p. 17 | Virginia by W. J. STONE.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 18, 1912

Virginia

By W. J. STONE.

At the camp-meeting and conference held at Richmond, Va., from Aug. 24 to Sept. 3, 1911, I was called to the presidency of the Virginia Conference. Leaving Indiana, where I had lived and labored for over eight years, I arrived in Richmond, with my wife and son, on November 1, having on my way attended the General Conference Committee Council and the Columbia Union Conference Committee meeting at Washington, D. C.

My time since coming here has been employed in getting settled, and becoming acquainted with the work and its needs throughout the conference. I have visited one third of the churches in the conference, and recently held a council of the conference committee and a number of our workers. During this time our Richmond church building has been undergoing needed repairs and changes, to prepare it for a series of meetings to be held soon.

At our council held Dec. 19-21, 1911, many points of vital interest to the cause in Virginia were considered, and plans were laid which I believe will greatly advance the work in this conference during the next few months.

Our council was opened with an earnest season of prayer, after which we gave consideration to the question, “How can we revive the rank and file of our people throughout the conference, and make this effort lasting and result in a great awakening in missionary lines?” Several hours were devoted to the consideration of this question. Much instruction was read from the Testimonies, and it was fully decided that this work to be lasting must be educational.

We read in “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IX, page 140: “Should all the labor that has been expended on the churches during the past twenty years, be again expended upon them, it would fail, as it has failed in the past, of making the members self-denying, cross-bearing followers of Christ. Many have been overfed with spiritual food, while in the world thousands are perishing for the bread of life. Church-members must work; they must educate themselves.”

On page 139 we read: “In every church young men and women should be selected to bear responsibilities. Let them make every effort to qualify themselves.” We also read on page 116: “Those who have the spiritual oversight of the church should devise ways and means by which an opportunity may be given to every member of the church to act some part in God’s work.” “In the closing controversy now waging between the forces for good and the hosts of evil, he expects all, laymen as well as ministers, to take part.”

Pages 117, 32, contain the following: “That which is needed now for the upbuilding of our churches is the nice work of wise laborers to discern and develop talent in the church. . . . There should be a well-organized plan. . . . It is training, education, that is needed. Those who labor in visiting the churches should give the brethren and sisters instruction in practical methods of doing missionary work.” “If every church-member were a living missionary, the gospel would speedily be proclaimed in all countries, to all peoples, nations, and tongues.” “The work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church-membership rally to the work, and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers.”

Much might be quoted to the same effect, but this is sufficient to enable us to understand that what is needed now in our churches is not sermonizing nor emotional meetings to bring a happy flight of feeling, leaving the churches to go back to the same low spiritual plane, but practical methods of true missionary work, with instruction as to how to work. Then on the Sabbath let the members relate their experiences, and the testimonies borne will be filled with power. “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VII, page 19.

We are endeavoring to plan for the carrying out of this instruction. With our scarcity of laborers, and with the effort we had planned for Richmond, we decided to combine our work for the churches at this time with the meetings in Richmond.

Two strong efforts will be made for Richmond, beginning about Jan. 20, 1912, one for the white people and one for the colored race. These efforts will be continued three months, and in connection with the services we have planned to hold two gospel medical institutes. We have asked all our churches to select one or more consecrated persons to attend these institutes. The line of work taken up will cover every branch of gospel medical missionary work, and will give those who attend the meetings practical training in active service.

We decided to visit at once all our churches in the interest of this and other lines of work. Already about one half of the churches in the conference have been visited, and they are enthusiastic over these plans, and are sending from one to three persons to take the instruction. These individuals will then return to work in their home churches, or wherever they may be called; thus while we are educating twenty-five or thirty workers, they in turn will be helping us in our efforts to do a great work for the people in Richmond.

We are confident that God is leading in these plans, and the hearty response we are receiving from our members gives us courage. As we planned for our work, the Spirit of the Lord came very near, and some of our council meetings partook more of the nature of praise meetings than of business meetings. Our laborers are filled with courage for the future work in Virginia.

W. J. STONE.