W. J. TANNER by W. J. TANNER

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 10, 1907

W. J. TANNER

By W. J. TANNER

Hayti

W. J. TANNER

On the twenty-fifth of October, in company with several of our native brethren, I started on a trip to visit some of our Sabbath-keepers about fifty miles in the interior. We arrived at Ranquitte the same day, and remained with the little company there over the Sabbath. At this place I baptized three precious souls, and held the ordinances with the believers. The next day we went on about twenty miles farther to Pignon. This place is situated on a vast plateau of fine pasture land. The altitude and the absence of the usual dense tropical vegetation make Pignon a remarkably healthful place in which to live; yet because of the abuse of the laws of nature, one does not have to search far even in this favored spot to find misery and suffering.

When I visited Pignon six months ago, there were no Sabbath-keepers there. At that time we held several meetings, and our native worker remained for two weeks after we left, but all without apparent results at that time. However, the seed then sown has since taken root, and we therefore found four candidates for baptism on our arrival. But as these had received but little instruction, I did not think it advisable to baptize them at this time. I therefore suggested a date in the coming year, and again left our native worker at this place, this time to remain a few days to further prepare the believers for the solemn obligations they are about to take upon themselves.

From Pignon we went on to St. Raphael. We have no Sabbath-keepers at the latter place; but having heard that the wife of the Baptist minister at St. Raphael had, when a child, lived in the family of the late Wm. Mead Jones, the Seventh-day Baptist editor of London, and author of “Chart of the Week,” a work well known among our people, I naturally had a desire to visit her, and to this end went one day’s journey out of my way. Upon arriving at the hospitable home of Pasteur Maynard, I received a hearty welcome in good English, which sounded out of place, but pleasant among these Haytian hills.

Both the pastor and his wife are past the allotted threescore years and ten, and have spent nearly their entire lives in the Master’s work in Hayti. It is evidently due, to a certain extent, to the good work that they and some of their associates have done, that the way for the third angel’s message among the Catholics of this field has been so well prepared. They have planted little companies here and there, and these have served to let it be known that there is something more satisfying than the hollow forms of popery. These companies of Protestants are never very large, from five to ten or twenty being the usual number, although in one or two of the more important towns the congregations may be larger. However, they have called attention to the work of the Reformation, and this has done much to pave the way for the progress of what we believe to be the final but most important phase of the great work begun by the Reformers.

It may not be generally known among those who, either personally or by reputation, knew the late Wm. Mead Jones,

D. D., that it was in Hayti that he began to keep the true Sabbath, or at least formed the resolution to do so. As told me by Mrs. Maynard, the facts are as follows: In 1847 or 1848 Mr. Jones came out from America as a Baptist missionary, and located first at Port au Prince, and then at Port de Paix. It was at the latter place that he determined to keep the Sabbath. The Baptist Missionary Board that sent him, being informed of this, withdrew him from the field in 1850. When he left, he took Miss Durrant (Mrs. Maynard) with him, and placed her in the Seventh-day Baptist Academy at Alfred Center, N. Y., where she completed her education. As is well known, Mr. Jones was, for many years, a leading spirit among our Seventh-day Baptist friends; and as their London pastor and editor he was, I believe, very friendly to those who helped to establish our work in Great Britain. There are some in Hayti to-day who were baptized by this servant of God, and who remember him as the pastor who began keeping “Saturday for Sunday;” and all these years they have talked about it, and debated over it; and while none, so far as I can learn, ever began the observance of the Sabbath as a result, yet I am able to point out several who thereby received favorable impressions of the truth. Thus we have another illustration of the many indirect means that God uses to prepare the way for his last message of mercy.

Since beginning this report I have received a visit from a native preacher of the Wesleyan denomination. He has recently determined to be baptized, and because of this the Baptists are working hard to get him. However, a tract of ours on the soul question was put in his hand, and so stirred him that he called to get more literature on the subject. He had many questions to ask, which were hard for one so weak in the language to answer. However, although my French was bad, the Spirit of the Lord was present, and I could tell by the flash of light in the eye and on the countenance, that every question was answered satisfactorily. We do not know what the outcome of this case will be, but this we do know: that the hand of the Lord is over the work and leading it forward to success, not only in Hayti, but the world over.