thought, by many, to be impossible to carry on the canvassing work successfully in Africa on a self-supporting basis, on account of the hard times. So in the past three years there has been paid in salaries to canvassers about sixteen hundred dollars. As the conference has run behind nearly four thousand dollars during this time, it was thought best at the time of the last conference session to make some changes in the plans. The matter was quite fully discussed, and inasmuch as it was clear that the Testimonies discourage the conduct of the book work on this basis, it was decided to discontinue the payment of salaries to canvassers. The book and periodical sales for the three years—1906, 1907, and 1908—amounted to approximately $4,900, $5,800, and $5,000 respectively. Since the change, instead of the sales falling off, as might have been expected, they amounted to about $4,000 for the first six months of the present year. So we may always expect success when we follow right principles, and the Lord’s instruction. Our canvassing work has only begun, and we expect before the end of the year to have a number of others join the canvassers’ force. We are earnestly looking for a visit from Brother E. R. Palmer to assist us in getting the canvassing work on a good firm footing, and we heartily thank our American brethren for all they are doing for us in this needy field.