The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1855-10-02
Correspondence Of the Camden Journal.
Methodist Missions.
no. I

y '
cpally devoted to literature and politics, pre-
snnse you will have no special objection to the
admission of an article, occasionally, bearing
more directly on the subject Of religion. With
this impression have prepared for your cold
umns paper or two on the subject name
above.
a reference to tn" Missionary cause as con.
nectcl with the NJ L. Church, South is the
more important now as the time is at hand
when she makes her annual appeal to the peo.
pie generally in h,haf Of her missions. My
statements will have reference to our missions
To the slav" population alone.
1t may b" proper to furnish very brief nc
count Of the commencement and progress Of thrS"
Missions, is connected with the NJ. Z. Church
South.
So far as can learn the Methodist EpiScn-
pal Church took the initiative in this go1ly
work. About the year 1928 a mission to tn"
slave population WAS established by thi: Church
South Of the City Of Charleston and was served
by ore of her local Ministers And Will. On
ragged in the work Of his Divine Master i" WAS
attacked with the bilious overland died.
! But the word rf God was not bound d--and til"
ialling fag. staff vas caurIt by he heroic her
aids Of tha Cross. and their labours have been
crowned with abundant success
It will readily occur to your readers that in
! those DAYS, it WAS not only cOn>;I"rr! question:
able policy to give the gospel to th" Slave ropn
latinn. but the work was StrrnIy opposed by
some. This opposition VII urged upon conSd-
cratnnS both OF erouomr.--and the probable
r"nlrnry Of the measure, upon tlr slave.
But the church, for the SAX f christ and til"
souls Of men encountered the scorn Of iniidelity.
the ncrcdulitv Of the moraliSt and the par,mo
ny Of the times. Her ministers were men of
nerve and tried fidelity. They were ready,
through the grace of God. to brave the miasln
of th" low country Swamps. the prr.lndcrS OF the
| nativr African, tn" trnwn Of unb"li'C and death
Itself that they might carry the word of life to
this lorr nrcl crcd people. MANY thrilling ac.
counts Of the labnrS-->uf:.'nr rnl t~iumrh~
/ (alI true to IT,. ifc) of thn< Vii, car I'D the
message If salvation to heath '':ni>- hav" b"n
published for tie rditicaiun : J.. church nu'
interesting is trS" account" :,r". :..v ar" equal
led bv the facts connected viii, >'In. Of rur mis-
Sions to the blacks These facts cannot h" given
in full detail Through the columns % weekly news
papers bnt they should be snatch"d from oh!ivi
on \ faithful history of these missions giving
IL full account Of the work in all the churches,
would be worth q world full Of "tncle Toms
Cabin" and the like.
God was with those Eli,hful missionaries in
in eminent degree. while they lahour'h and Suf-
fnrcl the Lord invested tn" message with pccu
liar force, they demonstrating tn" cap bilitv Of
the gospel to save even til" most ahi"ct Of 'h"
race. And the Sk"pticism Of rh" times gradual
" gave away. wider field for abour wrr" con
stantIy opening before them until the work has
become so extensive that the church Is unahI"
with her present means to meet the demand.
and We are made to cxclaim ''what hath God
wrought"
Within the last quarter cf a century the
work has increased from one mission with orr
minister and some four hundred members to
one hundrcd and seventy missions numbering
one hnndrM md mrnfy tonr missionaries and
torfy.sir Thousand Church Members
This statement includes the Minister and
member slip within the bounds Of the Mission
stniions of the NJ. F. Church South alonc.--
Thousands are connected with our Circuits and
StlllOlS Nlo I'''t oc'h olouHlL W buu w hI'S-
sionary labourS, who are not included hclc.--
With such results before us it is not surprising
that this work should increase in favor both with
the church ald the owners of slaves also And as
member Of the Board Of managers of the mis-
sonary society of the South Carolina Conf%rcnc"
take pleasure in saving that testimony Is ac
cumuIatin. annuall looming from slave OWL
ers themselves showing that while the mission
ary operations strengthen a sound plantations
police, they improve the morals of the slave,
scores Of whom die, annually, in holy triumph.
Hence the numerous applications to the Board
TO established new missions, every year.
And when the church shall be fully able to
meet this demand, eternity alone shall declare
the result Iu my next may refer to the
mears by which these missions are sustained.