THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
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of the American Church Missionary Society. The missionaries were greatly hampered by war and pestilence, but nevertheless were so 10. Protes- successful that in less than a decade tant Epis- the Church in Haiti was recognized by copalians. the General Convention, and Holly was consecrated its first bishop. In 1883 the work practically became independent, though receiving some financial aid as one of the churches in communion with the Protestant Episcopal Church. In 1911 there were 11 priests, 2 deacons, 13 lay readers, 21 missions, 753 communicants, 189 day-school pupils, 358 Sundayschool pupils, contributions $2,076.
After the Cuban rebellion of 1880, Captain Diaz of the insurrectos fled to New York to escape the Spanish forces. While there he was converted, and, after some time spent in study, returned to Cuba to preach the gospel to his fellow countrymen. He
persevered amid great persecution, but 11. Amer- in 1885 the Southern Baptist Conven-
ican Bap- tion went to his assistance, he was ortists and dained, and the following year the other first Protestant church was organized Protestant in Havana. During the next two years Organiza- over 1,000 people were baptized; nine tions. native pastors were at work; and day-
and Sunday-schools were established.
Other churches were organized in various parts of the island, and seventeen preaching-stations were maintained. Over 800 persons applied for baptism in one year, but most of them were totally ignorant as to the meaning of the rite. Over 2,000 children were in the Sunday-school in Havana alone, and from 150 to 200 in each of the other churches. The work of Diaz is conspicuous in that it was the only organized Protestant work in Cuba previous to the Spanish-American War. Other organizations working in the remaining islands of the group to a greater or less extent were the Danske Evangelisk-Lutherske Statskirke (1665); the African Methodist Episcopal Church (1824); the United Methodist Free Churches of England (1838); the Presbyterian Church of Canada (1869); the American Baptist Missionary Union (1870); the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. A. (1872); the Methodist Episcopal Church (1873); the Presbyterian Church in the U. 8. (1874); the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions (1876); the American Friends Board of Foreign Missions (1883); the Seventh Day Adventists (1890); the Christian and Missionary Alliance (1891); and the National Baptist Convention (1893). Up to the time of the Spanish-American War (1898-99), Protestant missionary operations in the West Indies had been confined largely to the Bermudas, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Lesser Antilles; Cuba and Porto Rico being Spanish possessions which missionaries were forbidden to
12. General enter. As a result of the labors of the Present various organizations, the Bermudas Conditions. and the Lesser Antilles may be considered Christianized, though many of
the people are weak and ignorant, and there is much room for future development on eyery line. Haiti
and Santo Domingo are outwardly Roman Catholic, but underneath the form of religion is a current of superstition, and African fetishism still holds many in its thrall. Jamaica is perhaps the most thoroughly Christian of any island in the group, owing to the dominance of: England and the natural possibilities of the island. While none of these islands are now properly considered as mission fields, there is large opportunity for building up the weak church-members into strong Christian communities, and this is the present work which is engaging the missionary organizations of the various churches.
During the years that the missionaries were slowly working a transformation in these islands, Cuba and Porto Rico were debarred from all progress by the policy of Spain, even the priesthood being against civic reform and freedom of religious worship. The political rulers were in the islands solely for gain, and the religious leaders as a class were ignorant, avaricious, and indifferent to their holy office. Cathedrals were built, and there was a form of re-
ligion; all ecclesiastical functions were
13. Cuba. punctiliously performed; but prac-
tically nothing was done, during the four centuries of Spanish dominion, for the betterment of the people. In 1790 there were but two schools, outside Havana, in the entire island of Cuba, as the archbishop refused to sanction more on the ground that popular education was unnecessary. In Porto Rico there was a system of education in the cities, but there were few schools of any kind in the rural districts, and fully 87 per cent of the people could neither read nor write. The people rose repeatedly against their conquerors, only to be the more oppressed. Promises of reforms and freedom were made only to be broken, and at last the long history of misgovernment culminated in the revolution of 1895, when a four-years’ struggle ensued. The conflict was terminated only by the intervention of the United States, which sent an army to Cuba, the result being the withdrawal of Spain from the group, and ultimately the annexation of Porto Rico to the United States and the formation of the Republic of Cuba under the protection of the United States. In 1900 the Constitution of this new republic guaranteed that ‘ All religious beliefs, as well as the practise of all forms of religion, are free, without further restriction than that demanded by respect for Christian morality and public order.” As soon as this clause became effective the field was occupied by various American misslonary organizations. The Southern Baptist Convention had been working in Cuba since 1886, but the missionaries were forced from the field by the war, and at its close they found themselves with one nominal church, of “ forty scattered and unfindable members.” Work was reopened with new vigor, and so prospered that it is said that over one-third of all the Protestants on the island belong to this one church. There are (1911) 2 missionaries, 26 pastors and helpers, 2 stations, 41 substations, and 18 churches, with 1,078 communicants. Other societies which have entered Cuba since 1898 are the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; the American Baptist Home Missionary Society; the Congregational