Notes from the Field

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 20, 1916

Notes from the Field

For nine months of 1915 Elder B. G. Wilkinson reports 1,100 new members in the Columbia Union, and $132,552 raised for foreign missions.

Last year the church in Battle Creek, Mich., with a membership of 500, paid $13,000 tithe. In the Lake Union $107,000 worth of literature was sold during 1915.

The Eastern Canadian Union, the smallest in the North American Division, shows 116 converts for last year, five newly organized churches, and liberal donations to the foreign work.

Our first church on the island of Cebu, Philippines, was recently organized. Six or seven colporteurs will go out to work for the new book in the Panayano language, as a result of a colporteur's institute recently held at Iloilo. Brother Finster reports 188 persons baptized during the year 1915.

Our Chinese paper is able to report the largest regular circulation of any religious periodical in China. The latest figures reported give the regular subscription list as 24,000, with 50,000 additional copies used by agents in house-to-house work. God is richly blessing the ministry of this journal, and through its influence many believers are springing up throughout China.

During the last two years 1,145 persons have received baptism in Northern Union Conference territory, nineteen churches have been organized, fifteen church buildings erected, and the contributions to missions totaled $112,998.

Eight were baptized in Burma by the pastor of the Rangoon church some time ago, and other candidates were almost ready for the ordinance. A keen interest is also reported among some Burmans in Mandalay. One well-educated teacher in that district is awaiting baptism.

From Honan, central China, Dr. A. C. Selmon writes: “At the Honan fall meeting there were more than two hundred in attendance. Forty-four were baptized. Three of this number had come all the way from Sian-fu, the capital of Shen-si. One of the three is an ordained Chinese minister, who is the leading minister of several companies of Christians of the Independent Chinese Church. The truth reached these men through the agency of a faithful colporteur from Honan. The largest building we have in Yen-cheng was far too small to accommodate the crowd, and so seats had to be placed outside the building, near the windows and doors. The need of a suitable building for a meeting hall and a school was keenly felt by every one, and when the proposition to build was presented to those in attendance, they responded most liberally. Four hundred and thirty dollars in cash and pledges was raised to help in the erection of a combined meeting hall and school building.”

Brother H. W. Sparrow gives a very interesting report of a visit to the Shangani outschools in a recent number of the South African Missionary, from which we take the following items: Leaving the Somabula station, the mission party traveled four days before reaching the Shangani River. This is a very difficult stream to cross, and the little party knelt on the bank and asked God to help them over safely. When they reached the other side, they held a praise service, and then journeyed on. At the kraal where their first outschool was to be located, they were most cordially received, and before leaving they held a meeting in the chief's kraal, which was attended by fifteen adults, who listened attentively to the story of Jesus and his love. Three native teachers were left to start schools in as many different villages. The Lord helped them in overcoming difficulties, and the natives were very grateful for the privilege of attending school. While Brother Sparrow was at Shangani, several came to inquire about the Sabbath and baptism. Among these were two well-educated men who could read the Bible. They were astonished at the truths it contained, and left with a determination to study it and obey the light they had found. The mission party, on returning to Somabula, were marvelously delivered from an attack by lions. As they passed through one village, a poor woman in greeting them exclaimed, “O teacher, what are we without God?” Brother Sparrow closes his report by saying: “My heart burns within me as I look out upon this great sea of heathenism. Pray with us that many precious sheaves may be gathered in Darkest Africa for the garner of our Lord.”