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A Revival of Home Missionary Work

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 19, 1911

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 88, No. 3.

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A Revival of Home Missionary Work

By A. J. S. B.

What Some of Our Field Workers Say

Western Washington Conference, Elder S. W. Nellis, president:— “I am satisfied that the home field must be strengthened in every branch of the work. In order that it may be a real recruiting station, we must have men who will drill and educate our young people, especially in the canvassing and periodical work. To my mind this is the most important work in the conference, and brings the best results.”
Southeastern Union Conference, Mrs. Helen D. Dowsett, missionary secretary:— “We have a missionary secretary in each conference, although some of these have had very short appointments, know little about the work, and can devote only a part of their time to it, as they have other interests to look after. We are heart and soul with you in beginning the home tract and missionary work in the churches by starting missionary societies in each church, and training a good missionary secretary to take charge of the work.”
Iowa Conference, G. C. Hoskin, tract society secretary:— “We trust we shall get results in this conference from the fourth Sabbath home missionary service. Everything is moving along nicely.”
Colorado Conference, Elder C. R. Kite, president:— “I assure you I was glad to hear that you are endeavoring to revive the home missionary service in our churches. I look back to some of those missionary meetings years ago in my home church as the brightest spots in our Sabbath services. I want to assure you that my heart is in this work, and that we will consider this matter when our committee meets to-day, and plan definitely to push the work in our conference.”
Ohio Conference, J. I. Cassell, tract society secretary:— “I am calling the attention of our churches to this important meeting, and asking them to organize at once for this work. I hope we shall see a steady growth in missionary endeavor as a result. You have our hearty co-operation.”
North Dakota Conference, E. L. Spencer, tract society secretary:— “Most of our churches are German. What few English churches we have are taking hold of this work earnestly, and the reports that we get are indeed encouraging. We will endeavor to make this missionary service a general success. Next year we trust we shall be better organized, and can do more efficient work.”
Western Washington Conference, H. A. Green, tract society secretary:— “Our missionary secretary is reorganizing the church missionary societies, and some of them are taking up the work enthusiastically.”
Southern Union Conference, Elder C. F. McVagh, president:— “I will do what I can in this matter, urging our conference presidents and secretaries to make the most of this service, and to follow it up with other work.”
Southwestern Union Conference, C. N. Woodward, secretary:— “I am glad that we are returning to the observance of the fourth Sabbath missionary program each month as home missionary day. I always used to enjoy that day better than most of the others, and I feel sure that the return of that good old custom will be a great benefit to all our churches. I am interested in the idea, and shall do all I can to work for a return to the old paths.”
Arkansas Conference, J. A. Tucker, field missionary secretary:— “If anything will strengthen our churches, and beget in the members a hunger for souls, it is the old-time missionary meetings.”
Chesapeake Conference, Elder Roscoe T. Baer, president:— “I am very anxious that we come up on the home missionary feature of our work, and push it to great success in this conference this year, and for all time to come, until the work is finished. We expect to see our tent companies take hold of our magazines, selling hundreds and thousands in connection with their efforts. I have gone over the bills received from the different publishing houses, and find that our workers have sold over seven thousand of these valuable magazines in Baltimore. I trust we shall soon have a number of church-members at work with these truth-filled papers. It is a noble experience for them and a great blessing to those who have not heard the truth, but who would accept it if they knew how to find it.”
California Conference. Prof. C. C. Lewis, educational superintendent, writes that a live interest in missionary work is manifest in the Pacific Union College. A regular missionary society has been organized, and is taking over one hundred copies of the Signs weekly.
Upper Columbia Conference, Brother F. G. Johnson, tract society secretary:— “We now have a man in the field to look after the home missionary work, Brother F. A. Bower, of College Place, Wash. I trust that our magazine work will soon be on a better basis than it has ever been.”
Ontario Conference, Miss Sadie Baker, missionary secretary:— “I am deeply interested in the monthly home missionary readings. It has been decided that nothing shall take the place of this monthly reading in the churches throughout our conference. I like the idea of having the programs appear in the REVIEW. Our churches will carry them out, and we shall see good results. We are making progress, and souls are being brought into the truth by our church-members. At our camp-meeting this year it was voted to take up the plan of home Bible studies. The number of magazines sold each month is increasing, and through the home Bible study plan, each member can do something. We are of good courage.”
Southern California Conference, Ernest Lloyd, missionary secretary:— “In about sixty per cent of our churches the fourth Sabbath missionary meeting is an important occasion. There are many encouraging features about our work in this conference. I see many hopeful signs: (1) The reviving of the old-time missionary meetings, from which thousands of pages of our God-given literature are being sent out through the mails to interested persons; (2) the increased missionary correspondence following up this literature; (3) the combining of a short missionary meeting with the weekly prayer-meeting,—now adopted by about ten of our churches,—giving more definiteness to the prayer service; (4) the increasing number of magazine workers among the churches, and systematic and aggressive house-to-house work with our papers and tracts; (5) the fact that our local leaders are endeavoring to lead out in active missionary work; (6) the growing willingness of our people to assist in the great work of reaching the masses around us; and (7) the visible and invisible results of our efforts as a missionary people. These are some of the encouraging features that characterize the missionary movement in the ranks of our membership to-day.”
We are receiving many interesting communications from other leading workers, voicing their deep interest in this great movement. Extracts from these will appear later. God’s blessing is surely attending our church-members everywhere as they enlist for active service in their own communities.
A. J. S. B.