Prince Edward Island by Wm. Guthrie

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 30, 1902

Prince Edward Island

By Wm. Guthrie

We have now been in this place just six months, and have learned, to some extent, the great need of the field. Our hearts go out after a people pre-eminently religious, but who have yet many things to learn about spiritual growth. By far the larger part of the people are church members, but many of them feel that they have only the shell, while the kernel is studiously kept from them by the pastors and rectors. Only a few days ago I said to a man, “I suppose most of the young people are members of the church.” “Yes,” said he, “they are, and yet we have not had a conversion in this parish for twenty years. They go through the forms, and are taken into the church, but there is no change of heart.”

We are now holding a service each week in a hall located in that parish, and we are praying that God will use us to carry to that people a knowledge of the transforming power of his grace.

The Lord has blessed us in our work here in Charlottetown, and some dear souls are being led nearer to him. The people move very slowly here, yet one sister has decided to keep all the commandments, and several other truth-loving souls leave their own church to attend our Sunday night service. Much love is needed to win souls here, as it is a great cross to leave the popular church.

We find a large number who will not come to the public services, but will read if they have opportunity. These we are trying to reach with the printed page. Since we began work here, we have placed about twenty thousand pages of tracts in the hands of this class, also about twenty-five thousand pages of other reading matter, such as books, papers, etc. We are receiving a club of twenty-five Signs, which we are using to acquaint the people with our work. We are also using some free tracts. We have received about $7.50 in donations from the States, to be used in this way. The printed page is the great educator; hence we wish to scatter the tracts as the leaves of autumn. God’s Spirit will arouse some as they read the precious message for to-day. Many are longing for the old-time change-of-heart religion, and will break the yoke under which they are held, as soon as they can be led to see that a church of true Christians still survives.

Many of the people are poor. So we are using all the profits from sales, and all that we can give ourselves, to meet this lack on their part, trusting that God will bless the sacrifice to the salvation of some of them. If you would like to help us in placing our literature among this long-neglected yet dear people, send your donations to the Mission Board, and they will be sent to us. Now is the time for work, as the long evenings are upon us here. You will be blessed in blessing others.

WM. GUTHRIE.