p. 18 | Golden Opportunity by R. W. Parmele

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 24, 1914

Golden Opportunity

By R. W. Parmele

THE terrible condition of affairs that exists in the world today affords golden opportunities for our people, especially in this favored land, to bring the message prominently before the public. Never before in the history of our work, it seems to me, have the people been so ready to listen to what we have to tell them. They are not only ready to listen, but many are turning to Seventh-day Adventists to inquire our views in regard to present-day conditions. All these years we have been telling of a time similar to that through which we are now passing, and now those who in the past have seemed to turn a deaf ear are inquiring if this is the time we meant. We must not fail to improve this opportunity to the utmost limit.

I was very forcibly impressed with this fact in a tour that I have just completed among some of our churches. My experience at one place alone will illustrate the point. At Lake Arthur, La., our church building is so located that it is not very accessible in stormy weather. As a consequence, our congregations had been quite small at my former visits. The elder of the church and I visited the Baptist prayer meeting and made request that the Sunday morning hour in the Baptist church be granted to me to present “The European War Fulfilling Prophecy.” The pastor and the people unanimously and enthusiastically granted the request, and I am sure did all they could to advertise the meeting.

Our local elder then visited the pastor of the Methodist Church and suggested to him that he dismiss his congregation Sunday morning, and they all come to the Baptist church to hear the subject. We knew this was asking a good deal and could hardly hope that it would be granted, but to our great pleasure, when the meeting in the Baptist church was about to start on Sunday morning, we saw the Methodist congregation, pastor and all, coming in a body to hear this stirring subject. The Lord greatly blessed in presenting the theme, and the entire congregation, so far as we were able to discern, were greatly stirred. Stout-hearted men were moved to tears as they saw that pardon’s last hour is expiring in heaven, and were led to realize that the last gracious call is being given. No effort was made in the discourse to hide our distinctive doctrines, and we believe that the influence of this meeting will lead to a further investigation of these doctrines. The church ordered a supply of the War Extra of the REVIEW, and will place one in every home in the town, following it up with other literature. The local newspaper also published a column and a half synopsis of the sermon.

In New Orleans the white and colored churches have each ordered 3,000 copies of the War Extra of the REVIEW, on the bottom of the first page of which is stamped the advertisement of a stereopticon lecture to be given in these respective churches, on the same subject. At the lecture an effort will be made to ascertain who would like further reading matter on stirring truths, and this will be followed up by the efforts of the missionary society.

I believe that if our ministers everywhere will be tactful in making the request for this privilege, they will be permitted to occupy the pulpits of the popular churches for the presentation of this important subject, which will stimulate further investigation.

R. W. PARMELE.