A Simple Solution of a Great Problem
By H. W. COTTRELL
The world has an approximate population of sixteen hundred million people, eighty-eight million of whom may be found in North America. Three fourths of one sixteenth of the entire number constitute the population of the United States of America. Seventh-day Adventists arose in America with a world-wide mission. The Lord requires at our hand the work of delivering the everlasting gospel in the setting of the third angel's message of Revelation 14. We have been sixty years at our charge. It is a lamentable fact that nearly all our efforts to extend the light of saving truth have been among the people constituting the three quarters of the one sixteenth of earth's inhabitants. We should have as many active missionaries to-day scattered among the world's population outside the United States as we now have adherents to the faith in those countries, though every soul who has accepted the truth for this time God calls to service. As, in the parable, Christ represents the householder going out at the eleventh hour and finding many standing idle because no man had hired them; so to-day, in this eleventh hour of probationary time, hundreds of strong, cultured and consecrated people stand ready to go into distant and difficult fields of labor, but are left idle because the funds in the treasury are not sufficient to transport them and provide for their support. The Lord has not called every one to leave home and go into distant countries to extend the gospel light. He permits some of us to remain at home, to enjoy the association of loved ones, and to reflect him before them around our own hearthstone, performing our little tasks for him there, and thus far all share in the one great blessing of giving the closing message. While we have missionaries in almost every country, they should be greatly multiplied. Why, then, are they not multiplied? The treasury replies, 'For the lack of funds.' There is an abundance of money in the world, yes, even among Seventh-day Adventists, to carry forward this glorious work to completion; but in order that the necessary money may reach the treasury, we should educate ourselves to a system of giving regularly. A very feasible plan of systematic contributing is the ten-cent-a-week envelope plan. There are a number of churches to my knowledge that have adopted this method of giving, and their offerings to foreign missions have been multiplied. The average Seventh-day Adventist can contribute ten cents a week without much sacrifice. Many can save this amount each week by careful thought in curtailing needless expenditures. Others, to save those poor people in heathen lands who know nothing of a divine Saviour, can give a much larger weekly amount than ten cents. It is certainly clear to every one that the eighty thousand people of this denomination can contribute weekly, by this method, an amount that would average ten cents a week for each individual. The reader may draw his own conclusion as to the amount this simple plan would place in the hands of the Mission Board, with which to do aggressive work in foreign fields. Macedonian calls are coming to the Mission Board continually. On the other hand, persons are continually offering themselves for life service in these fields. Shall not these persons whom God is calling be permitted to go? Shall a depleted treasury compel them to remain at home? While the Lord calls upon some to go to other lands and bear the message, he asks others to assist in their support. Seventh-day Adventists are a liberal people, but we have lacked system in our ingathering for foreign work. If each church and each individual in every church will adopt and carry out weekly the ten-cent-a-week plan, the difficult financial problem will be solved. The envelope plan is an incentive to each one to contribute weekly, and will in no way interfere with the securing of funds to carry forward local conference work, but will rather increase the spirit of liberality. Each Sabbath the envelopes, prepared for the purpose and furnished free to the churches, should be distributed. In the large congregation a good plan is to distribute them at the door as the people pass out. Some one should be appointed to receive the contribution on the following Sabbath. Care should be taken not to pass by the minister in the desk when the offering is taken up. Giving, in the proper spirit, to the cause of God is a part of divine worship, and every individual, even the children, should be educated to share in this part of the service. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”