p. 29 | West Pennsylvania Church-Schools by J. W. Watt

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 1, 1907

West Pennsylvania Church-Schools

By J. W. Watt

“SCHOOLS and sanitariums are to be established in places where there is now nothing to represent the truth. These interests are not to be established for the purpose of making money, but for the purpose of spreading the truth. Land should be secured at a distance from the cities, where schools can be built up in which the youth can be given an education in agriculture and mechanical lines.”—“Testimonies,” Vol. VIII, page 275.

The West Pennsylvania Conference at present has two church-schools in operation—one at Bradford, and one at or near Indiana. The Bradford school is three miles from the city, and has six students. The Indiana school is four miles from the city, and has ten students when they can all attend. We are thankful that this small beginning has been made in our conference in this important line of work. The writer is located on the school farm at Indiana, and we are making an effort to carry out the instruction given in the Testimonies. We are located where the truth was unknown until we came to the place. We are in the midst of a large, unworked territory, several counties in this vicinity having never heard the message.

The Lord has blessed our school work thus far. All connected with the school have the glory of God in view. One teacher has shown his interest in the work by making a real sacrifice to enable us to have a school.

We need a school building. Our school at present is held in a basement room thirteen by twenty-three feet; and while this room is comfortable, and has served our purpose thus far, as the membership of the school increases, it will be too small. We should by all means have a larger building by next fall. The question that confronts us is, Where shall we get sufficient money with which to erect the schoolhouse? Will our brethren in this conference assist us by donations or loans without interest?

We are receiving appeals from our young people who desire to enter the school. Some very worthy young people who have little or no money are inquiring how they can manage to enter the school. Many of our young people are anxious to gain an education, but have not the money to go to South Lancaster or Washington. What to do for these youth is a perplexing question. If five hundred persons in this conference would each send us one dollar, we could erect the necessary school building.

We expect to do our utmost to see this school work put on a solid basis with industrial work of different kinds provided for the students. We would be pleased to connect treatment rooms with the school, that the students may receive instruction in nursing and treatments.

To those who are thinking of uniting with us in this work, we would say that we still have land for sale, and there is a small farm joining us on the south that is for sale. The Testimonies are plain with reference to the duty of this people to move out into the country and establish schools where the cultivation of the soil will give the students employment, and bring returns for the support of the school work. It is evident to the writer that schools established on this plan may be self-supporting. Of course it will take money to buy land and erect necessary buildings, but when a school is once equipped with sufficient land for cultivation in a locality where the products can be sold, with proper management a school of from twenty-five to fifty students can doubtless be supported. Brethren of the West Pennsylvania Conference, let us think seriously of this matter, and pray over it, putting our shoulders to the work, that it may go forward as the Lord would have it go.

In the little pamphlet “Christian Schools,” page 21, Brother W. C. White speaks on this point as follows: “Mother tells me that the time has fully come when our people should withdraw their children from the public schools, and that it is the duty of farmers, mechanics, and business men to put their minds, their physical ability, and their capital into the work of making our church-schools a financial success.”

The time having fully come to take our children out of the public schools, how can any Seventh-day Adventist feel clear before God unless he does all in his power to provide his children with church, or denominational, school privileges? How can farmers, mechanics, and business men in this denomination feel clear if they do not make an effort to carry out this instruction? We are years behind in this educational work, and in many localities not half is being done that should be done. It is time to awake out of sleep and take hold of this branch of our work with energy and zeal. May the Lord help us to arouse.

J. W. WATT.