Missionary Department by John Norton Loughborough

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Dec 3, 1874

Missionary Department.

By John Norton Loughborough

"Philip saith unto him, Come and see." John 1:46.

Our Work.

I TRUST our missionary members are all deciding to be workers, and that none will be satisfied with simply being "Honorary Members." The blessing of Christ at the last day does not read, You belonged to a working society, but "Well done." This blessing is for the workers. It will be shared by those who "do good."

In numbers 8 and 9 of the SIGNS you will find instructions for the Officers and Members of the Missionary Society. I trust all of you are making your minds familiar with the Constitution, and with the instructions we are giving, and that each district is getting into working order, by the Director appointing the Secretary for the district, and the Librarian and Business Agent for each church. Make out your list of tracts &c., on hand, as suggested in last number of the SIGNS. Get all the members you can to pay the $1 and unite with the society.

In order that the President of such a State Society may counsel and help on the work simultaneously in each district, he must know what is going on. So I request that when reports of appointments of Officers are made to the State Secretary, that the State Secretary forward a copy of the same to me at Oakland, that I may understand how the matter is progressing.

Now for the work. It will occasion a little delay to get your tracts, pamphlets, and blank books so as to begin tract distribution, but I will suggest some more work for each district in addition to that already proposed, which you can immediately engage in. It is this, to take hold zealously of the work of obtaining subscribers for the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. See how many of your neighbors and friends are willing to pay $2 a year for the SIGNS. Next see how many candid persons who cannot pay are willing to receive it, read it, and thus become bona fide subscribers for it.

The Business Agent in each church is the proper one to attend to this, but he cannot do it all alone. He can call on each member who can do so to canvass among those to whom they have access. The Business Agent in each church can pass the subscribers on to the Office here, carefully stating the amount paid by each, if anything. The money can be charged to the district in which such church is located. The money should be paid over to the Director by the Business Agent, so that he can square the account of the district with the Office at the time of each State Quarterly Meeting. Scattered individuals in a district can send the subscribers they may obtain, and the subscription money direct to the SIGNS' Office; but in that case the subscribers they send will be added to the quota from that district. They should also report, when they send new subscribers, to the district Secretary. This, you understand relates to scattered ones living in any district who are not members of any of our churches. In case you are members of a church, let your business be done through the Business Agent of that church.

J. N. L.