An Emergency, and How to Meet It
By C. P. Bollman
An emergency has arisen in the affairs of that branch of the work in the South carried on by the Southern Missionary Society; namely, the mission schools for the colored people. For some reason there was a heavy falling off in the collection for the colored people taken up last October. In a great many churches no collection was taken, and the subject was not even mentioned. As a result of this neglect, the amount available for work among the colored people within the bounds of the Southern Union Conference is about four thousand dollars less this year than last. This is a very serious matter, dear friends. Unless we bestir ourselves and make up this deficiency by some means, the work for the colored people must necessarily be greatly crippled, not only during the current year, but for some time in the future. We can not believe that our people will allow the work for the colored people to suffer thus. For a long time the reproach of neglect had rested upon us as a denomination, because of not doing more for this branch of the cause of present truth. But there was marked improvement during the year just passed, and it seemed that much of the reproach of neglect was about to be rolled away. Now, however, the reproach threatens not only to return, but to increase because of our turning back after having once put our hands to the plow. It has occurred to us that there is no better way of making up for the falling off in the October offering than by means of the self-denial boxes, prepared and sent out by the Southern Missionary Society Department of the Southern Union Conference. We are sending out quite a number of these boxes to people who have not asked for them, and we earnestly request all who receive them to give us their earnest support and co-operation in the work for the colored people by using these boxes just as indicated upon each box and calendar. C. P. BOLLMAN,
Secretary, Southern Missionary Society,
North Station, Nashville, Tenn.