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Effective Way to Advance Truth

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 6, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 17.

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Effective Way to Advance Truth

By W. L. Burgan

Reports from different parts of the field show that workers are still using the newspapers to good advantage in advertising the message. Many of these workers are giving extracts of their sermons to the local papers, while others are utilizing the articles that have been sent to them in the form of letters and regular news articles telling about our cause.
Much favorable comment is being received concerning the different articles on the message that have been sent to the brethren and sisters for publication in their home papers. A sister in Ohio says, “The articles on the message were all published, and I have heard several persons speak of them, saying that they were interesting.”
One of the officers of the church in Salem, Oregon, gives the following account of having an article published: “I handed the report of the wonderful growth that the Seventh-day Adventists made during 1914 to our leading paper here, and it was accepted quite readily. As a result of its publication, I had the privilege of holding two cottage meetings on the prophecies. It makes my heart glad to see the people manifest an earnest wish to learn the meaning of the things now taking place in the earth.”
From a local worker in New York State comes this word: “I have had good success in getting published the articles you sent me. The editor prints all I give him. Send me some others. I have arranged to have one printed every Monday morning.”
An evangelist in the Western Oregon Conference has had good success in his newspaper efforts in a recent meeting. He had his tent pitched in a prominent residential section of the city, and reaped a harvest of more than twenty souls. In speaking of his methods of advertising, he mentioned particularly the use of the newspapers, as follows:—
“The leading newspaper of the city gave abundant space for the reports of sermons, and the opportunity was fully utilized. Every sermon given in the tent was reported, and many who could not attend the meetings followed them day by day in the paper. Surely the open columns of the daily newspaper are one of God’s agencies for doing a quick work in giving the closing message to the world.”
One worker in Michigan, in speaking of the success that has attended his efforts in securing newspaper publicity, says, “I have succeeded in getting the write-ups on all my lectures printed in the paper in the city where I have been holding meetings. Articles treating on the war prove very interesting, and are invariably read. The paper in this town has a circulation of several thousand in the city and surrounding country, and many people read these articles who would not come to a meeting. In this way they will learn of the truth before they have had a chance to become prejudiced in any way.”
A brother in a city in western New York said that members of his church made the question of having some articles published a subject of prayer. Up to that time the articles had been withheld, but their prayers were answered, the articles being printed verbatim. In speaking of the worth of newspaper publicity this brother says, “I heartily agree that this is an excellent plan to get the message before the people.”
W. L. BURGAN.