The Atlantic Union Bookmen’s Convention by E. R. Palmer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 12, 1907

The Atlantic Union Bookmen’s Convention

By E. R. Palmer

The first of the series of bookmen’s conventions planned for the winter of 1907-08 is now in the past. If we can estimate what the others will be by the success of the one which has just closed, we may rest assured that this series of meetings will mark an important era in the history of our publishing work in the United States.

The convention opened in the West Philadelphia church at 7 P. M., November 10, and continued four days. Seventy-six delegates were present, representing the General Conference, the Review and Herald Publishing Association, the Atlantic and Lake Union Conferences, and the fourteen local conferences of the Atlantic Union, including Ohio. Every conference in the Atlantic Union was well represented, there being a general attendance of conference presidents, State agents, tract society secretaries, and other leading workers. Throughout the entire session these earnest, hard-working laborers, who are carrying many other responsibilities besides the publishing work, sat together, and studied, and prayed, and planned for the prosperity of the tract and missionary work in general. This was, by far, the largest and most representative delegation which has ever been brought together in a local bookmen’s convention, and we confidently believe that this large attendance and deep interest is a true indication of the rapid upward tendency

of the publishing work. Indeed, it is evident as we meet our leading brethren in these conventions that the importance of the circulation of our literature is rapidly taking deep root in the hearts of all.

A program had been carefully prepared and was closely followed, although many important questions were introduced and discussed by means of the Question Box, which was opened twice a day during the session. The leading topics, as arranged on the program for discussion, were as follows:—

The Purpose and Importance of Our Literature; Organization of the Book Work; The Conference Officers’ Part in Stimulating and Fostering the Book Work; Qualification and Work of the General Agent; The Revival of the Old-Time Missionary Spirit in the Churches; Qualification and Work of the State Tract Society Secretaries; Institutes; