Baptism at Our Matabele Mission. Twenty-one Baptized, 300 Natives Present.
PASTOR G. W. REASER, in a letter to the editor of this paper, gives the following interesting items in connection with the work of which he has charge in South Africa. Brother Reaser had just returned from a visit to our mission station in Matabeleland, and sees no good reason for the abandonment of the field, as the contents of his letter will indicate. He refers to the great loss of life in this field, but believes that the experience of the past with present light will help us to work the field without further abnormal loss of laborers. He continues: “The mission farm is a beautiful spot, but of course is isolated from the rest of the world. Of late Brother Anderson and wife and others have made the teaching of the natives a specialty, and industrial lines secondary. As a result, at the time of our visit, we organized a church of twenty-nine members, twenty-two of whom are natives, and twenty-one of the latter number were baptized on the 28th of June, which was the last Sabbath that I spent with them. Some of the converts are doing very acceptable work as ministers, and eight will go out this year as evangelists among their own people. We believe that this is the manner in which the native population of Africa must be evangelized. Our plan will be to establish one or more white training-schools for each of the native tribes or nations. Then as the “boys” are converted and otherwise prepared, send them out, at nominal expense, to live among their own people and work for their salvation. We are of good courage in the work. Elder Andross and Brother Buhalts will soon be here. Brother Booth and party have just arrived in good health, and we are favorably impressed with them. I go to Johannesburg in a few days to hold a series of meetings. Our family are reasonably well, altho we find that we can not stand as much work here as in America.”
