A Chance to Help by I. H. Evans

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 15, 1909

A Chance to Help

By I. H. Evans

Six months of the new year have now passed, and we are on what is called the “home run” for 1909. Almost before we realize the fact, the end of the year will be upon us. It seems only fitting that we pause for a moment and note the financial condition of the General Conference treasury, and determine whether we can do more during the last six months for the support of God’s cause than we have done during the six months just passed.

Nearly every conference has already voted that it will endeavor to raise a sum for the support of foreign missions equal to ten cents a week for each church-member. This is no new idea among Seventh-day Adventists. For ten years we have been talking about this ten-cent-a-week plan. Some of our conferences are already raising this amount each year, while others are falling far behind.

It must be that there are many individuals who are faithfully paying their ten cents a week. Last year we received the largest amount of money in our history from the ten-cent-a-week plan. Yet, notwithstanding the large amount that was raised, it fell short more than $108,000 of the full amount of the ten cents a week from each church-member. That means that either there were 20,770 Sabbath-keepers who gave nothing, or a much larger number who failed to give the full amount.

It takes time to get any plan into operation. We all need patience, faith, and perseverance. Those who are faithfully giving their offerings, ought to be a working committee to encourage other members of the church who are not remembering this donation, to take hold of it and help to carry forward God’s work.

In church-membership and in organized companies, which are to constitute the basis for this pro rata work, we have in the United States and Canada 63,148 members. This means that for the year 1909 $328,369.60 should be raised from the ten-cent-a-week plan. The first six months of 1909 have turned into the treasury of the General Conference from all the fields for that period of time, the sum of $106,596.77, made up as follows: Annual offerings, $21,437.50; First-day offerings, $8,780.55; midsummer offering, $398.22; mission fund, $37,049.71; Sabbath-school donations, $32,321.38; Thanksgiving ingathering, $6,609.41.

Our true proportion at ten cents a week for six months would be $164,184.80. During the coming six months, therefore, we have, in addition to the full quota for the last half of the year, a shortage of $57,588.03 to raise. Surely the demand for funds with which to support this work is rapidly increasing. I am sure, however, that none of us wish it otherwise. Our hope lies in the finishing of the work.

The General Conference pay-roll averages approximately one thousand dollars a day. Every Seventh-day Adventist in the world can understand that for 1909 we will have to produce approximately one thousand dollars a day for the support of our workers stationed throughout the world under pay of the General Conference. Our appropriations for 1909 are by far the largest in our denominational history, and we shall be unable to meet these demands unless we have the hearty support of every conference and all our people in the matter of donations for foreign mission work.

The call for workers in foreign fields was never so imperative as at the present time. Where there is one worker there ought to be ten. We have large territories all unentered, and tremendous demands must be made upon our people for means and men if we expect to man the field within the lifetime of those who are now rejoicing in the message. Knowing this to be the closing message to the world, and believing that our work is to triumph in this generation, is it not becoming us, as Seventh-day Adventists, to apply ourselves with greater faithfulness than ever before in contributing funds for foreign work? We believe that every Seventh-day Adventist ought to systematically pay into the treasury his full quota for the support of the work. It is not a great strain upon the poor, while the rich can give far more than this small amount.

We hope that in every church the envelopes will be distributed week by week, the regular offerings taken, and the matter of the needs of the foreign fields kept before our people, that each one may be induced to do his best to carry his share of the load.

I. H. EVANS.