Loyalty and Responsibility
By I. H. Evans
THE work of the third angel's message is becoming a great and mighty work. Its voice is being heard in nearly every great country of the world. Its rise and progress have been remarkable. The gospel, testing truths that it teaches, the reforms in diet and dress that it inculcates, the opposition that it arouses among professed followers of Christ, all would seemingly tend to retard its rapid growth. Notwithstanding all the hindrances that have obstructed its progress, still it is onward with a momentum never experienced by it before. False brethren have arisen, apostasies have occurred, till some of the very friends of the message trembled for fear of the future prosperity of the work. Many mistakes have been made in the management of its affairs; and yet in spite of all these drawbacks, its progress has been steadily onward, and its work and influence continually expanding. The present generation can recall the day when there was not such a message to be found among men. To-day there is scarcely a nation upon earth that has not heard to a greater or less extent its warning voice. The progress of this work has been owing to two things—the blessing of God and the loyalty of those who receive the message. Perhaps no people were ever more true and self-denying to what they believed to be the work of God than those who have embraced the third angel's message. In other days many have gone to the stake or dungeon and died for their Master; some have gladly given their earthly possessions, and separated from all family ties, for the sake of him who died for them; but here is a people devoting their whole energies to the prosecution of God's work. No sacrifice is too great to make for this truth. If money is needed, it is forthcoming. If men are wanted, the volunteers are so many that it is hard to make a selection for the service. Parents gladly consecrate their children to God for any land where they may be called, and follow them with their means and prayers. The time was when the work was small. Its members were few, its laborers scarce. One man could easily know every family of believers, and be personally acquainted with every worker. All its business affairs could readily be attended to by a few men, with much time to work in other lines. From the first general meeting ever held by Seventh-day Adventists in the home of S. T. Belden in April, 1848, where about thirty Sabbath-keepers were present, we have grown till we have nearly eighty thousand church-members, with more than a thousand public laborers, and have had over four thousand four hundred believers assembled in a single camp-meeting. In 1861 we organized our first local conference, but to-day we have more than eighty organized local conferences, and more than fifty missions scattered throughout the world. The year 1849 marked the beginning of our publishing work as a people. It consisted of an eight-page periodical (size of page, 5 x 8 inches) called Present Truth, while to-day we are publishing eighty-nine periodicals in thirteen different languages, besides a paper for the blind, to say nothing of the twenty publishing houses, scattered in fourteen different countries, annually producing hundreds of tons of literature in about thirty languages. Think of our school work of to-day compared with a few years ago. The year 1873 marks the beginning of our denominational educational work. That year Battle Creek College was founded, and became the one school of the denomination. To-day we have seventeen colleges, academies, and training-schools, located in seven countries, employing over one hundred and eighty teachers and instructors in the various branches, with twenty-nine intermediate schools supported by conferences, to say nothing of the scores of church-schools scattered wherever there are companies of believers. Nor is our sanitarium work showing less vigorous growth. From 1867, when the old Health Reform Institute of Battle Creek, Mich., was organized, till 1905, the principles of health reform for which our people stand have rapidly gained ground, and the adherents to these truths far outnumber the Sabbath-keepers in our ranks. To-day we have seventy-nine sanitariums, cafes, charitable institutions, and food factories, employing over one hundred and seventy physicians, besides hundreds of consecrated nurses and other helpers.7 But space forbids the mention of our work in all its various departments. Think of the many enterprises springing up on every hand. There seems no end. Day by day we are astonished at the growth and spread of our work. From China, from Korea, from Japan, from far-away India, from darkened Africa; from every nation in Europe, yea, even from war-smitten Russia, comes the glad news of victories gained and battles won for Prince Immanuel. Defeat is nowhere. “Onward with the standard of our soon-coming King” is heard from every land. And our hearts cry out, “Amen and amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” In all this growth and progress the loyalty of our people transcends belief. Nothing daunted by almost overwhelming conditions, men and means are freely offered by our devoted people that the work be not hindered. God knows all the sacrifices made and the hardships endured by every trusting heart. To-day the work has attained such a magnitude and received such an impetus that it is impossible for any one man or any local committee of men to be responsible for all the undertakings launched by our people in various places. Enterprises are undertaken to-day, and plans are set on foot, of which neither the General Conference Committee, nor any quorum of that committee has any knowledge whatsoever. The time was when the General Conference Committee could look after every branch of the work, and know all the plans set on foot for prosecuting the same; that day is past. Local autonomy must be given to all these different fields, and local responsibility for the success or failure of the enterprises started must be assumed. The General Conference can not be held responsible for the financial outcome of these numerous undertakings. Each individual must carefully investigate every enterprise in which he thinks of investing his means, if he expects the return of his money. No branch of God's work has ever yet been able to pay a high rate of interest and pay off its obligations. It can readily be seen that the work in its growth and development has passed beyond the power of a few men to direct every enterprise. The General Conference should henceforth give its energies to the development of our work in the regions beyond. While fostering the work everywhere, local institutions in organized territory must be financed by those on the ground, and not by the General Conference. But we appeal to our people everywhere not to run in debt in order to launch new enterprises. Our message is to “preach the gospel to every creature.” Let our energies be bent in this direction. Let us build up our evangelical work, and pray the Lord to hasten the day of his coming.