OUR WORK AND WORKERS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 13, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 32.

OUR WORK AND WORKERS.

Books to the value of $1,027 were sold by canvassers in the southern states during the two weeks ending July 17.

Elder D. T. Bourdeau reports the baptism of seventeen candidates at Robinson, Wis. Brother Bourdeau’s labors are confined almost exclusively to the French.

At the recent session of the Florida conference, the following officers were elected: President, L. H. Crisler; secretary, Miss Josephine Grannis; treasurer, E. C. Keck.

Good reports concerning the progress of the work in South Africa are brought home by Brother W. F. Williams and wife, who have recently come to America from Cape Town.

Elder R. W. Parmele reports fifteen accessions to the faith as the result of meetings held at and in the vicinity of Okarche, Ok. T. He also reports four new adherents at Britton.

Under the auspices of the president of the General Conference and the superintendent of General Conference District No. 2, Brethren J. O. Johnson and B. F. Pardham were ordained to the Gospel ministry at the recent camp-meeting at Chattanooga, Tenn.

On July 26, at Garden Grove, Cal., twelve persons were baptized, and a church of twenty-eight members was organized. Elders R. S. Owen and W. T. Knox officiated on the occasion. A small but comfortable house of worship has been erected by this newly-developed company.

After attending the camp-meetings at Tampa, Florida, and Chattanooga, Tenn., Elder G. A. Olsen went to Keene, Texas, to attend the meeting at that place. After the Chattanooga meeting, Elder G. E. Fifield went to Charlottesville, Va., to attend the meeting that was to convene on the 7th inst.

The Review notes the receipt of a report, dated June 18, from Elder G. B. Tripp, of Bulawayo, Matabeleland, Africa. Our brethren will be gratified to learn that the danger to which our missionaries were exposed, owing to the extensive uprising of natives, was at that time practically past.

When three Seventh-day Adventists, convicted of doing some honest labor on Sunday, were imprisoned in the county jail at Tiptonville, Tenn., the sheriff thrust them into a cage with the worst of criminals, on the plea that it was to “satisfy public sentiment.” Our brethren have the consolation that their Master was crucified between two thieves, to gratify public sentiment. He has also given the warning to his disciples, “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” And one of his apostles says, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” In the county where these legal outrages are being enacted, “public sentiment” is endeavoring to procure indictments against women and the larger children for doing family washing on Sunday.

Through ignorance of the law, the officers of Lake County, Tenn., kept Brother J. W. Lewis, convicted of Sunday labor, in jail thirty days longer than his fine called for. Such ignorance accounts, in part, at least, for the “public sentiment” that is satisfied only with bitter persecution of innocent people because of their religious opinions.

The recent local camp-meeting held at Eureka, Humboldt County, Cal., was a profitable occasion for the cause in that part of the state. There was a large and quite regular attendance on the part of the people of Eureka, who gave marked attention to the discourses. There was also an impressive instance of healing in answer to prayer. An aged sister who had been a great sufferer from rheumatism, and had been unable to walk alone for eighteen months, or to raise her hands above her head, was brought to the camp and assisted into a tent by two persons. After prayers by a few of the brethren, she arose and walked home, a distance of several blocks, without assistance. From that time till the close of the meeting, she walked back and forth to the services, both in the daytime and in the evening, thus demonstrating that the healing was effectual. The interest awakened by the camp-meeting is being followed up by Elders N. C. McClure and Wm. Ings.

A contributor to Field Tidings, published in London, tells of a sister who rejoices in the last message, and has a burden to carry it to others. She had much opposition from her husband and adult sons. This brother loaned her a copy of “Bible Readings” to help her along. Her persecuting husband, who threatened to flog her if she mentioned Sabbath-keeping again, is now so taken up with it that he sent me an order the other morning for a gilt-edged “Bible Readings,” and says it is worth its weight in gold. A few days previously, he went to a married son to induce him to go to work with him the following day, it being the Sabbath according to the commandment. The simple reply of the son, “No, I dare not; it is the Sabbath,” seems to have troubled him much. One of the other sons has been caught reading his mother’s Bible on the sly—the marked places referring to the Sabbath have evidently softened his feelings towards his mother. Such incidents show that the most effectual preaching is a patient continuance in well-doing.