The African Conferences

Christian Recorder: January 12, 1893

Members of the Sierra Leone and Liberia Annual Conferences:


I beg to notify you the official organ of our Church, in order to avoid the time and expense of writing to each one of you personally, that on or about Feb. 10th, 1893, I shall, no preventing contingencies, leave here to hold your prospective conferences. You can about determine the time of my arrival in Africa, and govern yourselves accordingly. You had better; however, presume upon a month to make the trip, owing to the possibility of missing connection in Liverpool. Your constant appeals through arriving letters have caused me to change my plans, for I did not intend to come until some time after Easter Sabbath when I was assured by the Church that I would not have had to come empty-handed. As Easter Sabbath is our great Missionary Day, and Bishops, pastors, and members have promised to make it the grandest missionary rally in the history of the Church. But as your appeals are so numerous and urgent, I resolved to-day to sink my judgment into yours, especially so since you say that every ship that enters the port, I am expected upon. I beg to say to Brothers Lindsey, White, Reed, Chessen and Decker, that no fear of the heated season which will be in existence upon my arrival has deterred me in the least, or prompted any delay on account of the possibilities of sickness or death. For I have no health nor life that is dear to me when God’s Church calls. So please banish that rumor, for there is not a word of truth in it. Should any providential contingency contravene my departure at the time designated, I will cablegram, Elder Frederick. But remember, I shall come virtually empty-handed, owing to this change of program.


Fraternally,


H.M. Turner.

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