The Midsummer Offering by I. H. EVANS.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 24, 1909

The Midsummer Offering

By I. H. EVANS.

THE date for the ingathering of the midsummer offering has been fixed for July 3, 1909. This year the donation precedes the national holiday, the fourth of July. Probably in many instances the celebration of the Fourth will be on the same day. It will not be an uninteresting thought for us to hold in our minds that while the world is rejoicing and making glad on this day, commemorating the independence of our nation, at the same time God's remnant people are appropriating of their funds for the salvation of their fellow men and the spread of the third angel's message.

Millions of dollars will be spent in pleasure-seeking, in drinking, in gambling, and other amusements. God's people do not participate in these pleasures, but desire to see the truth of God advance in the earth, and are rejoiced that they can be helpers in the salvation of their fellow men.

The treasury of the General Conference is in great need of funds. The session of the General Conference just closed has been a great expense. Missionaries had to be brought from all parts of the world, and new recruits were called for, to be sent to many of the missionary stations. It has been impossible, up to the date of the writing of this article, for the General Conference to send anything to the mission stations for the month of June. We were nearly eight thousand dollars short in our remittances for the month of May. We are looking forward with great anticipation to the ingathering on July 3, that there may be sufficient funds to make remittances to all parts of the world.

Those who have carefully read the REVIEW understand that the appropriations for foreign missions are larger this year than in any previous year of our history. It will require approximately three hundred fifty thousand dollars to carry the General Conference through the year 1909. We shall have to increase our income about seventy-five thousand dollars in order to reach this appropriation. We believe, however, that if all will take hold and work unitedly, churches and individuals trying to do their best, the full amount will be realized; a large number of workers can be forwarded to these fields, and those who are already at their stations will receive support.

The months of June, July, and August are those in which the treasury of the General Conference is generally the shortest of funds, and it is for this reason that the midsummer offering brings to us a great blessing. Last year there was realized from this fund $9,143.99. We believe that it would not be difficult for our people to make a midsummer offering for this year of not less than twenty thousand dollars. In order for us to realize so large an amount, it will be necessary for each of us to do our best in making a liberal contribution. We would not urge this so imperatively were we not confronted with the fact that we must have a large income in order to supply the necessary funds to our mission stations.

We trust that every one will plan definitely and positively to make a liberal offering this year. The midsummer offering applies on the ten-cent-a-week plan, and we hope that every individual in our denomination in the United States will not fall short of making a liberal donation for the support of foreign missions on this occasion.

Many of our workers will be on the water, returning to their respective fields of labor, on July 3; and we trust that our people will especially remember them in their prayers, and the stations to which they are going, that the blessing of God may be with both the work and the workers. I. H. EVANS.