p. 3 | Editorial Letter by William W. Prescott

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jul 11, 1907

Editorial Letter

By William W. Prescott

Jottings from the Editor’s Note-Book

As I looked out of one of the front windows of the sanitarium at Gland the next morning after my arrival at that place, the words, “beautiful for situation,” came at once to my mind as most applicable to this institution. In the foreground is Lake Leman, of whose waters it may almost be said, “clear as crystal,” and which affords excellent facilities for bathing and boating. On the opposite shore are the foot-hills which soon grow into mountains, and in the background are the lofty snow-capped peaks of the Alps, with Mt. Blanc towering above all others, and always covered with its white mantle. Gland is certainly an ideal location for a health institution.

When it was decided that the General Conference should meet once in four years, it was understood that about the middle of this quadrennial period a council of the General Conference Committee would be held at which the general interests of the whole world-wide field would be represented, and this meeting at Gland was the first of these councils. Some of the members of the committee had already met with the union conference committees in England, Denmark, and Germany, and had extended an invitation to the workers in these fields to attend the general council. There was a ready response to this invitation, and good delegations were present from the whole European field.

Although this was not, properly speaking, a General Conference, and only such business was transacted as came within the province of the committee, yet in point of representative attendance and of importance in its relation to the world-wide field, this council was not second to the sessions of the General Conference twenty-two years ago, when I first became connected with this work. There were members of the General Conference Committee and other workers present from the whole American and European territory. Besides this, during the two years since the last session of the General Conference different members of the committee had visited South America, the West Indies, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, India, Japan, Korea, and China, and were prepared to give reports of the interests of the message in all these lands, and to press their needs upon the attention of the council. In the reports from all these lands a view of the progress of the message in the different parts of the world was presented, and the absolute needs of a growing work were made known. When the calls had been tabulated, it was found that fifty workers were asked for, not for the purpose of merely extending the work in a general way, but to meet actual demands in fields already entered. Such urgent calls produced a deep sense of the need of a great forward movement in our missionary efforts, and led to the adoption of plans to this end, which will doubtless be fully reported by others. Courage in the work, and confidence that the third angel’s message would triumph gloriously in this generation, seemed to fill all hearts, and some who had been longest connected with this movement led all the others in this experience. The Holy Spirit sealed this testimony upon the hearts of all the people, and our faith and hope were strengthened.

There was a good attendance of local believers, in addition to those who came from a distance, and the congregations filled the fifty-foot tent in which the meetings were held. A goodly number of family tents had also been pitched on the sanitarium grounds, and the gathering was of the nature of a camp-meeting. The facilities of the sanitarium were rather severely taxed to provide meals for all, but it was done to the satisfaction of all, and hearty thanks were extended to those who had contributed to the success of this important feature of the meeting.

The spiritual interests of the council were not neglected. The Bible studies conducted daily by several different brethren, and the sermons on the three Sabbaths of the meeting by Elders Daniells, Irwin, and Thompson, were a means of much blessing, and on some of these occasions the presence of the Holy Spirit was manifest to an unusual degree. The whole company was moved to make a renewed consecration to the service of God for the hastening of his purpose that this message should be proclaimed in all lands. At the closing meeting on the last Sabbath four brethren were ordained to the gospel ministry.

In view of the fact that literature prepared by those opposed to the organized work of the denomination had been sent to many of the workers throughout Europe, it was deemed proper that the real issue involved in this controversy should be made clear to all, and that the facts and principles necessary to this end should be plainly stated. This was accordingly done. Testimonies were read, experiences were related, questions were asked and answered, and a clear light was thrown upon the whole situation. It was the first time that the brethren in Europe had had such an opportunity, and they appreciated it very much. They had remained loyal to this movement, although they had not been able to understand or explain some of the statements and charges made in the literature sent them. When the facts were presented, and when they saw what the success of this disintegrating movement would have meant to the third angel’s message, they were devoutly thankful that the Lord had delivered his people from it, and that the principles of the New Theology had not been permitted to triumph over the truth and to do for

this denomination what they have done for other religious bodies.

It became evident to all that there was urgent need of a movement which should be a powerful protest against such a perversion of the gospel, and should stand for the truth uncorrupted by a scientific and atheistic philosophy. As a result of the facts laid before the brethren at this time, the meaning and importance of the third angel’s message assumed new proportions in many minds. Some who had been confused in regard to the issues involved, and who had been led to consider the controversy as largely a personal warfare, saw matters in a different light, and took their stand squarely upon the platform of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. It is to be regretted that the situation demanded that the things should be said which were said, but the time had come to deal plainly with this opposition movement, and it was done. I hope the result will be such that it will not be necessary to go over this ground again with any who attended this council.

Much interest was shown in the reports from South Africa, India, and the Far East as given by Brethren Irwin, Thompson, and myself. These lands are brought nearer to the minds and hearts of our people by hearing directly from those who have been brought face to face with these hundreds of millions who sit in darkness, without “hope, and without God in the world.” Few seem to remember that one half the population of the world is found in three countries,—Africa, India, and China,—and that these peoples are entitled to hear the gospel message, and must hear it, before the Saviour will cease to plead his blood in behalf of fallen men, and put on the garments of vengeance. Our duty is clear. The whole earth is to be lightened with the glory of this message, and this must include “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Let the messengers go quickly to those who are afar off as well as to those who are nigh. Only in this way can the work be quickly finished.

By the action of the General Conference Committee I was requested to remain in Europe this summer, and to attend the general meetings which are to be held here. In harmony with this request I left Gland at the close of the council, and came to Hamburg, where I spent the next Sabbath and spoke to a good congregation. I also met with the workers in the office, and talked with them of the one subject which is of interest to every genuine Seventh-day Adventist—the advancement of this message in all lands, and our personal relation to this great work. On the following Monday I left Hamburg for the meeting at Christiania, Norway.

W. W. P.