THE action of the General Conference Committee recommending that special appeals be made for the benefit of various phases of the work in the Southern field has already been printed in the REVIEW, and several articles have also appeared bearing upon this matter. We have also asked our people to continue their donations for the work in Washington in order to provide money to assist in the erection of a suitable printing plant for the Review and Herald Publishing Association, with the understanding that the overflow of the One Hundred Thousand Dollar Fund would be applied for this purpose.
We have, however, just received instruction through the spirit of prophecy which makes it clear that these plans should be changed. We will print some paragraphs from this instruction in order that our people may have a clear understanding of the matter. The Testimonies are dated July 19 and July 20, and were received in Washington last week. We quote as follows:—
“During the time that I was in Washington, the Lord was working upon my mind in the night season. Light was given me while I was there that the first five thousand dollars of the overflow above the one hundred thousand dollars sent in for the work in Washington, was due to the Southern field, and that it ought to be appropriated to the present urgent needs of the work in Nashville.”
“The work in Washington is important and essential, and great efforts have been made to call the attention of our people to that field. But now the Lord would have us consider the work in the South.”
“The Lord would have those of his people who are willing to give of their means for the advancement of his work, now turn their attention to the work in the South, and especially just now to Nashville.”
“The Southern field is a very hard, needy field, and it must receive assistance. Chosen men should be appointed to receive the funds that will now be called for in behalf of the enterprises that must now come to the front in this most needy field.”
Acting upon this instruction, the members of the General Conference Committee now in Washington have requested the trustees of the Review and Herald Publishing Association to release any claim which they had upon the first five thousand dollars of the overflow of the One Hundred Thousand Dollar Fund on account of previous action appropriating this overflow to their use, and these trustees have voted to do so. Thus the way is now open for the General Conference Committee to follow the counsel given in regard to the disposition to be made of these funds.
In view of this instruction, there will be no further appeals in behalf of the work in Washington, and the trustees of the Review and Herald Association will make other plans for securing the money which they had expected to receive by this means for their work.
It has seemed proper to make this statement in order that our people might understand the situation clearly, and might act intelligently in directing their liberalities in harmony with the counsel of the spirit of prophecy. This counsel has been followed implicitly in all the plans for the establishment of the work in Washington, and it should be followed with the same spirit when it directs that the tide of gifts should now be turned in another direction.
The various enterprises in the Southern field which must now receive attention will be placed before our people from time to time, so that they may appreciate the need of help, and may render such help understandingly according as the Lord has prospered them.