Self-Supporting Missionary Work by E. A. Sutherland

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 24, 1908

Self-Supporting Missionary Work

By E. A. Sutherland

E. A. SUTHERLAND

“There is a much greater work devolving upon the individual members of the church than they realize. They are not awake to the claims of God. . . . Many of the members of our large churches are doing comparatively nothing.”

Do the lay members of this denomination comprehend the full meaning of these sentences? What is the cause of the people of this denomination falling into the condition where these words must be said of them? Is it not a failure to understand the meaning of the words of the great apostle Paul to the individual Christian church-member: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier”? Have not many of our people lost sight of the fact that they are to prepare themselves personally to be soldiers of Jesus Christ, to go warring for him? They have fallen into the same error that many have in the past; that is, that there are two classes in the church,—one the soldier, or missionary class, and the other the lay-member, or stay-at-home class. To the latter belong the great majority of Christians. They are willing to aid with gifts and contributions the soldier class who are supposed to go out and fight the battles of the Lord. But it is fatal to spirituality to attempt to fight the battles of the Lord through a substitute. Every Christian must learn to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, to endure hardness, not to entangle himself with the affairs of this life, and to go to war for the Master.

Let us consider the part that lay members had in the beginning of this great message. In 1844 during the midnight cry we read that the work did not stand in the wisdom and learning of men, but in the power of God. “It was not the most talented, but the most humble and devoted who were the first to hear and obey the call. Farmers left their crops standing in the field, mechanics laid down their tools, and with tears and rejoicing went out to give the warning. Those who had formerly led in the cause were among the last to join in this movement.” We know that the third angel’s message will close with the same manifestation of power, and also by a movement

of the lay members. Concerning the final warning we read: “The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of his Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal declaring the words God gives them.” “In the future, men in the common walks of life will be impressed by the Spirit of the Lord to leave their ordinary employment, and go forth to proclaim the last message of mercy. As rapidly as possible they are to be prepared for labor, that success may crown their efforts. . . . No one is authorized to hinder these workers. They are to be bidden Godspeed as they go forth to fulfil the great commission. No taunting word is to be spoken of them as, in the rough places of the earth, they sow the gospel seed.”

Our lay members should understand that they can no longer please God, and refuse to take an active part in this great Advent movement. They can not prosper spiritually without having an active experience in working for souls, any more than they could prosper physically by allowing a substitute to eat their daily food. It would be physical death to them if they allowed some one to eat their daily food; it is spiritual death to a lay member to endeavor to have all his missionary work done by some professional missionary. These words from the servant of God should arouse thousands of lay members to begin active missionary work: “The lay members of our churches can accomplish a work which as yet they have scarcely begun. None should move into new places merely for the sake of worldly advantage; but where there is an opening to obtain a livelihood let families that are well grounded in the truth enter,—one or two families in a place to work as missionaries. . . . They should feel a love for souls. . . . They can distribute our publications, hold meetings in their homes, become acquainted with their neighbors, and invite them to come to these meetings.”

“The most successful methods are to encourage families who have a missionary spirit to settle in the Southern States, and work for the people without making any noise. . . . The words of truth can not go forth with great publicity, but schools should be started by families coming into the South, and working in schools, not with a large number congregated in one school, but as far as possible in connection with those who have been working in the South.”

“Some may be reached who would not listen to a minister or a colporteur.”

“To every man is given his work,—not merely work in his fields of corn and wheat, but earnest, persevering work for the salvation of souls. Let the laymen do all that they can, but as they use the talents they already have, God will give them more and more ability. Many of our missionary enterprises are crippled because there are so many who refuse to enter the doors of usefulness that are open before them. Let all who believe the truth begin to work. Do the work that lies nearest you. . . . If the lay members of the church will arise to do the work that they can do, going on a warfare at their own charges, each seeing how much he can accomplish in winning souls to Jesus, we shall see many leaving the ranks of Satan to work under the banner of Christ. . . . Wonderful revivals will follow; sinners will be converted, and many souls will be added to the church. When we bring our hearts into unity with Christ, and our lives into harmony with his Word, the spirit that fell on the disciples on the day of Pentecost will fall on us.”

After reading these words, any one with ordinary spiritual discernment must understand what must be done by the lay members of this church before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit can come.

God is calling the lay members into active service. He is also placing before thousands of them a definite field. We are told: “In the South there is much that could be done by lay members of the church,—persons of limited education. There are men and women and children who need to be taught to read. These poor souls are starving for a knowledge of God. . . . Let Sabbath-keeping families move to the South, and live out the truth before those who know it not. . . . The Lord desires the desert places of the South, where the outlook appears so forbidding, to become as the garden of God. Let our people arise and redeem the past.”

During the last four years, to our knowledge, over one hundred of our people have left the North, and have become self-supporting missionaries in the South. Many of these will come together at Madison for a two weeks’ convention, beginning October 15. The object is to relate their varied experiences, to study what God has said about this great Southern field, and to learn better methods of self-supporting missionary work. A number of our leading men who are deeply interested in this kind of work will attend.

Madison, Tenn.