The Seed-Sowing Campaign in the West Indies
By GEO. F. ENOCH.
At the meeting of the East Caribbean Conference Committee held in Trinidad in January, 1906, it was decided that the writer should make a tour of the West Indies in the interest of the publishing and educational work. One thing that made this trip a necessity was the recent acquisition, through the liberality of the brethren and sisters in this field, and some interested ones in the home land, of a new cylinder press, and other requisites sufficient to give us a small but complete printing plant. It is hoped that we can keep this press running continually, and that every believer in the West Indies will come into line for one great, continuous, aggressive campaign. Hitherto the different conferences and mission fields in the English-speaking West Indies have been working independently of one another, but now the publishing work and the educational work are binding us all together, and we are feeling the pressing need of concerted action. In our field, the lay members in general have been able to do very little in the literature campaign, as the reading-matter coming from other lands was so expensive as to be practically prohibited. Many agents have done noble work in canvassing, and thousands of books have been sold, but the rank and file have not been able to do their part. The Caribbean Watchman, issued first in 1903, filled a long-felt need, and was the first step in the right direction. There was quite a general and hearty response from the entire field, and the Watchman has kept its circulation between six and seven thousand, sometimes exceeding that. This circulation has depended entirely on the faithful continuance in well-doing of an army of Watchman agents scattered throughout the field. Our paper from the beginning was printed by a job printer. We have not been idle in the meantime, but have been slowly accumulating those things necessary to do the printing ourselves, and at last our hopes are realized. With this plant we now propose to issue literature suited to our field, within reach of the pocketbooks of our people, so that the West Indies may be literally covered with pages of present truth, like the leaves of autumn. In this campaign we are organizing every church and company for service, and urging every lay member to do his part. To accomplish this we are having librarians elected in every company of believers, to have oversight of the campaign, and to encourage each company to hold regular missionary meetings. Then we are providing them with such literature that every one can have a part in the work. The Caribbean Watchman and English Good Health stand in the forefront of the campaign. Our watchword is that the members of each family in our field must provide themselves with these papers, and then do what they can in selling or loaning them to their neighbors. Agents are being selected in every company, who will carry these papers to all surrounding districts. But these papers, as cheap as they are, do not meet all the needs. So we are printing The Family Bible Teacher, and are instructing our librarians to see that each society is provided with a liberal supply, and that every member, as far as possible, is working with one or more copies of each number, using them to loan to the people after the envelope plan. But we need something still cheaper for free distribution. To meet this we are printing a series similar to the Signs series of leaflets, to be given to our societies at not more than ten cents a hundred. These can be sown broadcast. We will also issue tracts, pamphlets, and cheap books suited to the needs of our field. On Sabbath, March 24, I arrived in Kingston, and began a five weeks' continuous campaign. With a mule and trap accompanying Elder J. A. Strickland as far as Glengoffe, and Elder J. B. Beckner from there, we toured the island, visiting fifteen different companies centrally located, to which places came surrounding companies so that more than forty companies were represented at the meetings. For miles the brethren and sisters came, and the Lord gave freedom in all the messages delivered. That the rank and file would arise and do their part was the burden of the hour. There was a hearty response everywhere. The meetings were enthusiastic, and not a dissenting voice was heard. “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” The plans were unitedly accepted; and now if they are perseveringly carried out, all the hills and vales of lovely, though rugged Jamaica, will be covered with the precious seed, the word of God, which shall ripen the harvest. The industrial school proposition also received attention, but I will speak of that in another report.