Why We Should Read Our General Church Paper
As a denomination we are engaged in a great and mighty work. God has made us the conservators of the special truths for the last generation of men. He has brought into existence an organization, with means and agencies, for the carrying forward of this work in the world. Through the evangelical, educational, publishing, and medical departments of the work, much is being accomplished. The success which has attended each of these branches is truly phenomenal. With the growth of our denominational work during the last few decades there has been a corresponding growth in our denominational literature. Starting with one church journal, the REVIEW AND HERALD, our denominational papers have now increased till we have nearly a score of general denominational publications in English, and nearly double that number of union and local conference papers, to say nothing of the continually growing list in the various languages of the world. Added to these messengers of truth, we have a large number of excellent books, pamphlets, and tracts on various phases of the message for this generation. Of our general church papers, nearly all are designed for missionary purposes. While every one can be read with great benefit by Seventh-day Adventists, and as far as possible should be found in every home, their primary purpose is to carry the principles of truth to those outside the church. There is one journal, however, the ADVENT REVIEW AND SABBATH HERALD, the oldest general church paper of the denomination, which is designed particularly for the instruction and edification of the members of the church. The instruction it contains is peculiarly adapted to Seventh-day Adventists rather than to those not connected with this movement. It has stood from the earliest days of our work to the present time as a weekly news-bulletin and compendium of information of the onward march of this movement in all parts of the world. It designs, as far as possible, to gather the best from every source, and present it before the church of God as an incentive to deepening consecration, growing faith, brightening hope, and increasing activity. Its scope is not confined to any special field or interest, but it represents all fields and all the interests of the church. It requires but a cursory glance through its pages from week to week to convince all of this fact. In the department of General Articles are found the best thoughts of some of the best writers of the denomination. What a valuable symposium of religious instruction and Scriptural exposition and comment may be found in this department! The Home and Health department endeavors to meet in a practical way the physical needs of every reader. Many have expressed themselves as having received untold benefit health-wise from following the plain, simple instruction given in this department from week to week. The Editorial department aims to deal with the living questions of the day, and to keep before the readers of the paper the progress of events, in fulfilment of divine prediction, which indicates the times in which we are living and the work we are required to accomplish. In the Field and World-Wide Field departments the progress of the work throughout the whole earth, showing the leadings of God's wonderful providence, and the blessed opportunity afforded us of assisting that work, is given in weekly cycle. Added to these general departments are those of the Church, the Medical Missionary, Christian Education, the Young People's Work, Christian Liberty, Publishing, and the Sanitarium Relief Campaign. These place before us the work that is being done by each great general department of the church, and the manner in which we should relate ourselves to these various branches of the organization. In a special sense the officers of the General Conference speak through the columns of the REVIEW AND HERALD. The broad general plans of operation for the carrying forward of the message in different parts of the field are here discussed and explained. Added to these departments, which have been a weekly feature of the REVIEW AND HERALD in the past, a new department will be added in the near future. For some time there has been a demand for a department in the REVIEW to be particularly devoted to the needs of our ministers, Bible workers, etc. Elder A. G. Daniells, the president of the General Conference, has consented to conduct a department of this character. He has in hand a large amount of valuable matter relating to the equipment and preparation of workers, methods of labor, preparation of sermons, ministerial department, etc. This instruction will be of inestimable value to every one now engaged in denominational work, and to the general reader as well. Principles will be taught which may profitably be applied to every heart and every home. What a great and valuable compendium of information and instruction relating to the general church work is to be found in our pioneer church paper! Who can afford to be without this instruction? We may be subscribers to our conference or union conference paper. This is well and good. We surely should keep in touch with the details of our local work. But this can compensate only in a very small degree for the loss we shall sustain without a knowledge of the general work which will come to us through the columns of our general church paper. No one who does not obtain from time to time, either directly or indirectly, the information which the REVIEW imparts, can keep in his heart the spirit of this great movement. He will fall behind the rapid onward march of the message. There will be accomplished among the nations of men a great and mighty work, and he will know but little of it, because he has not provided himself with the means whereby this knowledge is obtainable. Much may be learned of the great world-wide harvest-field by travel, but comparatively few will ever enjoy extensive privileges of this character. Valuable information may be obtained from returned missionaries, but opportunities for acquiring information in this way are also comparatively meager. We may learn from general gatherings, and from reading books, journals, etc. In the words of another: “All these agencies are good. They are most excellent means in a great propaganda. But they are only beads on a string. The unifying thread is the church paper. Break the string, and the pearls fall. But the paper holds the shining beads together. It uses every one of them. It gathers up what is good everywhere,—by travel, by books, by addresses of missionaries and sermons of pastors, by letters, and circulars, and conferences, and conventions, periodicals and magazines,—collates it, condenses it, and carries it right into the home, to instruct, to edify, and to entertain. It uses letter and telegraph and telephone, photograph and phonograph, etching and cartoon, cablegram and marconigram, and all the agencies known to modern newspaperdom to bring to the fireside of every family all the news and all the needs and all the varied activities of the entire Christian world, and also of the opaque, dull, sullen world lying starless in Christless night. And especially does our denominational paper bring before the denominational reader the record of the events transpiring within our own particular field. That is the province of the denominational paper.” Speaking of the circulation which should be given to the REVIEW, the spirit of prophecy says:— “The REVIEW is a valuable paper; it contains matter of great interest to the church, and should be placed in every family of believers. If any are too poor to take it, the church should, by subscription, raise the amount of the full price of the paper, and supply the destitute families. How much better would this plan be than throwing the poor upon the mercies of the publishing-house or the tract and missionary society. . . . “Our people should make greater efforts to extend the circulation of the REVIEW. If our brethren and sisters would only manifest greater earnestness, and put forth more persevering efforts to accomplish this, it would be done. Every family should have this paper. And if they would deny themselves their darling luxuries, tea and coffee, many who do not now have its weekly visits might pay for the messenger of light to come into their household. Almost every family takes one or more secular papers, and these frequently21contain love stories and exciting tales of villainy and murder, which injure the minds of all who read them. Those who consent to do without the REVIEW AND HERALD lose much.” “Through its pages, Christ may speak to them in warnings, in reproofs and counsel, which would change the current of their thoughts, and be to them as the bread of life.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IV, pages 508, 509. Our general church paper should have a place in every Seventh-day Adventist home; may this not be made possible during the present year? Will not every member of the church see to it that there are no families of the church-membership who can without this help? Particularly should the officers of the church interest themselves in this matter. A little time devoted to this will accomplish more than many exhortations. Let us rally to the support of our general church paper, and extend its circulation as far as possible. We shall find in this effort one of the most effective ways of increasing the power of this movement, and of maintaining in it an active interest and cooperation on the part of all our people. [We are glad to be able to present the two following articles together for consideration in this fourth Sabbath program. We believe there are many, especially among our young people, who have felt like those mentioned in the first paragraph of Elder R. A. Underwood’s article. The answer to this “if” is very clearly stated by Elder Underwood. This, together with the good article from Dr. J. E. Froom, written when he was an active leader in the book work, ought to be sufficient to convince any doubting ones who may listen to this reading. Now, during the long summer days, is a very opportune time to put away the “if’s” and doubts, and enter this work. May the reading of these two articles be the means of leading a large number to do this.—N. Z. T.]