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Harvest Ingathering for Missions

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 21, 1909

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 86, No. 42.

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Harvest Ingathering for Missions

By A. J. S. Bourdeau

“Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy power, in holy array.” Ps. 110: 3, A. R. V.
Special Campaign Week, Nov. 1-6. Full Campaign Period, Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.

Campaign News

BE sure to attend the special “preparatory meeting” in your church Sunday, October 31.
All orders for the special REVIEW are being filled in the order in which they are received, distant States being favored when absolutely necessary.
Our large presses are now running the full twenty-four hours. Thus we hope to be able to fill promptly all orders received for campaign supplies.
We are receiving, one by one, samples of the excellent missionary letters being sent out by our conference officers in behalf of this great effort.
Over fifty thousand letters have been sent out from this office in behalf of the Harvest Ingathering campaign for missions,—most of them two-cent letters.
On the inside of the new “Official Solicitor’s Card” will be found sufficient blank spaces for thirty signatures, also spaces for writing the amount given by each individual.
The first copies of the Harvest Ingathering number of the REVIEW were mailed Wednesday, October 6. But for a temporary break-down in our power (engine) plant, they would have been mailed sooner.
Those desiring to solicit means through correspondence should order an extra “Official Solicitor’s Card” to accompany their letter requesting means. The same card can be used over and over until filled.
The special “Instruction Leaflet” is being mailed with every order for the Missions REVIEW. Whether ordered or not we are sending them out in the ratio of one leaflet to every twenty-five copies of the REVIEW ordered.
Do not be surprised if we divulge to you this week a special plan whereby you will receive enough campaign supplies to enable you to begin work promptly Monday morning, November 1. Watch for our letter, etc.
Brother D. K. Royer, secretary of the New Jersey Conference, informs us that up to October 6 the churches in that conference had ordered a total of 10,392 copies of the Missions number of the REVIEW. This is a good beginning.
Brother R. D. Spohr, missionary secretary of the Indiana Conference, has just held a Harvest Ingathering campaign institute at the Beechwood Academy. The students are planning to do aggressive work during campaign week and after.
Isolated Sabbath-keepers who are unable to have their “Official Solicitor’s Card” signed by the elder, treasurer, or other officer of the church nearest them, should secure (by mail) the signature of the conference president, secretary, treasurer, or some other officer who is available.
Up to Tuesday, October 12, we had received orders for 174,650 copies of the Missions number of the REVIEW. This is but a beginning, for we have yet to hear from the large orders handed in to our church officers following the special second Sabbath service held in our churches October 9.
Some of our regular agents for the ten-cent magazines are planning to sell their copies of the Missions REVIEW outright, for not less than ten cents each. They write us that they can dispose of the papers easily, and thus raise large amounts for missions during campaign week, November 1-6.
Mrs. M. H. Crothers, missionary secretary of the Southern Union Conference, accompanies her order for one thousand copies of the Missions REVIEW with the following encouraging words: “We will do our best to make this year a ‘better one than last year.’ The people are much better acquainted with the work, and we look for much better results.”
A faithful worker in Nebraska writes, “I distributed one hundred forty copies of the REVIEW last year. It took me over one week. The roads were muddy. I collected $16.76 while working my way through the small towns. My collections averaged a little over twelve cents for every paper distributed.” He is hard at work again in the present campaign.
A dear old lady up in New Hampshire thus expresses her deep interest in this work: “I will be seventy-eight in December, but I will do my best to collect means to help send the truth to a perishing world. I am the only Sabbath-keeper in this place. Have interested two or three in the Sabbath question.” And she is but one of thousands of our dear isolated Sabbath-keepers who fill their declining days with home missionary work for the Master.
The “Instruction Leaflet” has already been sent out to nearly all our workers. It contains just what you will need to know in order to make a success of this campaign work. Among some of its contents may be mentioned the following: “Program and Method of Work,” “How to Begin,” “Some Actual Experiences,” “The Children Can Help,” “Hints to Beginners,” “Definite Territory,” “Official Solicitor’s Card,” “Starting the List,” “A One-Minute Canvass,” “Talking Points” (or how to approach the farmer, tradesman, banker, nurse, temperance workers, printer, etc.), “Soliciting by Letter” (giving sample letter), “Where to Send Donations,” and a “Directory of Local Conference Treasurers,” alphabetically arranged under union conferences.
One of the saddest communications we have received reads thus: “Mother is seventy-four, and has all she can do to care for me, an invalid. We live alone. It is impossible for us to work. Our prayer is for the soon closing of the work.” An intense desire to work is being manifested by nearly all of our people.
Brother Frank F. Fry, field missionary agent of the Minnesota Conference, is visiting the churches of his conference in behalf of the campaign. He says: “We shall certainly take pride in keeping up last year’s best record, which was made in the Northern Union Conference. I am very much interested in the reports of last year’s work.”
The missionary secretary of the Indiana Conference is stirring up an active interest in this work by writing many personal letters to the church-members. He says: “I have already sent out many letters this week, and will mail two hundred more within a day or two. You may expect a flood of orders from Indiana.” They are coming in. We can take care of many more.
For some weeks the presses of the Review and Herald Publishing Association and the Foreign Mission Seminary have been turning out large quantities of printed matter for the campaign, being often run by night as well as by day. In order not to interfere too much with its regular work, our publishing house has been obliged to have some of this work done by printers in the city of Washington, D. C.
Brother S. H. Carnahan accompanies his order for copies of the Missions REVIEW with these words: “Last year I ordered a few copies for use in another part of the island. I called on nearly all the Americans. O, if those who enjoy comforts in the home land could only realize what the workers out in strange lands on the frontier have to endure, they would be glad to share the hardships.”
From an interesting letter written by a Methodist brother in a Western State who takes the REVIEW, we quote the following: “Your kind favor to hand, and contents carefully noted. So far as I know, the Seventh-day Adventists have no representative here. I am a Methodist, but am firm in the belief that God is now sending his final message to a dying world. Twenty-five years ago it was my privilege to read ‘Daniel and the Revelation’ and ‘The Cleansing of the Sanctuary,’ by Uriah Smith. I was deeply impressed with this light upon the previously hidden mysteries of these great prophecies. I am unfamiliar with your methods. However, any matter entrusted to me will be looked after to the best of my knowledge and ability. God’s people should lay aside all prejudice, and work for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.” We are sending this Methodist brother fifty copies of the Missions REVIEW with which to begin the campaign work in his district.
A. J. S. BOURDEAU.