A World-wide Mission by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 25, 1874

A World-wide Mission.

By James White

NEVER were we so fully impressed with the fact that the responsibilities of a world-wide mission were pressing upon our people, as during the religious services and the business sessions at the recent Michigan Camp-meeting. For a few years past, the work has been greatly increasing upon our hands. Urgent calls for publications in different languages, and laborers for people of other tongues, have been increasing. We have already made a good beginning for the Danes, Swedes, and French, and are anxiously waiting for a door to open for the Germans.

And the work is widely and rapidly extending among those who read and speak the English language, in our own country and others. There are calls for ten men to preach the word of God, where we have one man to answer these calls. And there is a great destitution of laborers in some of our oldest and most worthy Conferences. New and promising missionary fields opening has led the General Conference to consent to let several of our ablest ministers enter new fields, such as the Pacific Coast, while these worthy Conferences, many of whose members have been the earliest and continued supporters of the cause, are left almost destitute of ministerial labor.

As a people, we find ourselves with apparently more work upon our hands than we can possibly do. But this we must regard as an urgent providential call for more laborers. Our people must not be sectional in their feelings. Our ministers must not become wedded to particular fields of labor. If our people in certain localities hold our abler men, and look to them to do all the work, and fail to encourage new gifts, the cause will meet with a great loss. Such men as Eld. Loughborough, who are strong men in almost any position we may put them, must not be confined to a single State.

Who will go to England? Have we a better man than Eld. Loughborough? What shall be done for such States as New York and Pennsylvania? Have we a better man to labor where general discouragement rests over certain fields, than Eld. Canright? Ours is a world-wide mission; and every brother and sister among us should drink down that spirit of freedom and liberality that cares for the whole world.

We have felt, and still feel, the deepest interest for the cause on the Pacific. But it will not do to calculate upon a millennium to establish the cause there. Our wealthy men and women on the Pacific Coast must out with their means, cautiously urge new gifts into the field, and give the cause a chance to grow upon the Pacific, as it has in other parts.

Falling health and discouragements had led us to withdraw from the general cause to confine our labors to the Pacific Coast. But we find ourselves since the Battle Creek Camp-meeting with our former plans completely changed; and we now resign all to the will of God, and the choice of his dear people. For several years we have been refusing responsibilities, especially such as would make it necessary for us to have our head quarters at Battle Creek. But the marked indications of Providence, in harmony with the wish of our people, assembled in the name of the Lord, with his Spirit upon them, have led us to yield to be a servant wherever may be their choice.

The General Conference has approved of what steps we have taken in establishing the press upon the Pacific, and take the responsibilities as well as the liabilities of our hands. They send Eld. Butler to the California Camp-meeting to counsel with that Conference as to the proper steps to be taken to advance the cause on the Pacific. His practical gift being new will be enjoyed by all with the deepest interest, as well as with the greatest profit. We shall ever cherish the tenderest regards for our dear people on the Pacific Coast; and when it shall please God, we shall be happy to meet them, and labor for their prosperity. But for the present we must heed the calls of those who have greater claims upon us.

We suggest that one hundred persons be found among us who shall cheerfully donate $100 each to establish a branch office in California. We also suggest that if our friends west of the plains will support a weekly paper, our Committee on Publications, and the Editors of the REVIEW AND HERALD, can greatly aid in the management of it, and in furnishing matter for it. The suggested plan of stereotyping and furnishing plates for such a paper may yet be regarded as very practicable.

It has also been suggested to us that a third paper, consisting mainly of a make-up from the REVIEW AND HERALD, be published as a pioneer paper to all fields where the English language is spoken, to be supported by the Tract and Missionary Society at half price. God helping, we will issue such a paper, and ask for 25000 subscribers, to be furnished one year at $1.00 a copy, or $25,000. To those who have no real faith in our positions, and in the extent of the work, these suggestions will be regarded as presumptuous. But those who rely upon an intelligent faith, will regard them in harmony with our profession as a people, which is based upon facts of prophecy and providence.

J. W.