TO THE MINISTERS AND LICENTIATES IN OHIO by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 1, 1879

TO THE MINISTERS AND LICENTIATES IN OHIO.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Dear brethren: So far as publicly proclaiming the truth is concerned, the principal burden of labor in Ohio must come upon us. While it is true that we can do little without the aid of the press and our lay brethren, it is equally true that the message cannot be promulgated without the living preacher. God has ordained that his work shall be carried forward largely by ministers,—men like ourselves. We have been licensed by our Conference, and some of us solemnly set apart to the work of the ministry. If anything is accomplished in this Conference during the coming year, we must do the work. Dear brethren, we look to you with great interest to take hold of this work now as never before. You have one of the best fields of labor in all the General Conference. There are school-houses, meeting-houses, halls, and private dwellings everywhere. The people are intelligent, and there is no lack of means to aid the work.

The first thing for us to do is to be sure that the love of God is shed abroad in our own hearts, that we have a vital connection with God, that the Spirit and power of the holy God rests upon us. We should seek God each day, that we may have a thrilling sense of the solemn times in which we live, and of the holy message committed to our hands. No class of ministers since the days of the apostles have had committed to them such an awfully solemn and holy message to deliver to the world as have we. God is willing to go with us, brethren. Let us be sure that we have his presence and his power to help us.

Then the next thing is to be diligent in thoroughly studying the Bible and all our books on present truth, so that we may become familiar with every part of the work. You can do this, and it is your duty to do it. You sin against God if you do not do it. Do not say you have not the ability. You can double your talent by exercise. Begin to work. Become a thorough workman, and do not rest satisfied until you have become an efficient worker.

In the next place, let me beseech you not to idle away any time in staying around home. This is the way lazy men do. This is the way we shall all be tempted to do. It is so easy to sit around home, and let days and weeks and even months slip away without doing anything in the work. You ought to labor fifty-two weeks in the year. Push out somewhere, brethren, and find a field of labor, and do not wait a whole year to do it either. When you do go to work, go at it with enterprise, stir, and enthusiasm. I do not care how much education and talent you have, unless you put life into your work you will accomplish little or nothing. I shall endeavor to be with each one of you more or less during the year, and give you all the assistance in my power.

Do not run hither and thither in your labors; it is not necessary. You will find just as good fields in one part of the State as another. When you have begun in one section, labor in that vicinity during the year, and hold all you get, and follow up whatever advantage you may gain. Be very careful of your traveling expenses. We must guard this point, or we may throw away a large amount of sacred money.

I find that there are a very large number of scattered Sabbath-keepers throughout the State, small bodies in one place, one Sabbath-keeper in another, and two families somewhere else,—not enough to hold meetings, or to accomplish much in the work. Now let a few more be added, and a good, working church will be formed. Moreover, if you go to one of these places, you will save all expense; for they will board you, furnish a house, etc. If you cannot get a meeting-house, take a school-house; and if you cannot get that, take a private room, a kitchen or parlor in the house of some of the brethren. I have labored in that manner a great deal, and find it a most successful way. Get a dozen or twenty neighbors together, preach to them and visit them, and the first you know from ten to twelve will be keeping the Sabbath. We recommend that all our ministers in this Conference seek out these scattered Sabbath-keepers, and labor with them for the present instead of going into entirely new fields. As far as possible, two ministers should work together.

You should pay especial attention to the following points :— 1. See that every Sabbath-keeper takes our periodicals; 2. Sell all the books you can; 3. Urge the brethren to pay up S. B.; talk it to them and preach it to them until they will; 4. See that all take part in the T. and M. work; 5. Make yourself familiar with all the books in each church where you go, and see that they are kept right. Finally, keep your own accounts neatly and correctly, and may the Lord God of Israel bless your labors. D. M. CANRIGHT.