The Ministry and the Field
THE eighth session of the ministerial institute convened at 11 A. M., Sunday, May 21, for the purpose of considering the subject assigned, “The Ministry and Its Relation to New Fields at Home and Abroad.” Elder L. R. Conradi was the principal speaker, whose remarks, in part, are as follows:— Paul was hindered “many years” from visiting the believers in Rome simply because he felt it was his first duty to preach the gospel in regions where Christ had not yet been named and no church as yet founded. Pioneer work was his great aim. Pioneer work is involved in the great gospel commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. But not until persecution scattered the early church, did they perceive the great task committed to them to expand their work, but they restricted their efforts “only among the Jews.” The Lord selected Paul to bear his name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. The power of heathen Rome was shattered by the sturdy pioneer work of Paul and the early Christians; the throne of papal Rome trembled before the hardy pioneers of the Reformation, the darkness of the heathen world had to give way before the untiring efforts of the great mission movement inaugurated in close connection with the second advent message, while now from an opened book unwavering pioneers are to prophesy again before many peoples and nations and tongues and kings, and the whole earth is to be lightened with the glory of the threefold message of warning. While Paul and Barnabas raised up a large church at Antioch, the Holy Ghost did not say unto them, Stay, else the church will go to pieces, but, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” The church did not keep them back, but “they sent them away.” What shall become of the teeming millions in Asia, Europe, and Africa, if we do not move at a greater speed? An endless prairie of virgin soil spreads out before the pioneer of this message, the richest harvests reward the faithful toiler, golden sheaves are everywhere to be garnered in, and an eternal reward is promised to every faithful reaper. But where are the busy sowers? where the unfaltering reapers? More pioneer work in new fields, more energy put forth to raise up new churches, and we shall witness an endless flow of means into the treasury of God from liberal hearts. The ministry is not to settle down as pastors, but are to be evangelists. While Paul had the care of many churches, yet he settled nowhere as pastor. The world is our parish. A field that is not worked as fully as it should be is among the foreign-speaking population in the United States. There are constantly coming to this country every month vast numbers of persons who are unacquainted with this message, and who must in some way be reached by this truth. One of the effective ways of presenting this truth to them is by means of the literature we have. This truth can now be had in about forty different languages. We should not overlook these strangers within our very doors, placed here by divine providence within our very reach, and knocking at our very door. Let us make a free use of all this literature, which, instead of lying idle on the shelves, might to-day be the living germ of an endless life in many a poor, benighted soul within our very reach. Let us work as never before, for soon the night cometh when no man can work. We should also encourage competent help to enlist for foreign service. Our work is world-wide, to every nation under heaven we must carry this blessed gospel. Where can missionaries for all the foreign tongues be more easily secured than in those very fields? Recruits for those fields should be raised up from among those who are familiar with the language, habits, and customs of the people, and who can at once enter upon service among their own countrymen. May Zion indeed awake, arise, and shine. May our young men and women become true pioneers in this vast field of untold opportunities. May our ministers bestir themselves as never before, and not be content to settle down as pastors of churches, or be tied up in institutions, nor much less be tied down to farms and business; but, constrained by love for Christ and love for souls, push ever onward into new fields to hasten the glad day of Christ’s appearing. C. Kahlstrom: When I came to this country nineteen years ago, a perfect stranger and having but a very limited knowledge of the English language, I finally went to St. Johns, Ore., and there I met a family of Sabbath-keepers who took me in, and did everything they could for me. At that time I was a professed infidel; but the consistent course of this family caused me to believe that there was something in the Christian religion, and I was finally led to the point where I accepted the Sabbath, was baptized, and began serving the Lord, and he has blessed me to this day. I went on the ship “Pitcairn” on her first voyage to the South Sea islands. Nine years ago I returned to my native country, Sweden, and have since been laboring in that field. In regard to this question of working for unbelievers, I want to say that it was the kindly attitude of this Sabbath-keeping family who took me in and assisted me, that led me to accept this truth. E. W. Farnsworth: Although there has been much work done in this country among the Germans, the Danes, the Norwegians, and the Swedes, yet there are other nationalities in this country for whom we have done but little, and I sincerely hope that earnest efforts will be made to reach these classes as well, for I am satisfied that the efforts put forth will bring rich returns.27 F. C. Gilbert: There never was a time in all my experience when the Jews were more hungry for gospel truth than they are to-day. We owe a debt to the Jews, and we must discharge it. And of all Christian people, we have the only message for the Jew. The Jew to-day has practically little, if any, use for Christianity, but he is hungry for gospel truth. The Jews have been led to believe that Christianity permits the eating of pork, and the keeping of Sunday as a rest day. And so I say when the true position of this people on these points can be made clear to the Jews, they will be led to see that Christianity is something different from what they have believed it was. Think of the suffering and sorrow, the woes and the deprivations, the famine and nakedness, the destitution and the sword, the flame and the fire, and everything else conceivable and inconceivable in this world which the Jews have suffered to bring this blessed gospel to the Gentiles; but what have we as Gentiles even attempted to do for the Jews? But when this blessed truth is clearly presented to them, and they can understand what it is, then they will say, “If that is Christianity, that is something we want.” G. I. Butler: I am satisfied that there was never yet anything brought into the world so well calculated to reach the Jewish people as the truth which we possess. There are many pious and devoted people among that race who try to live out the truth as they understand it. I hope that we may be aroused to sense the importance of giving this truth to this people.