31—Huntsville School Must Be Finished

Context: On occasion, Ellen White wrote letters to individual church congregations. This she did several times to the church at Nashville, one with a fair amount of money and means. Whenever she addressed the congregation she reminded them of the needs of blacks and of their duty to do all in their power to help them.

September 24, 1907

The attention of statesmen is being called to the condition of the colored people, and by some the national laws are being studied in the light of Bible requirements. Erelong we are to have a closer view of the conflict that is before us. The workers in our institutions, the members of our churches, should now be cleansing from their lives every wrong principle, that they may be prepared to meet the emergency when it comes....PCO 50.1

The cities of the South have been long neglected. Light that has been given me in the past has been repeated, concerning the work to be done in New Orleans, in Memphis, and other cities. Yet how little has been done. I encouraged Brother Washburn to feel that if the call came for him to engage in ministerial work for these needy cities, he should regard it as the call of the Lord to him. Brother Staines has purchased land near to Nashville, where he is erecting a school for the colored people. This will answer the present needs until the way is made more plain. It would not be wise to start too many enterprises at one time, and then find ourselves unable to carry them successfully. The Huntsville School must be finished, and students from that place fitted to take hold of the work of educating their own people.PCO 50.2

Abridged

Sources: Letter 317, 1907, pp. 1-2; Manuscript Releases 4:30