Work of Adventists

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Sep 21, 1905

Work of Adventists

Under this heading there appeared in the Washington Post of Sunday, September 10, an article occupying nearly four columns of space giving quite a full statement of the rise of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, its growth, its plan of organization, and the recent experiences in removing from Battle Creek, Mich., and establishing its headquarters in Washington. The article was illustrated with a view of the building on Iowa Circle occupied as a sanitarium, and with pictures of several brethren connected with the general work here.

As indicating the general trend and spirit of the article we quote the following paragraphs:—

“When William Miller, the father and forerunner of Seventh-day Adventism, stood on the steps of the Patent Office building, near the corner of P and Ninth Streets northwest, more than sixty-eight years ago, and to a wondering throng of Washingtonians, prophesied that the world would come to an end on Sunday, Oct. 22, 1844, he little dreamed that, on the contrary, a day would come when Washington would be the world center of the strongest and largest of the two denominations which took root and developed out of the older Millerism.”

“Out of the very error that he committed has grown one of the most active of American denominations. The Seventh-day Adventists are here to stay. They have purchased lands both within the District and in Maryland. They have many institutions in Washington, whereas a few years before they were scarcely known in this city. They are erecting large buildings, and propose, in short, to make the capital the center and headquarters of their faith for the whole world.”

“The Adventists have followed in the lead of other denominations in making Washington the center of their work. Just as the artist, the man of science, the composer, and the student find in Washington a world center possessing unusual advantages of communication with the outside world, so these several religious bodies have discovered that from a business standpoint the capital affords what no other American city can supply in the way of centralization and communication. . . .”

“Seventh-day Adventism grew by leaps and bounds. By 1883 they numbered over 17,000, with an annual tithe or income to the General Conference of $96,000. By 1893 their numbers had increased to 40,000, with an annual tithe of $400,000. To-day the church has over 80,000 members the world over, seventy unions in this country and twenty in Europe, with an annual income of close to a million dollars. This is all the more astonishing when one considers that the Adventists are by no means wealthy in the worldly sense. The church is made up of people of very moderate means, without a single millionaire or wealthy member to come forward in time of need with a check for a cool hundred thousand or more. . . .”

“The governing heads of the church are now actively engaged at Takoma Park in building operations. In fact, the place looks like a boom town in the West. Long before one reaches the place by electric car, he will be sure to note wagon after wagon loaded with cement and structural ironwork, and throughout the Park one encounters piles of building material on every hand.”

“Their ministerial training college, consisting of three large buildings of cement, brick, and wood, is already finished, and their thirty-sixth General Conference was held in one of these buildings and a large tent last spring under difficulties. These buildings were begun in November, 1904, and completed last May.”

“Work was begun last June on the new publishing house and the General Conference or headquarters building, and ground is soon to be broken for their new fifty thousand dollar sanitarium. . . .”

“In their missionary work they look upon it as their first duty to make the prospective convert physically correct, and for that reason their physicians and nurses are in a large sense missionaries. They argue that it is useless to expect one to lead the Adventist life whose system has been disorganized by indulgence in pork, tobacco, liquors, coffee, and an excess of flesh diet, and that to make him fit for conversion he should be first placed in a condition fit to receive the truths of their faith. This is the reason why they erect and conduct sanitariums wherever they go. This is always the first concern of the Adventist on entering a new field—first to establish a sanitarium, afterward a school, church, and religious liberty bureau. . . .”

“The Adventists are also devoting themselves largely to missionary work among the negroes. In the South they have been very successful along this line, and, despite the prejudice existing against the Adventists on account of their religion, a marked change for the better has been noted in those negroes who go over to the Adventist doctrine. They have addressed themselves to the work among the negroes of the District with great success. They have already a colored congregation in the District with a very able and conscientious colored minister at its head, and sooner or later it will be noted here, as it has already been observed in the South, that in becoming a Seventh-day Adventist the negro becomes a sober, industrious, and honest man.”

“In respect to industry the Adventists are like the Mormons. No drones or lazy-bones are tolerated, and even the heads of their church, when not engaged in active labors for the faith, will

be found following humble occupations, farming and laboring with their hands. Thus it is that the white man as well as the negro who enters the fold of Adventism must first of all make up his mind to three things; namely, to work, to stay sober, and to let ham alone.”

The publication of an article of this character in a paper with the circulation and influence of the Washington Post brings the work of this denomination to the attention of many people who may not have previously known much about it, and we trust may awaken an interest in some minds to learn more concerning the truths represented in this advent movement.