Work for the Colored People in the South by Sydney Scott

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 5, 1908

Work for the Colored People in the South

By Sydney Scott

“AND Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” These words came from an honest heart, from one who was walking in all the light at his command. Nazareth was a city that had a bad reputation, all the inhabitants of Galilee being looked upon with contempt by the people of Judea because they spoke a ruder dialect, were less cultivated, and were exposed by their position to contact with heathen. It matters not how low a city may fall in the scale of morality, God will always have some there to hold up the torch of truth. “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” At present, if this question were asked, it would not be confined to a city, or to cities, but would apply to a race or races. The modern voice, locally, is saying, “Can there any good thing come out of the negro race?” We answer, “Come and see.”

Since the beginning of the year, great advancement has been made in the work for the colored people in the South. No one can realize how fast the message is going to this people. Many have asked, “Will colored men make good Sabbath-keepers?” Yes; their obedience to the truth, and their loyalty to our organized work, can not be questioned. Our colored brethren love this message, and appreciate what has been done by the denomination in fostering the work among them. Many have thought that our colored brethren would fall into the movement which has been started to disorganize our work. I am glad to say that all who have entertained such an idea are disappointed. Our colored brethren stand a unit with our organized work throughout all our Southern conferences.

The first tent-meeting held by Seventh-day Adventists for colored people, and by ministers of that race, was in 1901. In 1895 Testimonies came instructing the denomination to do more in the way of evangelizing the “down-trodden.” There had been little done in Kentucky and in Tennessee, but it was not till five or six years after the Testimony came, that the first tent-meeting was held for colored people. Last year we had nine tent companies south of Mason and Dixon’s line. This year breaks all previous records. During this year there were fourteen tent companies operated in the United States, eleven of which were south of Mason and Dixon’s line. The efforts of these tent companies have added ten churches and eleven companies to the cause of truth. The numerical increase for 1908 is fourteen per cent over that of 1907. The message is being proclaimed by mission-school

work and in other effective ways. Thirteen years ago there were no mission schools for negroes under the auspices of Seventh-day Adventists, but to-day we have nearly thirty schools, and about thirty-five teachers. The school work has increased until sufficient teachers and means can not be found to answer the demand.

The people of the South are becoming interested in the educational work. More books have been sold to the “down-trodden” this year than in any previous year. During the year there have been thirteen colored canvassers handling our books and papers. The first negro canvasser entered the work fifteen years ago, and now is a successful minister in the Alabama Conference. We now have nearly eleven hundred fifty colored Sabbath-keepers, about sixty-five churches, sixteen church buildings, twenty-nine mission schools, nearly thirty-five teachers on the pay-roll, fourteen tent companies in actual operation during the year 1908, forty nurses who have been trained at our institutions, three physicians who are capable of passing the medical State board examination, and thirteen canvassers, who have handled nearly three thousand dollars’ worth of books and papers during 1908.

Our brethren who have contributed to the work among the colored people, can see and realize that the bread they cast on the Southern waters is not lost. Modern Ethiopia is stretching out her hands. Who will fill them? “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.”

SYDNEY SCOTT.