The Press Bureau Work by W. L. Burgan

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 24, 1912

The Press Bureau Work

By W. L. Burgan

WITH the passing of each week, it becomes quite evident that our brethren are realizing more and more the power of the secular press to bring the doctrines of Seventh-day Adventists to the attention of the world at large. The success that has come as the result of the campaign, begun less than a year ago, of using this powerful agency for the dissemination of the gospel truth, has been wonderful.

Many letters have recently been received from brethren in various sections of the country, who tell of the success they have had in getting articles published, and the good these articles have accomplished. One minister in New Hampshire writes: “The newspapers surely have been good to us this summer, and have done for us all that we felt we could ask under the circumstances.” A minister in Iowa has this encouraging testimonial to give: “We are full believers in printer’s ink, and have many times availed ourselves of open columns in connection with the history of our work. We are on the best of terms with the publishers, and they handle almost anything that we are willing to give them. Nearly every week there is something in the papers here about us, much of which we write, but some of which they write.”

A word from South Texas makes us feel confident that the message can be published with success in the newspapers of that part of the United States: “During our camp-meeting I furnished daily reports to the newspapers, and all but two were published. Those withheld were on the fourth of July, and as the papers were small, the articles were doubtless left out for that reason. One paper changed scarcely anything we gave it; the other once in a while changed the wording of the articles.”

One brother in the North Texas Conference furnished very interesting reports to the Cleburne papers, where the camp-meeting of that conference was held. A brother in Knoxville, Tenn., in telling of the success in his newspaper endeavors in connection with a series of meetings held there, says: “Out of fifty-six meetings reported, forty-three appeared in print. We are so well pleased with our first attempt in this line that we credit the success of our tent effort largely to the favor we received through the press.”

After telling of his experiences in furnishing reports of the Alabama camp-meeting to the Mobile papers, though the meeting was held at Fair Hope, fourteen miles distant, a brother in that conference says: “One good thing the items in the Mobile papers did was to bring a sister over to the camp who had lived in Mobile for some time, and did not know there was another Sabbath-keeper living there.”

These good words from brethren who are making good use of the possibilities before them to make known the glad tidings of the soon return of the Saviour ought to encourage others to write for this powerful medium, which is free to all of us. A high dignitary of the Protestant Episcopal denomination in Los Angeles, in writing an article for the Los Angeles Tribune of recent date, on “The Pulpit and the Press,” made some very pointed statements as follows:—

“The relationship of these two institutions is very close. They are allies and not antagonists, and they do their best work in union, rather than in separation. I always have attached a very great significance to the power of the press.

“The preacher speaks through the living voice; the newspaper preaches through the living word. The first reaches thousands, and the latter reaches tens of thousands.

“There is no institution under the canopy of heaven that is so largely a legatee of the benefactions of the newspaper as the church; hence this vital and living bond of relationship that binds and holds these two servants of mankind together.”

That the ministers and other interested ones in other denominations are taking notice of the activity of our brethren in using the newspapers for the spread of our views is shown in a statement by one of our ministers in New Hampshire. He says: “Some here are opposing everything that they [the editors] do for us, and it makes it hard for them.” Notwithstanding the fact that others are opposing the publication of articles about Adventists, our brethren in that State have been treated well, judging from the size and contents of the reports contained in clippings sent to the Press Bureau.

Work on the Pacific Coast

Since writing the above, I have received from Brother J. R. Ferren, of California, an excellent report of the

work of the Press Bureau on the Pacific Coast. He says:—

“Eleven daily newspapers, and several published weekly, with a combined circulation of more than one million copies an issue, carried reports during our four camp-meetings held in California this season. Although thirty miles away, the Fresno Republican and the Fresno Herald took our reports of the Reedley meeting, so that throughout the great San Joaquin valley people were daily reading about the leading features of the Seventh-day Adventist camp-meeting at Reedley. One report, headed ‘Tons of Books Shipped by Adventists,’ was read by an ex-resident of Fresno over in Mountain View. Although this woman, wife of a superannuated minister, had lived within sight of the Pacific Press for months, she ‘had no idea of the great work they were doing, until reading of it in the newspaper,’ as she expressed it to an Adventist neighbor. So it is hoped that many gained some definite and favorable impressions through the large number of press notices given, covering, as they did, reasons for distinguishing points of belief, and much concerning the work of the denomination in the world. Points of truth were woven in at every opportunity.”

