Our Mission Fields

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 19, 1911

Our Mission Fields

Data Concerning Missions for the Use of Solicitors in the Harvest Ingathering Campaign

THE last Census Report of Religious Bodies in the United States, published by the government in 1910, gave Seventh-day Adventists for the year 1906, 284 American missionaries, and 1,108 native helpers, or a total of 1,392 laborers in foreign fields. Since 1906 we have sent laborers abroad as follows: In 1907, 58; 1908, 140; 1909, 134; 1910, 61. Adding these to the government statistics for 1906, not including the laborers sent out this year nor the addition of native helpers the past four years, gives 677 American missionaries, with a total of 1,785 laborers being supported in foreign fields.

This same government report, referred to above, for the year 1906 gave the number of countries in which Seventh-day Adventists were operating missions (based upon the same general plan as were the missions of other religious bodies operating in foreign fields as 45, with 126 stations. The next single denomination was listed in this same report as operating in 28 countries, with 172 stations.

To maintain the missions under the direction of the Mission Board requires approximately $1,200 each day, $35,000 for each calendar month, or $420,000 annually. The mission operations carried on in East Africa by Europe, and those among the islands of the South Pacific by Australia, augment the above-mentioned amount to nearly $600,000 annually.

According to the government report for the year 1906, made out upon the same basis as all other religious bodies, Seventh-day Adventists were given the highest average, per capita, for distinctively mission work, both home and foreign. This average was $6.88. Our own statistical report for 1910 gave the average per member as $8.69, $6.58 being for foreign work and $2.11 for home work.

The countries that might be properly termed mission fields in which Seventh-day Adventists have not yet entered, are Arabia, Assam, Borneo, Cyprus, Eastern Sudan, Madagascar, New Hebrides, New Britain, Siam, and West Central Africa. In all other generally known mission fields we have stations established.

In the principal mission fields our work is being carried on as follows:—

Africa—Twelve main mission stations, with many surrounding out-stations.

India—Five stations.

China—Six stations.

South America—Every country except British Columbia has been entered, with progressive missions in operation. The one among the Aymara Indians in the mountain regions of Peru is especially blessed of the Lord.

Island Fields—The West Indies are nearly all included in conference sections, in which work is being carried forward, the larger islands containing many believers. In the South Pacific, missions are established in the Cook, Fiji, Friendly, Norfolk, Pitcairn, Samoan, and Society Islands. In the East Indies, New Guinea, Java, and Sumatra have been entered. A thriving mission is also established in the Philippine Islands.