CORRESPONDENCE
115
I rejoice in the love of our divine Master that you desired. have appointed two more missionaries for Oregon and that they are in their field of labor. The way is now open for me to work directly for you without putting on the air of supreme selfishness and, although we are feeling the effects of what the world calls hard times, I intend to try and do what I can 366 at Jacksonville for Br. Boyakin at Portland and Br. Stearns
by personal appeals to private brethren, as well as by collecin the churches, if I can get the subject before the But the amount that can churches, and I doubt not I can. be done this year cannot be expected to be large. I have no tion
fears of injuring
goes with me. as well as
make an
my
My
ministerial character in this
greatest fear
is
that I
may
work
God work
if
not do the
some other man might. We feel that we must two ministers by the Association
effort to sustain
fields; in this all our have the men on the ground whom we may probably employ, our brethren see them and know them, and have an assurance that something will be done for them in Oregon when they pay their money. I have felt, in view of all the circumstances, that we should aid in this kind of work, and, although we cannot do the work in the way we would desire, we shall do much of the work which we should do if all prejudices were removed and we were strictly
as missionaries
in
brethren will probably unite.
destitute
We
doing the work precisely as you would have us do it. We have with us an old brother, Thomas Taylor, formerly from Illinois (I think he formerly was in the service of the Home Mission Society in 111.), who has a destitute field, embracing a part of Clackamas County and a part of Yam Hill County, in which there are a number of Baptist members scattered.
The
field locally
is
important, but the country
is
mostly tim-
bered, consequently slow of improvement comparatively. One of the points I reported last winter, near the mouth of the year's labor would probably Sandy on the Columbia River.
A
366 This was probably Rev. M. N. Stearns, who had arrived that year from the East with his father, Rev. John Stearns, and was chosen pastor of the Table Rock (Jacksonville) Baptist Church. Mattoon, Bap. An. of Ore., 1:13.
