A COMMON-SENSE PLAN FOR THE POOR.
By Editor
In reply to that little advertisement in the “Special Notice” column, we have so far received the names and addresses of nearly two thousand Seventh-day Adventist church members who do not take the REVIEW. In most cases the church elder, or church clerk writes to us that these people are too poor to subscribe. Now, the REVIEW office would not be able to tell who are and who are not deserving ones, even if it were able to send the paper free to all of them. This is one of the very reasons why the Spirit of Prophecy, speaking on this point, has said: “If any are too poor to take it, the church should, by subscription, raise the amount of the full price of the paper, and supply the destitute families. How much better would this plan be than throwing the poor upon the mercies of the publishing house or the tract and missionary society.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IV, page 598. Now, it takes only three cents a week to send the REVIEW to one poor family in your church. How many of these two thousand are really so poor that they can not spend three cents a week? How many can not raise twenty-five cents in two months? We believe that when the matter is presented to them right, it will be found that not one in ten is really too poor to do this much. And where the few are found who are really too poor, what church is it that can not find and spend twenty-five cents in two months to have the REVIEW sent to such poor ones? This would be missionary work, as truly as is any other. Another bit of advice from that same selection in the Testimonies, says: “The REVIEW is a valuable paper; it contains matters of great interest to the church, and should be placed in every family of believers. . . . Our people should make greater efforts to extend the circulation of the REVIEW. If our brethren and sisters would only manifest greater earnestness and put forth more persevering efforts to accomplish this, it would be done. Every family should have this paper. . . . Those who consent to do without the REVIEW AND HERALD lose much.” In view of this, will you not see to it that the poor ones in your church, at least, are supplied with the REVIEW? How many of these two thousand names sent to us, belong to your church? Please look into the matter. In order to assist you in inducing as many as possible to subscribe for the REVIEW, we have sent, and will again send, sample copies to all of these persons. Many of our isolated companies long to be visited by the living preacher. However, if such were supplied with the REVIEW, that need would be partly, if not wholly, met; for “it is a fact that the circulation of our papers is doing even a greater work than the living preacher can do.”