The Message Through the Secular Press by Walter L. Burgan

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 7, 1912

The Message Through the Secular Press

By Walter L. Burgan

CONSIDERABLE success has attended the efforts of the Press Bureau to spread the third angel’s message through the columns of the newspapers. Since the bureau was inaugurated on January 1, reports on what Seventh-day Adventists are doing toward reaching every nation, kindred, and tongue in the world with the gospel have been sent broadcast through several States in this country.

Though our efforts to spread the gospel during the biennial session of the Atlantic Union Conference were crowned with success, the Lord opened the columns of the newspapers in the territory embraced in the Central and Northern union conferences in a more liberal manner. Articles averaging more than a column in length were published in the Lincoln, Nebr., newspapers practically every day during the joint session of these two union conferences at College View, and many of the leading papers in the nine States of the two unions also published reports.

That much good will come as the result of the publication of these articles in the Lincoln papers alone is evident from the interest that was shown by business men of that city. One business man said that he got more good out of the published reports of sermons preached by our brethren at College View than he would had he gone to church. The Associated Press was furnished reports each day, and the manager said he was sending something out over the wires to different cities in the Middle Western States.

The Lord also went before us at the Southwestern Union Conference session, which closed at Keene, Tex., February 13. The editors of the three newspapers in Cleburne, which is about six miles from Keene, used practically all that was furnished them. One paper—the Cleburne Review, a morning publication—printed a page and a third in one report. Nearly a page of that amount consisted of a history of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, and the rest comprised reports concerning the conference session. This article had a heading which stretched across the page, and which read as follows: “The Biennial Conference of Adventists in Session at Keene. A Complete History of the Seventh-day Adventist Movement, and Complete Details of the Interesting Conference at Keene, Tex., Which Will Last for Several Days.” Double-column headings were generally the size given to the daily reports in the Cleburne papers. Reports were also sent each day to the leading papers in Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and other cities. Several of the delegates had clippings sent to them of articles which were published in their home papers.

Nearly two hundred full sets of lessons on newspaper reporting were given out among the delegates at College View, and nearly one hundred fifty sets at Keene. The brethren took much interest in the instructions, and promised to write for the newspapers upon their return to their homes.

WALTER L. BURGAN.