p. 19 | Press Work in the Southeastern Union

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 21, 1912

Press Work in the Southeastern Union

By Carlyle B. Haynes

As an encouragement to others to write for the press, and as a testimony of God's opening providences in the newspaper work, it is a pleasure to recount the experiences of the recent camp-meeting season in the Southeastern Union Conference.

The first camp-meeting in this union was held July 25 to August 4, by the Georgia Conference, at Barnesville, Ga. Before this meeting convened, there were prepared about one thousand copies of an article containing announcements of all the camp-meetings in the union, mentioning the names and positions of the laborers who would be present and telling where they came from, giving the name of the denomination holding the meeting and stating considerable of what it believed, calling attention to the different departments of work to be represented and to their growth, etc. These copies were prepared at union conference headquarters, and arrangements made so that they would be sent out to the papers about one week before the camp-meetings in the different States.

Through the Newspaper Annual the names and addresses of all the daily and weekly papers in the union conference were obtained, and envelopes were addressed to them, in each of which an announcement of the camp-meetings was enclosed. Before the Georgia meeting, about 275 of these were mailed, reaching every paper in the State. We had the pleasure of seeing many papers that had used the entire article, and heard of many that we were unable to obtain. I think all the daily papers of the State, about twenty-eight, used the announcement. It contained about a column and a half of matter.

This same plan was followed with every other camp-meeting in the union, with excellent success. About a week before each meeting, announcements covering that particular meeting were sent to all the papers in the State, and a great number were published. From this one article alone, hundreds of thousands of people in this union have had opportunity to acquaint themselves with the two great principles of the message,—the keeping of the commandments of God, and the second coming of Christ. We feel grateful to God for the success he has given in this work.

From the Georgia meeting daily reports were furnished to the Macon Telegraph and the News; to the two papers of Savannah, the Press and News; to three papers in Atlanta, the Georgian, the Constitution, and the Journal; to the Cordele Rambler, the Griffin News and the Sun, and one or two others. Many of these were used, some in full, others only in part.

From Columbia, S. C., daily reports were sent to the two papers of Charleston, the Post and the News; the two papers of Spartanburg, the Herald and the Journal; and the two papers of Columbia, the State and Record. All these reports, as far as we could ascertain, were published; and as these papers cover practically the entire State of South Carolina, the people of that State probably know more about Seventh-day Adventists to-day than ever before, and more of the message they are bearing to the world.

The North Carolina meeting was held in Gastonia. Mails were such as to make it impossible to connect with any papers except the two in Charlotte, the Observer and the News. These were sent daily reports, which were published. It is to be hoped that our work with the newspapers will grow to such importance that it will be considered when the location of the camp-meeting is being discussed, and that the meeting will not be located in some inaccessible place.

The Cumberland camp-meeting was held in Sweetwater, Tenn., August 22 to September 1. Previous announcements were sent out, and many were published. Daily reports were furnished from the camp-meeting to the two papers in Knoxville, the Journal and the Sentinel; to two papers in Chattanooga, the Times and the News; and to two papers in Johnson City, the Staff and the Comet. I think everything that was sent out was published, including a long summary of the report of the statistical secretary of the General Conference for 1911.

Two preceding announcements were sent out before the Florida meeting, which was held at Ocala, October 3-14, and were published. During the meeting daily reports, with some photographs, were sent to the two papers in Tampa, the Tribune and the News; to two papers in Jacksonville, the Times-Union and Metropolis; and to the local daily, the Ocala Banner. All these were published and read all over Florida.

During the effort held by the writer in Atlanta, daily reports of the sermons were sent out to all the papers of the State of Georgia, many of which printed parts of them. That this work has its effect may be seen from the fact that a number of letters were received from those who read these reports in different parts of the State, from others in other States, one from as far away as Calais, Maine, making further inquiries concerning the truth.

In the effort I am holding in Ocala, Fla., the Banner has received daily reports of the sermons preached, and has published them in its daily issue, and in its weekly issue it reprinted every report during the entire week, making almost a solid page of sermons every week. These papers circulate throughout all this section of Florida.

So prominently have Seventh-day Adventists been kept before the people of Florida that at least one paper has been led to comment upon this fact editorially. While its comments were not very friendly, it does bear witness to the wisdom of the Press Bureau work.

CARLYLE B. HAYNES.