Missionary Program for 1904
By H. H. Hall
The following definite plans for missionary work were enthusiastically received and discussed at the recent meeting of the Pacific Union Conference held in Healdsburg, Cal. “We recommend, That as conference officers and laborers, we earnestly seek to impress upon the minds of all our people the importance of their each taking a part in carrying this message to the world, and that we assist them to do so by,—” “(a) Explaining the particular fields of each of our periodicals, and urging our people to subscribe for, study, and circulate them.” “(b) Presenting the advantages of a systematic circulation of tracts on leading points of present truth.” “(c) Urging them to study carefully the principles of true medical missionary work.” “(d) Encouraging one or more in each church to canvass for our forty-per-cent books, beginning with their own18members and extending their efforts as experience will permit.” “(e) Directing the attention of all our people to the importance of their circulating such books as ‘Christ’s Object Lessons,’ ‘Story of Joseph,’ and ‘Ministry of Healing.’” “(f) Aiding suitable persons to follow up the foregoing efforts with Bible readings and cottage meetings.” “(g) Inviting our church officers to call the attention of the conference to such openings for meetings as they feel unable to fill themselves.” “We further recommend, That to make the preceding suggestions practical and permanent, classes be organized in connection with general meetings,—or in such other ways as may be thought best,—at which these methods of work may be thoroughly taught by precept as well as by example; and that we urge each church to elect to the office of librarian the person who will the most successfully lead the members into actual missionary service.” Here are a number of suggestions concerning actual field work. Our periodicals, our tracts, the principles of medical missionary work, the encouraging of members to circulate books around their homes, the continuation of the campaign for “Christ’s Object Lessons,” the new work with “Ministry of Healing,” and the need of following up such efforts with Bible readings and cottage meetings, are all given prominence. And then, to make these suggestions practical instead of theoretical, it is proposed that permanent classes be organized, and definite instruction, connected with practical work, be given; also that an effort be put forth to secure as the librarian of each church a real missionary leader. It is proposed that a missionary school be held in connection with, or at the close of, each teachers’ summer school. Librarians and others having church responsibilities will be invited to attend, and to spend half the day in study, and the other half in actual work in the vicinity. By these and other means we expect to encourage our churches to greatly increase their missionary work. Do not these recommendations contain suggestions that will be helpful to you, dear reader? H. H. HALL.