“The health and temperance principles were emphasized frequently in reports appearing under such heads as, ‘Using of Tobacco Is Subject of Address;’ ‘Big Death-Rate Due to Social Practises;’ ‘Adventists Urged to Aid W. C. T. U.;’ ‘Abolish Saloon, Adventists Advocate.’”

“In reporting educational meetings, there was opportunity to tell why Adventists operate their own system of schools, and much concerning the development and work of those schools. Likewise, sanitarium meetings opened the way for explaining something of the work of these institutions, where they are situated, and the number of persons to whom treatments are given.”

“No feature of our work was given more publicity than the foreign missions enterprise. From the first report, which usually emphasized the thought that this year two hundred Adventist camp-meetings are being held in the leading countries of the world, the fact that the denomination is turning its energies and resources toward foreign fields was often repeated. That the Sabbath-school donations go to foreign lands; how the minds of our young people are directed to distant countries; mission funds raised; persons selected for foreign work; and the missions talks, all furnished material for foreign missions ‘stories.’ ‘Six thousand African boys and girls in mission schools in Africa;’ ‘Four thousand Adventists in Russia, and gaining seven hundred a year;’ ‘One thousand new Sabbath-keepers added every three months to the churches in Europe;’ ‘The outlook in China, India, Japan, and other countries,’—these are some items that these reports contained.”

“‘They Are Against Any Sunday Law’ was one head-line introducing a series of religious liberty resolutions. The synopsis of another such meeting was headed by, ‘Lecturer Talks on Religious Freedom; Declares Civil Law Has No Jurisdiction Over Religious Matters.’

“The Sabbath was first mentioned in the article announcing the camp-meeting, as a distinguishing feature of the denomination’s belief. The reports appearing Friday told of how the campers were preparing for the observance of the Sabbath beginning at the setting of the sun. Reports of the Sabbath-school and services again called to mind how Adventists observe the Sabbath, and in some instances why. Again, as the subject was presented in evening discourses, it could be touched upon in the newspaper reports. For example:—

“Pastor E. W. Farnsworth’s sermon in the evening was on the ‘Spirituality and the Immutability of the Law of God.’ He declared that theoretically Seventh-day Adventists are in perfect harmony with all evangelistic denominations in regard to the perpetuity of the law. He quoted from the recent Dr. Joseph Cook’s lectures at Tremont Temple, Boston (a Congregationalist minister), who declared, ‘While God remains God, and man is man, the decalogue must stand. It seems beyond human efforts, and is written in the very constitution of things. It was given for man, not for the Jews only, but for all mankind.’

“‘Seventh-day Adventists most sincerely believe these utterances, said Pastor Farnsworth, and the truths taught by them. He believes that the keeping of the law of God is the heart of the gospel itself. This, he declared, is why Seventh-day Adventists keep the seventh-day Sabbath, according to the fourth commandment, which is a part of the law.’”

“Thus, it would seem, the Lord has opened to us the agency of the newspaper this season in a special way. The large Los Angeles dailies during our Glendale camp-meeting published more than forty reports, and we had the privilege of meeting some who came to the services because of reading of them in the newspaper. In their sermon page on Monday the Los Angeles Examiner and the Tribune each carried a sermon by Elder W. A. Spicer, on ‘The Certainties of the Advent Message.’ The Los Angeles Times carried a sermon by Elder Geo. W. Reaser, on ‘The Last Great Religious Movement.’

“These are some features concerning our press work in the Pacific Union that may encourage those in other places who are writing for the papers. It took time, effort, and faith to keep the papers supplied with the news of our camp-meetings day by day, but we can not help believing that the influence of this publicity will have its effect in behalf of the truth.”

W. L. BURGAN.