Jamaica by Hubert Fletcher

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Sep 25, 1913

Jamaica

By Hubert Fletcher

Among the groups of islands situated in the sunny Caribbean is this Land of Springs, the Garden Islands of the West Indies, occupying a territory of 4,207 square miles. The climate is healthful and salubrious. The scenery is a grand display of nature's beauties wherever one travels, with mountains and plains, hills and dales, purling streams, and fruits and flowers.

Jamaica was discovered in the year 1494, by Columbus, and continued under Spanish rule for 161 years, when it was captured by the English in the year 1655. It is still a British possession.

Its population is 831,383, of which 15,605 are whites and the remainder colored. Emerging from the ban of slavery in 1834, she has been making rapid progress toward the goal of modern civilization. Already more than half of the population can read and write, and the stigma of savagery and heathenism as generally applied to the natives can be boldly repudiated. There are several colleges and a large number of private and elementary schools. There are natives who have reached a high standard of attainment educationally, men who are not lacking in efficiency, proved by the fact that they have been chosen to fill the highest positions in the island.

Kingston, the capital, is the largest and most important commercial town in the British West Indies. It covers an area of about 1,080 acres, with its suburbs, and is beautifully situated on grounds regularly sloping toward the north. There is a network of well-constructed roads throughout the island.

On this isle the torch of present truth was lighted in the year 1893. Elder A. J. Haysmer was sent down in response to a plea from a native lady who attended the General Conference that year. From a small beginning in Kingston, the work has grown until at present there are more than four hundred believers in the city, and centers of light are scattered all over the island, so that we now have a total membership of about two thousand.

This membership is divided into fifty-six churches and companies. Of these thirty-five have been raised up entirely by native workers and lay members, fourteen by foreign workers, and seven by the joint labors of foreign and native workers. Hence the most of the work has been done through the natives; this verifies the statement that "the natives can be used to advantage in laboring for their own people." And this is true of all countries. Our missionaries should be educators, training the young natives to work for their own people. Other denominations realize this, and are using the natives to great advantage. We have a bright and intelligent class of young people, who, under proper training, would develop into efficient workers.

In the early days of the message in this island, the church-members took an active part in missionary work. They went from house to house and district to district proclaiming the message to their relatives, friends, and neighbors, and as a result the ministers were kept busy attending to the many calls. Churches were raised up. This work, however, has fallen off to quite an extent. So many churches and companies cannot be managed as easily as when they were fewer, hence with the increase we need to adopt advanced methods, so that there shall be no relaxing of our missionary activities. Much more can be done than is being accomplished. We have the resources in men and means which, if developed, would meet in every way our present and future needs. It is our desire to keep in line with the advancing movement.

Riversdale.