Washington, D. C by H. W. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 7, 1902

Washington, D. C.

By H. W. Cottrell

W. A. SPICER, O. O. Farnsworth, and the writer spent September 18–22 at Washington, in the interest of the work in that city. The difficulty over the racial question has been increasing for years. When the church was first organized, it was a mixed congregation, but until recent years the membership was largely European. The colored membership of late has increased far more rapidly, so much so that not one third of the people present at the time we were there were Europeans.

The racial prejudice was of such a nature that many of the white people’s friends could not be induced to attend the services with them; hence, in order to avoid the difficulty, and thus be enabled to reach all classes of people, the General Conference Committee decided last spring to send two ministers there, that services might be held in the special interest of each race, and thus no one be deprived of hearing the third angel’s message through racial prejudice. Accordingly, Elders J. S. Washburn and L. C. Sheafe were requested to take up labor in Washington, which they did with excellent results, more than fifty persons accepting the truth.

On Sabbath, September 20, the morning hour was devoted to presenting to the church and congregation some of the reasons why it would be well to have two congregations instead of one, as formerly. There were some objections urged against such a plan, but under existing circumstances it was evident that there was no other way of getting the truth before a certain class of people, for whom Christ gave his life as well as for other classes. The whole problem resolves itself into this: the Lord holds every Christian responsible to adapt himself by practical education to circumstances and conditions as they are known in the world, that he may be, under Christ, a savior to the largest number of people. The question in its kindred forms was further considered in the evening. Six hours was devoted to its public study. All the church members present, except two, finally voted letters to those desiring them, thus forming a second organization. The new congregation, composed of forty white people, was organized into a church on Monday evening, taking the name The Second Seventh-day Adventist Church of Washington, D. C. I am informed that there are about twenty or thirty other persons who had ceased going to church on account of the conditions already mentioned. These will soon unite with this church.

There is a debt of thirty-five hundred dollars on the church property, but it is worth several thousand dollars more. It was left to the colored congregation, and the few white people remaining with them. I am sure that a much better understanding was reached by all who were interested in the principles discussed. Quite a general wish was expressed that the Lord would be with and prosper each congregation, and that all would still remain brethren and sisters in Christ.

All Christians are freeborn; and this certainly involves the thought that if, under God, one believes that he can do better service by having his membership in a mixed congregation than otherwise, even though he is in a section of the country where the question is radically agitated, it is certainly his Christian privilege so to do; while a similar right must be conceded to those who, under the Lord, take another view of the question. We need Christian liberty within the soul, rather than simply a form of words without. H. W. COTTRELL.