The Mountain View Missionary and Bookmen's Convention
By J. R. Ferren
In attendance at this convention were the union and field agents and the tract society and missionary secretaries from the entire field supplied by the Pacific Press Publishing Association. This territory includes the conferences in the Northern, Central, North Pacific, Pacific, and West Canadian Union Conferences. It was the first general convention representing the entire territory.
The men had looked forward to this gathering as an “experience meeting,” a time when the lessons of the past might be applied to the problems of the present and the future. Truly this was done. Many questions bearing upon their work were carefully studied. Here were men bearing similar responsibilities in the subscription book work from widely separated fields. Some had been specializing on certain books, some working in Catholic communities, and others successfully working the cities. The convention gave opportunity for an exchange of experiences and methods from which all could profit.
For the larger number of the thirty tract society and missionary secretaries in attendance this was the first privilege they had ever had of counseling with fellow secretaries about any feature of their work. The Lord’s Spirit was present from the first; and throughout the session, which continued for ten days, a spirit of earnest endeavor for higher efficiency was manifest. From 8:15 A. M. throughout the entire day, and usually during the evening, progress was made. There can be no question that the ground covered and the standards of efficiency raised will give strength and impetus to the work in these conferences throughout the year.
Field Work
An action concerning field work, presented early in the convention and indorsed enthusiastically by the entire body later in the session, was really a continuation of an action taken last year, when a portion of the field men pledged themselves to spend at least two weeks during the year with the prospectus from house to house. A partial record of the work done is here given:—
AGENTS
HOURS
ORDERS
VALUE
F. E. Painter
128
70
$260.50
A. A. Cone
80
70
247.80
W. R. Beatty
48
..
172.50
C. G. Bellah
226
157
685.60
H. E. Loop
25
..
70.50
C. C. Morlan
75
108
106.25
R. H. Miller
56
33
123.00
Totals
638
438
$1,666.15
Brother W. L. Manful, representing Western Canada, spoke earnestly of what his personal field work had accomplished. During ten weeks he took orders for $1,500 worth of books, some of the time working within sight of nine big thrashing crews. In this way he was able to keep his men in the field, and they sold more than $15,000 worth of books during the year.
Following is the resolution which was enthusiastically adopted by the convention:—
“Whereas, The work done by us as union and field agents in personal canvassing for two weeks or more during the past year, has brought great blessing and benefit to us, (1) By increasing our enthusiasm, confidence, and efficiency; (2) by better acquainting us with the conditions our canvassers have to meet; (3) by strengthening our grasp on the selling points in our books; (4) by proving an inspiration to our canvassers and to others; therefore,—
“Resolved, That we continue this policy for this year; and that the tract society secretaries, branch office and departmental managers, and the secretary of the publishing department engage in at least one week of active field work during the coming year.”
Canvassing Bands
DELEGATES TO THE MISSIONARY AND BOOKMEN’S CONVENTION AT MOUNTAIN VIEW, CAL.
Union agents reported that the membership in the canvassing bands in the schools is as follows: Pacific Union Conference, 109; North Pacific Union, 161; Northern Union, 148; Central Union, 177; and West Canadian, 40. This makes a total of 635 in these schools who are following the outline study and gaining a preparation for the colporteur work. Steps were taken at the convention to give special study during the year to ways of strengthening the band programs, particularly with the experienced student canvasser in mind.
City Work
Experiences were given which show that the people of the cities are inquiring with reference to world conditions, “What do these things mean?” “Too great a gulf has been fixed in the minds of our men between the people of the city and the people of the country,” was the reason given by one leader why we have not done more for the cities. He and others gave recent experiences of how they had worked successfully among the well-to-do people, introducing themselves in the usual way as Christian workers. “Bible Readings,” “Daniel and the Revelation,” and other large books are, where earnest effort is put forth, being sold in the cities. It was the general feeling that through better preparation and more determined effort, this year would see a greater work accomplished with our books in the cities.
Development of Workers
A half-day was spent in the study of methods by which higher standards may be reached in the development of workers. Methods in self-improvement for the canvasser, for the field agent, and for all, were presented and studied.211Elder N. Z. Town, the secretary of the Publishing Department, who took a leading part in the convention, spoke particularly of the crying need for developed men in the foreign fields. He referred to some who had, after a training in this country, gone to South America, India, and other countries, where they are doing successful work. He appealed to the leaders in these union conferences to do everything in their power to help their men so to develop that God can lay upon them greater responsibilities.
Subscription Books in Foreign Languages
In response to strong appeals made in behalf of the millions of foreigners in the United States and Canada, many of whom will buy our books, the following recommendation was passed:—
“We recommend, That steps be taken at once to provide ‘Patriarchs and Prophets’ in Portuguese, Italian, and Polish; and ‘Great Controversy’ in Finnish and Russian; and that as soon as possible subscription books be provided in the other predominant foreign languages in the United States and Canada; and—
“We further recommend, That in each instance the full book be translated.”
Home Workers’ Books
During the past year our field men have united more vigorously with the tract society secretaries in securing agents for the small books generally known as home workers’ books. Some of these have gone into the field with the new home workers’ prospectus, and have met with success, which has given them a deeper interest than ever in this class of books. There is a growing demand among the best people for suitable good books for the children and young people, and these books open the way for the larger doctrinal works. Many of our people who gain their first experience with the small books soon take up the work of selling the large subscription books. So the field agents favor pushing the sale of this class of books throughout the year.
Magazines
The question of how to organize our growing magazine work better was carefully considered. There were present men who had made a specialty of the magazine work, and an entire evening was given to its study. One conference missionary secretary reported the sale of 20,743 magazines by 20 agents in 2,238 hours. They received $2,074.30 for these magazines, or an average of 92 cents an hour in sales. These results had been accomplished, he said, because of careful districting of the territory, getting Christian homes for the workers, giving them proper instruction in institute and field.
The Tract Society Feature
The closing days of the convention were spent on questions relating more particularly to the work of the tract society secretary. This was studied under two leading divisions,—the handling of the work that comes, and methods by which he can help to build up the various lines of missionary work in the conference.
The Conference Treasurer
Two excellent papers were read regarding the duties and responsibilities of the conference treasurer. Some charts helped to illustrate the points made. As practically all the tract society secretaries also hold the position of conference treasurer, the help given was greatly appreciated.
“Hitherto Hath the Lord Helped Us”
The above chart shows the increase in literature sales of the Pacific Press since their disastrous fire of 1906.
Those present felt indeed that the Lord had been their helper. The spiritual help obtained during the morning devotional hour and the inspiration gained in the evening stereopticon lectures, added greatly to the good influence of the convention. In one of the evening lectures given by Brother Clarence C. Crisler, the struggles through which the pioneers in this work passed were vividly brought to view. On another evening Brother C. H. Jones gave an illustrated lecture on the history and work of the Pacific Press. Another evening was spent in studying the steps in the revival of our book work since 1902, when the message came that it should be revived and go forward with increasing success.
The faith and inspiration of those present were still further increased by a visit to the home of Mrs. E. G. White, where, during her address to them, the Lord’s presence was near. She pleaded with them to press on and on, and assured them of the help and strength of Him who has gone the way before.
There were present with the bookmen and secretaries during a portion of the convention fifteen union conference and local conference presidents from the territory represented. All returned to their fields feeling that they had gained strength, knowledge, and inspiration from this gathering, which, with the Lord’s help, would enable them to do more and better work during 1913.
