The Educational Convention by W. E. Howell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 26, 1906

The Educational Convention

By W. E. Howell

(Concluded)

ON Friday evening, Elder Daniells pleaded with deep solicitude, the rising of God's people to finish the work, pointing out the progress already made.

Christ's second coming is the hope of every true Adventist; but Christ can not come until the gospel is preached in all the world; therefore the certainty of this hope in the church is measured by the progress of missions. If the third angel's message is true, the only mission of the one who accepts it is to give it to the world.

Something is being done. The work of God goes on while we sleep, as does the movement of the earth. There are now forty-seven organized conferences in the United States, and all of North America has been entered except Greenland. In Mexico there are three papers published, some tracts, and some books. All of South America has been touched (except two countries), also the islands of the West Indies, Europe, Africa (except Madagascar), Asia (except Arabia, Persia, and the other Mohammedan countries). Fields which a short time ago were mission fields, absorbing money and workers, are now training centers sending out both to the territory around. This is the case with Australia, Germany, Scandinavia, Great Britain, and Switzerland. Like tiny lamps of a great electric light system, the messengers of truth are being scattered in all parts of the earth, and when the right moment comes, and the current of the Holy Spirit is turned on, it will be a matter of a very short time before God will finish his work in the earth, and cut it short in righteousness.

With power and solemnity, Elder E. W. Farnsworth urged, on Sabbath, the pressing necessity of entire individual surrender, and personal activity in this the world's critical hour.

In the life of every man there is likely to come a time when his whole future career is summed up in one auspicious hour. The same is true of nations. Jerusalem rejected her Saviour, and she has been trodden down of the Gentiles.

“Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; ‘choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.’” He made the right choice, and became the leader of God's people.

The secret of Joshua's success lay in his whole-hearted devotion to the work God had called him to perform. There is need of earnest work to-day. The greatest mistake Seventh-day Adventists can make is to do nothing.

Saul had great capability, but he proved unfaithful, and was rejected of the Lord. Esther, when brought into a most trying position, risked her very life to save her people, and thus wrought a great deliverance.

We read that when the disciples had brought their ships to land after the miraculous draft of fishes, they forsook all and followed their Master. There was a straight road from that experience to the baptism at Pentecost. God does not anoint men with the Holy Spirit to do the common work of life. Even the Lord Jesus himself was not anointed until he left his common work and gave himself entirely to preaching.

God has called this people to do something that he never called any other people to do—to give the last warning message to the world. This message is to go in the spirit and power of Elijah. The time has come for us to look at this thing in a more serious light than ever before. We are rapidly nearing the end. If it was right for the disciples to leave all and follow the Lord, it is right for us. “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he can not be my disciple.”

There is not only an opportunity to work, but there is a living in the message for every one of our people. We need preachers, teachers, Bible workers, canvassers, and many others. We must do much more than we are doing in the circulation of our literature.

The thing God has given each of us to do is to carry the third angel's message to the world. That is the opportunity of this hour. We preach the great crucial hour of earth's history. Never was such an hour known before; never will there be such an hour again. Let us be faithful to our high calling.

This educational convention is regarded by every one present as decidedly the best that has been held by this people. A deep conviction has settled upon all the teachers that upon them rests much of the responsibility of giving such an impetus to the forward movement of this message as it has not yet felt. All pledged themselves to more earnest service in preparing thoroughly, but as quickly as possible, recruits for our missions in all the world. Strong resolutions for the co-operation of the schools with the conference and the mission leaders, were adopted without a dissenting vote, and the convention was resolved into an experience and consecration meeting, with the melting power and sweetness of God's Spirit present in large measure. Almost entire unanimity prevailed to the last in studying and adopting plans of a delicate and perplexing nature. Every teacher departed feeling that his calling is higher and holier than he had thought, and with a deep sense that only entire personal surrender and dependence upon God will enable him to do acceptably his part in warning the world.

At the close, it was decided to print the proceedings of the convention in concise form for general distribution. This will include the courses of study fully outlined from grades one to sixteen, the recommendations on text-books, on the preparation of missionaries, and other important features of the educational work. A number of the papers and addresses will appear in the REVIEW during the summer, as also in the proceedings of the convention.

W. E. HOWELL.