The Missionary Volunteer Work and the Mission Fields
By Arthur G. Daniells
What the Missionary Volunteer Department is doing to furnish consecrated, educated, trained young men and women for soul-winning work in mission fields is the point selected for special emphasis in this article. It is difficult for any one to form a just estimate of the value of the early impressions made on the minds of young people regarding the great need for Christian workers in heathen lands. Not until one sees these young people doing splendid service in the mission fields can this be fully realized. It has been my privilege to follow some of our young people from the day they received their first impression or conviction of the claims of the mission fields upon their lives until they were rendering most valiant service for lost men and women in heathen lands. It is when one sees what may be called the finished product in the mission field that one is able to place a proper value on the efforts made by the workers in the homeland to lead the young people to dedicate their lives to the work of the Master. The Missionary Volunteer Department of our world-wide movement was created and is being maintained primarily for the welfare of our young people. Present, personal salvation from the power of sin is the chief object the department has in view for every young person in our ranks. Another important attainment for which the department constantly labors is to encourage every young person to secure a well-balanced education. A third object which is never lost sight of is a thoroughly practical training for the particular service each may be called to render in soul-winning work. These we believe, and earnestly declare to our young people, to be the three most important objectives in the life we now live. They are the great essentials, the fundamentals for which every person should strive more earnestly than for anything else. The gospel is a world-wide problem. “God so loved the world.” “Look unto me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth.” “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” This is the phraseology of the Bible regarding the scope of the gospel. This language seems to have greater meaning, more constraining, impelling force, today than ever before. The vision of Seventh-day Adventists reaches the uttermost parts of the earth. In its endeavors to help furnish recruits for mission fields the Missionary Volunteer Society begins at the beginning—the conversion of the children. It is the earnest desire of all the workers in this department to see every child in our ranks converted to God. In the homes and the churches, at the camp meetings and all general gatherings, constant effort is made to lead the children and young people to give their hearts to the Lord. Through reading matter, by personal interviews, and in public appeals, we seek to give the reasons why every person should be a genuine, whole-hearted Christian. This is, and must be, the starting point. And how many thousands of hearts are made to rejoice by the turning of so many of our children to the Lord! The next step is to encourage these converts to fill their minds with good thoughts and useful information. To this end good reading matter is selected or prepared, and placed before them. The Morning Watch is a great help to thousands. The excellent books in the Reading Courses furnish them the inspiration and strong uplift they need. The Standard of Attainment plan stimulates them to put forth earnest efforts for the accomplishment of definite results. And in addition to all this every encouragement is given these children and young people to lay hold of the full benefits to be derived from our schools. In private conversations, in public addresses, in circular letters, and in articles in our papers, a steady, positive influence is brought to bear upon our young people to put forth every effort to secure a good education. The climax of all this effort is to lead these young people to dedicate their lives to the work of the Lord. The Lord’s work is explained in his Word as follows: “God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.” Ps. 74:12. It is the settled purpose of the Missionary Volunteer Department to help, as far as possible, every young person in our cause to dedicate his talents, life, time, and means to the saving of the lost. It is recognized that not all can go to foreign lands, not all can leave their homes and engage in public work in the homeland. But all—every one—can live and labor and pray for the lost. The farmer can till the soil and garner his crops with the purpose in view of contributing every dollar possible to the support of gospel work. Every believer engaged in business can live with this object uppermost in mind. This object is inculcated in the lives of young people by the Missionary Volunteer financial goal set each year, and also by the many direct, specific calls for gifts that are placed before them. A partial result of all this effort is the large number of young men and women of good education, practical training, and whole-hearted consecration, that we are now sending to our numerous mission fields. Today we are drawing our recruits for the mission fields almost wholly from the ranks of our young people. They are the ones who can learn difficult languages, endure privations, and adapt themselves most readily to new and strange conditions. And our hearts are filled with rejoicing as we see hundreds of them not only willing, but very anxious, to leave home and friends and creature comforts, to give their lives in sacrifice and toil for lost men and women in heathen lands. There is nothing in this world so noble, so grand, so good, as such a spirit and such a life. All this is from the Saviour himself. And he is imparting it to our young people through the channels of his church. The Missionary Volunteer Society is one of these channels. Eternity alone will give a full revelation of what the department is doing for our own dear people, and through them for millions of others. Surely every believer in our cause should make a studied effort to help carry forward the work of this department to the fullest degree of success.