OUR WORK AND WORKERS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 9, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 48.

OUR WORK AND WORKERS.

A NEW house of worship is being erected by the church at Onawa, Iowa.

ELDER W. W. STEWARD is conducting a series of meetings in the Baptist Church at Grangeville, Idaho.

ELDER L. JOHNSON reports the organization of a church of twenty members on the island of Gotland, in the Baltic Sea. A brother named Kahlström, who had been a teacher in the Swedish State church for over thirty-five years, but now rejoices in the truth, was ordained as elder of the new organization.

ELDER W. S. HYATT has retired from the presidency of the Kansas Conference to engage in labor in Battle Creek, Mich. Elder J. W. Westphal succeeds him as president.

THE brethren at Amery, Wis., are erecting a new house of worship. Since commencing the work four have been added to their number, and others have become interested in the truth.

THE Minnesota Worker notes the presence in Minneapolis of Elder I. H. Evans, president of the General Conference Association, and states that he was "on his way to California."

AT Sturgis, Mich., Brother H. C. Goodrich reports the baptism of eight persons October 23, and at a later date he reports seven other converts. One of these had been a very bitter opponent for some time.

OUR Helping Hand Mission at Milwaukee acknowledges receipt of 250 pairs of socks and stockings from Mr. W. W. Looper, of Kenosha, Wis., manager of the Chicago-Rockford Hosiery Co. Mr. Looper is president of the United Epworth Leagues of America, and is deeply interested in Helping Hand work.

BROTHER JOHN MCCARTHY reports to the Review very encouragingly of the work in Argentina, South America, the great demand being for laborers. Of the country he says: "The Argentine Republic is, beyond doubt, the most cosmopolitan nation on the face of the globe; here missionaries of every tongue could find work to do in their own language."

THE Helping Hand spirit has also taken hold of the Minneapolis brethren, and a mission has been established with the design to "go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind," according to the Lord’s order. Luke 14:21. This is being done in several of the larger cities; now who is to "go out into the highways and hedges," and look after the needy in the rural districts? There is no end to the work till the Master returns.

ELDER SANBORN has taken up the work of canvassing for the SIGNS in Sparta, Wis., and finds it an excellent means of gaining access to the people. This paper is designed as a "pioneer" in the dissemination of the last message, and will do its work wherever it is fairly given the opportunity. A pioneer is one that goes before to prepare the way; but no instrument can act in that capacity if it be kept in the background. It is becoming more and more noticeable that success in the work follows promptly where the pioneer is given its proper place and is properly supported. Reports from various parts of the field stand in evidence of this fact.

A WORKER in a Michigan city tells of holding a street meeting one evening, when a drunken man came up and asked if anything could be done for him. He believed all that was said, but was drunk, and did not know what to do. Our brother took him by the arm and led him away to the shop of another brother. There he read some good promises from the Word of God, and prayed with the unfortunate man. The consequence was that he gave himself to the Lord, and, at the risk of losing his employment, accepted the Sabbath truth, and is an entirely changed man. "He works, keeps the Sabbath, and enjoys much of the blessing of God, even more than many who have known the truth for years."

THERE is one thing of which the opponents of our work seem to be especially afraid, and that is the Sabbath. It is the Sabbath of the fourth commandment that stirs up the greater part of the opposition to the work that is being carried on by Seventh-day Adventists. The advocates of the Sunday tradition can not bear to have its fallacy exposed. And those who would repair this breach in the law of God, are continually meeting the same opposition that befell our Saviour when he exposed the fallacy of Jewish traditions—when he showed that they made void the law by their traditions. A case in point is the experience of Brother N. L. McClintock at Terril, Iowa. He had the use of the M. E. Church for awhile, and then the minister wanted him to agree not to say anything on the Sabbath question. Of course he could not do that.