p. 19 | Notes of Progress by E. R. Palmer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 18, 1907

Notes of Progress

By E. R. Palmer

It is cheering to see our fields so well represented in the accompanying summary, and yet this report would be greatly improved if there were not so many blank spaces in it. But this is the beginning of the year, when the institutes are being held, and we can not expect such large returns as later on.

However, this report is very encouraging when compared with the corresponding month for last year. Last year the summary for January stood at $21,000, and $11,000 of this was reported from Australasia. This year the summary for January stood at over $26,000. Last year the summary for February stood at $15,000. This year it is over $26,000. This year’s summary, however, is raised very materially by the large report from Germany, which was not included last year.

On the whole, we are still making a strong advance with most promising indications for the future. If the leaders in our State and union conferences will take upon themselves an active responsibility in supplying reports promptly to our department, we can report the rapidly increasing work still more perfectly.

The Foreign Work

Accompanying the summary from Germany, we have received a most encouraging statement of the steady increase of sales in those populous countries where work is much more difficult than it is here. Notice what a splendid total the summary amounts to from the German Union Conference, and how fully they have reported. On the other hand, look at the list of workers—two hundred and thirty-seven! Think of the number of consecrated men and women going from house to house in the German Union, who by their faithfulness have secured such results. It is not that the work is easier in the German Union Conferences that so many are engaged in it, for the work is very much harder than it is here, but evidently a much larger per cent of the people consecrate themselves to the service.

Notice also the excellent report from Australasia, which averages just about the same the year round.

The Atlantic Union

The report from the Atlantic Union Conference compares well with the reports of last year during the best part of the season. Concerning their work, Brother Painter, the general agent, writes:—

“The year 1907 has started off in a very encouraging way for the work here. Our report for January was more than a thousand dollars better than our report for the same month last year. Our February report is over seven hundred dollars higher than the work for January. So we seem to be still on the up grade. I hope we can continue to climb all through the year, and see no good reason why we should not.”

In the conservative territory of the East it is not possible to secure great results from spasmodic effort. A steady advance means steady, solid growth.

The Canadian Union

We have received an encouraging report from Canada. Brother I. S. Jones, of North Dakota, was transferred to the Canadian field. He started in in the right way to establish confidence. Not finding a quick response to his efforts to secure agents, he went to the city of Ottawa and demonstrated what could be done even in mid-winter in a large city. His average sales amounted to about ten dollars a day. Let us pray for Brethren Jones and Nofinger in particular, and also for the other faithful workers who are trying to rebuild the work in Canada.

The Lake Union

Brother Blosser and his corps of field agents are more than busy early in the season, holding their institutes and preparing for a large summer’s work. They report enthusiastically concerning the prospects.

The Southern Union

Last year the Southern Union advanced with a strong, steady stride all the year, and now they are starting out most encouragingly during the first months of 1907. Notice how solid their report appears. It is very gratifying indeed to see States like Alabama, Louisiana, and North Carolina, where there are only a few Sabbath-keepers, leading out with such a fine record for February.

The Northern Union

During these winter months our workers in the Northern Union Conference can do little else than try to keep themselves warm by holding some good institutes.

The Central Union

The report from the Central Union would be much larger if it were complete. Iowa still maintains her good, strong lead of the conferences in this country. Very encouraging institutes are being held in the Central Union, and the prospects are good.

Prof. C. C. Lewis, president of Union College, writes that he has never before seen such an interest in our canvassing work as is now manifested in the college. A canvassers’ convention has been appointed there for May 3-21, which bids fair to be a very interesting occasion. It is expected that there will be more than one hundred agents in attendance.

Southwestern Union

Elder W. W. Eastman, general agent of the Southwestern Union Conference, writes that he has recently closed a successful institute in Texas, where forty promising agents were trained for the field; and at the time of writing, he was engaged in holding another institute, with twenty members, in Oklahoma City.

North Pacific Union

A letter just received from Elder W. B. White, president of the North Pacific Union Conference, states that arrangements have been perfected for securing the labors of Brother Carl Weaks, former field missionary agent of Ohio, as general agent for that union. We feel very much encouraged by this arrangement. The book work has been fostered and built up very successfully during the past two years in Ohio. Such a work always develops workers for other fields. May the Lord bless Ohio in giving, and the North Pacific in receiving.

Brother Weaks goes to a promising territory. There are five schools in that union from which to draw students. Each conference has a good field missionary agent, and the officers of the union and State conferences are encouraging this line of work. With the Lord’s blessing, we shall see results before the close of the present year.

The Pacific Union

Here again we have a small report with big prospects. We are encouraged by prospects, but we still have a peculiar liking for reports.

Brother Covell has recently closed an interesting convention in southern California. There were seventy-two prospective agents in his class. Year before last the book sales in the conference amounted to one thousand dollars. Last year they were seven thousand dollars. This year they are talking of twenty thousand dollars or more, and we shall continue to pray that the good prospects may materialize.

Thus it is all the world round. The work is growing stronger and stronger. Its strength is gauged by the strength of its individual parts. Great results are secured by the total of the faithfulness of all the individual workers. If each canvasser does earnest work; if each field missionary agent manages wisely, works earnestly, and reports faithfully; if general agents act as generals indeed under God, the united efforts will give the strength of a strong army. What a grave responsibility rests upon each one, and what cause for thankfulness as we see the closing work developing. “For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, for that the people offered themselves willingly, bless ye Jehovah.”

E. R. PALMER, Sec. Gen. Conf. Publishing Dept.