Some Important Recommendations by A. J. S. B.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 21, 1910

Some Important Recommendations

By A. J. S. B.

THE delegates in attendance at the Central Union, Pacific Union, North Pacific Union, and Western Canadian Union conferences gave their unanimous approval to the twelve resolutions bearing upon the home missionary work which follow (with slight variations to meet the needs of the various fields), at their recent sessions:—

“Whereas, The General Conference Committee at its last session recommended that each local conference appoint an active field missionary secretary, systematize, and develop all lines of home missionary work; and,—

“Whereas, Our publishing houses have agreed to assist in the support of such organization by allowing to fully equipped tract societies a commission of ten per cent on all periodical business (in addition to discount on other home missionary literature); therefore,—

“1. We recommend, That the conferences composing the — union conference proceed immediately to complete the equipment of their tract and missionary organizations by the appointment of field missionary secretaries, these officers to maintain the same relation to tract society secretaries as our missionary field agents, their special efforts being devoted to the circulation and sale of all publications outside of regular subscription books.

“Whereas, The increased sale of our subscription books has demonstrated the need and value of union conference field agents; and,—

“Whereas, The sale of our home tract and missionary literature, amounting to fully fifty per cent of our literature sales, is without systematic and effective organization; therefore,—

“2. We recommend, That the incoming executive committee appoint a union conference field missionary secretary, whose business it shall be to organize, systematize, and develop all branches of home tract and missionary work in this union conference.

“3. Resolved, That in carrying on our home missionary and publishing work we recognize a progressive system of education and practical training, beginning with mailing papers, loaning tracts and books, and selling the ten-cent magazines and forty-per-cent books in the vicinity of the church, and advancing step by step to the systematic sale of our magazines in the great cities and to the sale of regular subscription books; and that all these have as their object the training of workers for all departments of Christian service in the world-wide field.

“Whereas, Home tract and missionary work lies at the foundation of all other missionary endeavors; and,—

“Whereas, There is an urgent need of continued study of and service in this important department of our work by all our members; therefore,—

“4. We recommend, That all our churches be advised to set apart the regular fourth Sabbath meeting as a monthly home missionary service, using, in the absence of a more suitable one, the program outlined in the Missionary and Publishing department of the REVIEW; and,—

“5. We further recommend, That the fourth Sabbath collection in each church be turned over to the church missionary secretary (librarian) to be used exclusively in the work of the church missionary society.

“6. Resolved, That as conference workers we pledge ourselves to take an active part in searching out and encouraging suitable candidates for the book and periodical work, and forward the names of the same, with helpful information, to the missionary secretary of our local conference.

“7. Resolved, That our churches resume the holding of weekly missionary meetings, preferably mid-week, preceding the weekly prayer-meeting.

“8. Resolved, That our church-members be encouraged to make out a faithful report each week of missionary work done, handing the same to the church missionary secretary (librarian) each Sabbath, or at the weekly missionary meeting.

“Whereas, The sale of our ten-cent magazines alone amounts to forty-one per cent of our total literature sales on this continent; and,—

“Whereas, Thousands of our people now without a regular occupation could profitably engage in the sale of these magazines,—

“9. Resolved, That we continue to present this profitable branch of missionary work to Seventh-day Adventists, the young, the middle-aged, and the old, as a means of spreading a knowledge of the third angel’s message, and also of earning a competent livelihood.

“Whereas, The denomination is now publishing five new ten-cent magazines in the German, Danish, Swedish, Japanese, and Chinese languages, similar in make-up and attractiveness, to our English magazines,—

“10. Resolved, That we encourage our regular magazine agents working where there are foreign settlements to carry a supply of these magazines, and also our church-members to endeavor to sell and otherwise distribute these valuable and interesting publications to their neighbors and friends speaking these foreign languages.

“Whereas, Missionary correspondence has proved to be one of the most effective means of leading people to a saving knowledge of present truth; and,—

“Whereas, Such activity will enable our members to follow up the faithful efforts of our canvassers in placing our truth-laden literature in the homes of those not of our faith,—

“11. Resolved, That we endeavor to renew the zeal of our members to carry on this work, urging them to write short, yet effective, missionary letters in connection with the sending of tracts, missionary periodicals, or other denominational literature; and,—

“12. Be it further resolved, That we encourage our people to continue their correspondence with the individuals in question until some definite results are obtained.”

In substance, these resolutions cover quite fully all phases of our missionary and publishing work. If faithfully carried out by conference officials and lay members, great success will surely attend this important branch of missionary work.

A. J. S. B.