THE FIELD

L. A. HOOPES

The field for this message is the world. No clime can claim exclusive rights. It is a worldwide message. The first message went to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; “and the third angel followed them;” hence this message must go all. Every nation must receive the light of this message. Out of every nation, some will be fitted for translation.GCB October 1, 1899, page 85.2

THE UNITED STATES

LAHe

This work began in the United States in 1844-45. Beginning in feebleness, with its truths but partially developed, the magnitude of the work to be done but faintly realized, it rapidly extended beyond the boundaries of the New England States, until it spanned the continent, and claimed adherents in every State and Territory in the Union. Thirty conferences have been recognized, and the work augmented by printing plants, colleges, academies, and sanitariums, till there are over two thousand persons directly connected with our institutions or in the field preaching the truth, in the United States alone. More than eight hundred and fifty workers are kept in the field by an annual tithe of not less than three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, to say nothing of church extension and mission work done by our people in their own communities.GCB October 1, 1899, page 85.3

MEXICO

LAHe

Our sister republic lying so near our door, with not less than 13,000,000 inhabitants, most earnestly appeals to us for all the light and truth we have. Enshrouded in the maze of Catholic rites and ceremonies, the poor souls are powerless to extricate themselves from the labyrinth of error which priest and prelate would fain enforce. A sanitarium at Guadalajara, and a few evangelistic workers at Mexico City, are all the workers for this needy field. Two periodicals, one a health journal and the other a monthly missionary paper, are published in Spanish, and circulated as extensively as funds will permit.GCB October 1, 1899, page 85.4

THE WEST INDIES

LAHe

About seven years ago the work was opened in this needy field. In the Bay Islands, along the coast of Central America, in Jamaica, the Barbados, Trinidad, and many other places, the truth has been preached; and at the present time we have nearly a thousand believers in present truth. The few workers there must be reinforced. Loudly they are calling for teachers and helpers in various lines. Cuba, Porto Rico, the Windward Islands, and many other places in the Caribbean Sea must have help, and that soon. Whenever the truth is preached, souls accept the message, and rejoice in a soon-coming Saviour. How sad, where the laborer is so blessed of God with souls, that so few can enter the ripened harvest-field!GCB October 1, 1899, page 85.5

SOUTH AMERICA

LAHe

In this great continent we have made only a beginning. With half the population of the United States, it has only one-seventieth the number of workers. Yet every effort put forth to spread the truth seems blessed of God. With less than fifteen workers, scattered far and wide, within a period of six years over a thousand souls have embraced the truth. South America needs workers. One hundred men and women are needed, and that at once, to enter this great field. Much larger in area than the United States, and with one-half its population, does it seem equitable that there should be only one-seventieth as many workers? O church of God, arouse and show thy strength. Send these benighted souls the help they need.GCB October 1, 1899, page 85.6

EUROPE

LAHe

Most of Europe, with the exception of Spain and Portugal, is now embraced in some organized conference. Yet there are many millions of souls who have never yet heard of this last message of mercy. Europe needs many additional workers. Spain and Portugal are touched. But little has been done for France and Italy. The great Russian Empire, Finland, Belgium, Holland, Greece, and Turkey are barely touched, as it were, with the tips of our fingers. What has been done in the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Central Europe is only an evidence of what God can accomplish through the proclamation of this message in other sections of Europe.GCB October 1, 1899, page 85.7

AFRICA

LAHe

Who can think of Africa, with all the wrongs she has suffered at the hands of professed Christians,—what seizing of her territory; what kidnaping of her sons and daughters to be sold for gold to the highest bidder, regardless of clime or conditions of servitude; what vices they have been taught by those who came from more enlightened countries,—who can think of the poor African, without his heart melting to pity? When God reckons with every man, and rewards him not alone for what he has done, but also for what he might have done but has neglected to do, what accounts some will have to render! One hundred and ninety-five million of these poor, benighted souls! What have we done to ameliorate their condition? Besides our work in Cape Colony, which is for all nationalities, we can only point to one little company on the Gold Coast, to our feeble Matabele mission, struggling almost to the death to be self-supporting, to the work in Basutoland, and to a small beginning in northern Egypt, as an evidence of our love for their souls.GCB October 1, 1899, page 86.1

Readily do the people respond to the gospel in these distant lands; and their gratitude knows no bounds when once they have tasted the words of life. Yes; they welcome the white man, and will sit at his feet as learners. They even bring their children and give them to the missionary to be trained for Christ.GCB October 1, 1899, page 86.2

Several chiefs in Zambesia plead and besought us to send them missionaries; but year by year they were disappointed, until at last other missionaries filled the places we were so earnestly entreated to enter.GCB October 1, 1899, page 86.3

O Africa! What Christian heart but bleeds at thought of thee! What shall we do for thy millions upon millions of benighted souls? There are millions of those poor creatures who pass away every year, with no knowledge of God nor hope of heaven. What a vast army dropping into eternity and lost forever! There should be a hundred young men and women who will give their lives to lift this people up, and show to them the love of God as manifested in Jesus Christ.GCB October 1, 1899, page 86.4

ASIA

LAHe

With 827,000,000 inhabitants, and a conservatism which, until recently, excluded the missionary from active work; with castes which are almost insuperable barriers to progress and real development; with religious as varied and priest-ridden as the castes,—with all these difficulties against which to contend, but little has yet been done to bring the gospel to this vast multitude.GCB October 1, 1899, page 86.5

At present nearly all Asiatic countries are open to the gospel. To-day we have one worker to each fifty-five million inhabitants of Asia. Over sixty thousand of these heathen die every day, without Christ or any hope in God.GCB October 1, 1899, page 86.6

What does the message owe to India, with her 300,000,000 lost, perishing men and women? Sad to say, we have but one mission station in India, located in Calcutta, with two or three outposts in the interior, and about fifteen workers.GCB October 1, 1899, page 86.7

The Macedonian cry comes from the 400,000,000 souls in China, appealing to us for the light we have, and saying, “Send us help, ere we die!” One faithful worker is all we have in this vast country to hold up the light of the third angel’s message. How Satan must exult over the more than a million heathen temples, and many more deities, connected with the religions of the Chinese. When there is taken into consideration the horrible infanticide practised everywhere, and the depths of degradation, poverty, and sin into which these fellow-creatures have fallen as the result of such moral darkness as ages of heathenism alone can bring about, China certainly appeals to us in no uncertain terms for the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness.GCB October 1, 1899, page 86.8

For the 42,000,000 inhabitants of Japan, we have about ten workers. One hundred, at least, should be stationed in these islands. Japan is leaning toward the Christian religion, for the influence it gives as a civilizing agency. Among her millions, Japan must furnish her number for translation.GCB October 1, 1899, page 86.9

AUSTRALASIA

LAHe

This field is largely English-speaking, and has been blessed of God with many souls honest in heart. Perhaps no field has had an abler corps of workers or more means than this; and we now have, as a result, several local conferences, which have been organized into the Australasian Union Conference. Much yet remains to be done, and the Foreign Mission Board still has to make appropriations to carry on the work in this remote region.GCB October 1, 1899, page 86.10

POLYNESIA

LAHe

This field has nearly 13,000,000 people, scattered throughout the islands of the great Pacific. Already we have opened work on several of the more important groups; and wherever evangelistic work has been pushed, souls have readily accepted the truth. Much yet remains to be done; and before the work closes, God will call many from the islands of the sea.GCB October 1, 1899, page 87.1