The Work Among the Colored People
By K. C. Russell
THE regular workers in the District of Columbia, and about one hundred of our people besides, were in attendance at a meeting in the interests of the local work, which was held Sunday, April 1, at the People's Seventh-day Adventist church, corner Tenth and V Streets, N. W., of which Elder L. C. Sheafe is pastor. Among those present were Elders Daniells, Irwin, and other leading workers. Elder I. H. Evans presided as chairman of the meeting. The business which was made a special order of the day was the interests of the work for the colored people in Washington. Well-written papers on the education of our colored people were read by Elder Sheafe and Prof. B. G. Wilkinson, and these were followed by a spirited discussion. The following is a partial stenographic report of Elder Daniells's statement of some of the work we have done and are doing for the colored race:— “In taking up work for any local field it is well to consider the work for the entire field, and the relation we should sustain to all parts. Our field is the world, and we are trying to reach all classes and conditions of people; for our message is to go to all peoples. The colored as well as the white race is to be reached by this truth; and for many years we have been making efforts to carry this truth to the colored people, not only in this country, but in other lands. We must consider the needs of the entire field, and not localize our efforts. “I might refer briefly to some of the things we have done in this line, both abroad and in our own land. For instance, we have expended many thousands of dollars for our mission in Nyassaland, East Africa, which is conducted wholly for the colored people. In order to secure the mission, we paid five or six thousand dollars, and we have since expended a similar sum in maintaining it. “We have invested thousands of dollars in the Matabele Mission, which was established in 1894. More recently we opened a mission in Barotseland, north of the Zambesi. Last year Elder W. H. Anderson went to that field, with his wife and little girl, and his aged mother, for the purpose of giving his life for those people. “Then there is our Sierra Leone Mission on the west coast of Africa, with which Elder D. C. Babcock and Brother J. M. Hyatt are connected. Our brethren in Germany have opened and are maintaining a mission in German East Africa; and only recently our brethren in Great Britain have voted to open a mission station near there, in British East Africa. It is our purpose soon to go to Uganda and plant a mission station there. “Does it not mean something when our brethren leave their homes and go to these various fields and give their lives and their all for the work of saving the souls of some of these poor people? “Not only have we made earnest efforts in behalf of the colored people in various parts of the great Dark Continent, the home of this race, but in our own land we have for years endeavored to carry the truth to this people. For the past ten or fifteen years we have sent annually thousands of dollars to the Southern field, a large proportion of which has been expended in work for the colored people. During 1905 we sent over twenty thousand dollars to the Southern field, for the work in behalf of these people. “Now with reference to our work locally: It has been the expectation that Washington should be made a center for the education and training of colored people for work. We believe this must be done. It is to be regretted that a school for the training of colored workers is not in operation here at the present time; and so we must plan for this, and also for training to be given those who wish to become nurses. Church-schools, an intermediate school, and a training-school for workers should be provided as soon as possible. But it will take time to develop all these interests, and especially in view of the enormous burdens that have fallen upon us who are at the head of the work, in looking after the administrative affairs at home, and the mission work in all parts of the world. “I would like to have you consider for a moment the fact that during 1905 we opened eighteen new mission stations. These stations are in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, China, Burma, Barotseland, the Philippines, Ceylon, and in other fields. The opening of three or four mission stations in one year only a few years ago seemed a task too great for us to accomplish. There is, perhaps, no other denomination engaged in work in mission fields that opened up eighteen new stations last year. There is no other denomination in the world to-day that is operating missions, institutions, schools, and sanitariums, covering the whole face of the earth, as we are doing.” Elder I. H. Evans briefly presented the kind of workers the cause is in dire need of to-day. He said:— “There is an imperative demand for loyal, upright, devoted colored workers for the South. There is a crying need for men who believe this message and are true to it. There is money in the treasury waiting to pay them. I have received petitions from several presidents of conferences to supply them with competent, thoroughly consecrated young men and women, who will take up evangelical work; so there is no use of our saying that there is no place for us to labor. There are plenty of places for those who are willing to preach the third angel's message. What we want is loyalty and integrity, a grounding in, and belief of, the truth, and a loyalty to the administration of the affairs of the denomination. Unless this is so, young men and women can not do efficient work for God. There is an imperative need all over the great Southland for19competent, trained workers to labor in behalf of the colored people.” Owing to the fact that we were unable to complete the business for which the meeting was called, it was adjourned until Sunday, April 22.