Departmental Meetings

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 27, 1909

Departmental Meetings

The Publishing Department

The first meeting of this department was devoted to prayer and social worship. At the second meeting the question of the re-organization of our publishing houses and the elimination of commercial work was discussed.

The following points were emphasized in the discussion:—

That the rank and file of our people feel that these houses are now a part of their own work.
That the State conferences now feel that the circulation of literature is not set apart specially as the work of the publishing houses, but that the responsibility rests upon each conference.
That the membership constituency represents the field much better than the stock company plan of organization.
That the elimination of commercial work has revived the spirit of our people and given them new confidence in our publishing houses.
That publishing house employees prefer to work on denominational literature. They are willing to sacrifice in wages and otherwise if they can feel that they are advancing the third angel's message.
Publishing house managers bore witness to the fact that the publishing houses prosper financially quite as well without commercial work, and that the circulation of literature is greatly increased.
Our literature is being improved, and its circulation increased now that capable men, connected with these publishing houses, are giving their time exclusively to this work.

There was a spirit of perfect harmony in the discussion of these topics. Evidently the providences of God during the past few years have settled this question in the minds of the publishing house representatives.

At the third meeting of the department the time was spent in the discussion of several resolutions relating to the prosperity of the publishing department, which were adopted, and passed on to the general committee on plans.

Fourth Meeting

May 18, 8 A. M.

The headquarters room was well filled with enthusiastic representatives of our publishing houses and general field work.

The following topics were discussed:—

1. How has the subscription book work been benefited by advance steps in manning the field with strong, experienced men? How can this force of leaders be strengthened? (a) The selection of strong, experienced men as leaders. (b) Opportunities to attend important council meetings and conventions. (c) Their place as associates in conference counsel. (d) Wages in proportion to experience, ability, responsibility, and expenses. 2. Has the holding of book men's conventions contributed materially to the success of the subscription book work? (a) Should we continue to hold such conventions? (b) How frequently should such conventions be held? (c) What should be the character of the work accomplished? (d) Which is the best policy to pursue as to place of holding these conventions,—very large union conventions, separate conventions for each publishing-house territory, or one for each union conference territory?

In this discussion special emphasis was given to the demands for experienced men to be trained in well-organized fields where there are no leaders.

Brother N. Z. Town, from South America, spoke earnestly concerning the needs of such great countries as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Peru, where great opportunities are opening up before our publishing work, and where there are few facilities and few leaders. He expressed satisfaction that two or three men have already been selected to go to South America to lead out in this work, and expressed the confident hope that others would volunteer and be sent to the front by the Mission Board.