Unity and Diversity
OVER 90 YEARS OF
Ministry
from the Ozarks to the Gulf Coast What was ministry like a century ago? Could people living on small, isolated farms in rocky, rugged terrain be reached with the Adventist message using the same methods as those living in a large, thriving port city? Would a conference from the Southern Union rejoice at merging with a conference from the Southwestern Union? What would it mean if the conference headquarters moved over 200 miles farther from the main center of ministry? What about divorcing a portion of a conference membership? The Arkansas-Louisiana Conference faced these and other challenges during its early turbulent years. The Seventh-day Adventist Church was organized in 1863 but had virtually no presence in Arkansas until 1877, or in Louisiana until about 1880. Civil War battles had been fought
8
RECORD MAGAZINE
in both Arkansas and Louisiana, devastating homes, families and crops. Reconstruction was slow, and most of the residents were povertystricken. The Seventh-day Sabbath was an entirely new idea in the South, and much speculation surrounded it. Most Southerners were suspicious of strangers coming with what they called “new teachings,” especially if these were brought by Northerners. Many people were concerned that these were impostors, false prophets or, worst of all, their souls were asleep.1 Adventist workers from other states began trickling into Arkansas and encountered these and other challenges. Arkansas was rugged territory and travel was often along rough trails. Canvassers loaded a tent, bedroll, some provisions and as many books as they could carry, planning
to be away from home for several weeks at a time. They traveled by foot, horseback or wagon through rain, heat, mosquitoes or even snow. Bridges were almost nonexistent, so they waded many a creek or river. Throughout much of winter and spring, these waterways became impassable until the floodwaters receded. Canvassers sometimes had to walk miles out of their way to get to their destination. Evangelists faced the same travel challenges. Evangelistic meetings usually lasted several weeks, with the evangelist and his wife living in a tent. Crowds at times were small but could often number in the hundreds. In these early days there were no churches yet, so of course all the work of visiting and encouraging, in addition to the meetings, fell on the evangelist and his wife.
