p. 6 | One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollar Fund

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 2, 1907

One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollar Fund

By S. J. Hersum; I. H. Evans

For Special Work at Home and Abroad

Giving

Says Christ, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:14. Giving is one of the many things which our Saviour has commanded. Luke 6:38. He says: “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” He tells us also what we are to receive—“good measure.” He does not stop by saying, “Good measure;” but, he continues, “pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom” (or possession). But we can not expect to receive more bountifully than we have given. This is clearly shown by the last part of this verse. Then, to be a friend of Christ, our giving must be bountiful, for he has commanded us to give, and that bountifully.

We often hear people speak of giving “the widow’s mite.” I think that poor widow has been shamefully misrepresented by many who have claimed to give the widow’s mite. Show me a person who has ever given all his living. I have no doubt that many Seventh-day Adventists have said that they have given the widow’s mite, when, perhaps, they have a bank account, or have a good farm well stocked, and have given ten or fifteen, or at most twenty-five cents. As our Saviour’s word is true, that the widow had given all her living, such a gift, as mentioned above, by such a person, is hardly worthy of mention.

Hundreds of years before our Saviour appeared among men, the Jewish people had adopted a system of bringing an offering every Sabbath to the house of God, and putting it into the treasury. The Saviour was watching those who were depositing their gifts when this poor widow threw in the two mites, and he commended her for her liberality.

The Lord has made precious promises to those who are free in giving. He says: “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” Prov. 11:25. Again the Lord says: “But the liberal [those who are free to give] deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.” Isa. 38:8. Brethren and sisters, do we want to stay up the hands of our leading brethren and encourage their hearts in this work? What will encourage them more than to see all our people who have not done so already respond heartily to the call to raise the $150,000 fund? This is not a large sum when compared with some calls that have been made for donations to use in the work of God. Read and see what an amount of gold was used in building the tabernacle in the wilderness. It says: “All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels.” Ex. 38:24. That, according to the American standard, amounted to $768,514.80, or more than five times the amount asked for by our leading brethren. And this is besides the value of the silver used in connection with the tabernacle. That was about $165,000.81. Putting these two sums together, we have nearly a million dollars in gold and silver put into that tabernacle.

S. J. HERSUM.

Received on the $150,000 Fund up to April 23, 1907

It seems necessary to make a word of explanation in regard to the shortage on the $150,000 fund with the Lake Union Conference account in the Review of April 18. This is made necessary for this reason: Some time during the latter part of 1906, the Lake Union Conference sent to the Southern Union Conference moneys designed for the work in the South. As the Southern Union Conference treasurer at that time understood that all money for the work in the South should be applied on the $150,000 fund, it was so reported to us, and published in the Review. As soon as the Southern Union Conference treasurer learned that that was not the case, he made the correction on his books and reported to us. So it was necessary for us to deduct these items from our report with the Lake Union Conference in the Review and Herald.

Atlantic Union Conference

Central New England ........ $1,673.22 Chesapeake ................ 160.75 Eastern Pennsylvania ...... 904.25 Greater New York .......... 415.75 Maine ..................... 305.33 New Jersey ................ 343.42 New York .................. 1,018.17 Southern New England ...... 824.43 Vermont ................... 656.77 Virginia .................. 213.12 Western Pennsylvania ...... 699.83 West Virginia ............. 189.07 Western New York .......... 735.89 Total ..................... $8,140.00

Canadian Union Conference

Maritime .................. $281.43 Quebec .................... 10.00 Ontario ................... 129.41 Total ..................... $420.84

Central Union Conference

Colorado .................. $877.19 Iowa ...................... 1,732.96 Kansas .................... 1,065.27 Missouri .................. 463.80 Nebraska .................. 3,035.14 Wyoming ................... 362.87 Total ..................... $7,537.23

District of Columbia

Washington churches ...... $1,131.02

Lake Union Conference

East Michigan ............ $671.05 Indiana ................... 2,682.52 North Michigan ............ 61.23 Northern Illinois ......... 1,077.69 Ohio ...................... 2,558.61 Southern Illinois ......... 656.68 West Michigan ............. 2,493.53 Wisconsin ................. 1,451.37 Total ..................... $11,652.68

North Pacific Union Conference

Conference not specified . $315.30 British Columbia .......... 57.80 Montana ................... 152.70 Upper Columbia ............ 1,101.42 Western Washington ........ 877.79 Idaho ..................... 301.90 Western Oregon ............ 694.48 Total ..................... $3,501.39

Northern Union Conference

Alberta ................... $81.90 Manitoba .................. 238.70 Saskatchewan Mission Field 34.85 Minnesota ................. 2,984.40 South Dakota .............. 2,104.10 North Dakota .............. 1,527.62 Total ..................... $6,971.57

Pacific Union Conference

Arizona ................... $166.87 California-Nevada ......... 2,743.26 Southern California ....... 294.94 Utah ...................... 96.01 Total ..................... $3,301.08

Southern Union Conference

South Carolina ............ $58.99 Alabama ................... 141.71 Tennessee River ........... 367.03 Florida ................... 177.69 North Carolina ............ 133.97 Kentucky .................. 30.36 Cumberland ................ 190.93 Louisiana ................. 288.51 Mississippi ............... 118.65 Georgia ................... 146.55 Total ..................... $1,654.39

Southwestern Union Conference

Arkansas Tract Society .... $213.14 Oklahoma .................. 921.17 Texas ..................... 761.13 Indian Territory .......... 3.00 Total ..................... $1,898.44

Unknown

Unknown ................... $146.20

Foreign

Algeria ................... $13.33 Australia ................. 122.45 Bermuda ................... 25.00 China ..................... 3.00 South Africa .............. 128.16 Jamaica ................... 3.17 Yukon Territory ........... 10.00 England ................... 256.32 Gold Coast, West Africa ... 10.00 Mexico .................... 1.50 Costa Rica ................ 2.00 India ..................... 12.48 South America ............. 23.35 Switzerland ............... 5.81 Panama .................... 1.00 Nicaragua ................. 2.00 Trinidad .................. .34 Central American Mission .. 17.00 Norway .................... 25.00 Japan ..................... 12.50 Total ..................... $674.91 Grand Total ............... $47,029.75

I. H. EVANS, Treasurer.