p. 12 | Cause in Minnesota by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 8, 1875

Cause in Minnesota.

By James White

At an early date in the history of our cause there were Sabbath-keeping Adventists in the State of Minnesota. In those days there was but very little well-directed labor in that good State. In fact, most of the labor and means expended were worse than lost in consequence of the want of consecration and experience of the men who first entered the Minnesota fields. The few friends then liberally gave of their scanty means to advance the cause, and were disappointed in their hopes in seeing unworthy men use it in a manner to disgust the people, rather than to bring men and women to the Lord and his truth.

All this time, some valuable accessions were being made to the feeble, scattered numbers in Minnesota, mainly through the influence of our publications; and the old friends of the cause generally stood firm, and from time to time became very hopeful at indications of good. We have not a reflection to cast upon our brethren in Minnesota for the caution they have manifested in encouraging untried men into the field, after having been repeatedly disappointed in those on whom they expended their hard-earned money. On the other hand, as we look back upon the discouragements which have been cast upon the brethren, we are astonished that they have borne up so well, and have been so ready to sustain the cause in all its branches.

And it is because of the hopeful, cheerful faithfulness of the brethren that the Lord has so greatly blessed his cause in Minnesota. We were happy to meet a large and intelligent body of brethren and sisters upon the camp-meeting ground last week. Circumstances had kept a large proportion at their homes, and yet this meeting, for numbers, fully equalled any we have attended this season. Here is a people willing to do more than their duty in the line of raising means for the cause. We were pained to learn from responsible parties that scores of brethren remained away from the recent camp-meeting for want of means to pay pledges they made last year.

From what we know of the comparative ability of the brethren in the several States to donate to the general interests of the cause, and of Minnesota in particular, and we think we have had as good a chance to know as any one, instead of Minnesota donating to the General Conference, or to anything else out of the State, the brethren in that State should have been helped to sustain the local cause at home. Year before this last just passed, that Conference put $500 into the General Conference treasury, and at the close of that year paid her ministers only five and six dollars per week besides traveling expenses. Had the General Conference paid the Minnesota Conference $500 during that year, the cause, which should be one in all parts of the wide field, would have been better served.

We found the brethren in Minnesota embarrassed; first, from too great demands upon them, and second, from too great promptness and willingness on their part to carry out that which they have been asked to do. We found on the Tract and Missionary Society a debt of more than $2,000. This debt was contracted to fill the suggested quota for Minnesota of The Voice of Truth and The Health Reformer, in consideration of changing the pledges for the Pacific Mission to pay for these periodicals, which pledges should never have been called out of that poor State at a time when the Conference was able to pay her active ministers only five and six dollars per week. And now but few are able to pay these pledges, therefore they cannot help pay this debt. The Conference Committee informed us that, judging from actual knowledge, from fifty to seventy-five brethren and sisters were absent from the camp-meeting, because they could not raise the money to pay their pledges. These facts fully justify the statements from the pen of E. G. W. against receiving pledges of poor brethren under the pressure of unqualified calls at camp-meetings.

Under these circumstances we requested the T. and M. workers of Minnesota to immediately re-canvass the field, and collect all the names of persons who are not worthy to receive these periodicals, and forward them to the Office of publication before the first day of August, 1875, and the sum to be paid for these periodicals for the entire year shall be taken from the amount due the Office. In this way the debt can be reduced several hundreds of dollars.

While some of our wealthy States have not filled their quota, poor Minnesota has more than filled hers. Here is a good illustration of the wrong of suffering the poor to do too much, while the rich do nearly nothing. Since our first connection with the cause, we have regarded it alike our duty to encourage the rich to give of their abundance, and to prevent the poor from being liberal beyond their ability. From the very first, we have called in question the apportionment of a certain quota to each State to be filled on a given time. Our fears are ripening into settled convictions. In the first place, it is a nice piece of work to divide a given number of periodicals among the several States, and take into the account the condition of things in each State, and the financial ability of each. And second, to set a certain number of weeks, or months, will inevitably result in a hasty and injudicious gathering of very many unworthy names.

We do not believe that our people are doing a tithe the missionary work they should do. To simply gather up hastily 20,000 names in a few months and forward them to the Review Office is doing next to no missionary work at all. No person should be allowed to send in names on the Society's account, unless they follow up such names with visits and correspondence, and if the periodicals are not read with interest and profit, they should be changed to other persons. Here is work for the whole year round. And here is missionary work by which twenty times as much good can be accomplished with the same amount of means as we are now doing.

In order that the T. and M. cause be healthy and permanent, we must work to the point for a “strong pull, and a steady and a long pull, and all pull together.” Reactions will inevitably result from ill-timed and over action. Like the other duties of our holy religion, that branch of our missionary work which consists in the circulation of our periodicals demands our constant efforts the year round.

In the face of grasshopper raids and hard times generally, the brethren of the Minnesota Conference shoulder the burdens of the cause, some of them unreasonably laid upon them, with a readiness and spirit of good cheer which should put to blush the stingy murmuring of the wealthy of other States. And while they have a heart to come so nobly up to the work, we feel it our duty to assist them at this time in every way possible. God bless the dear brethren in Minnesota. J. W.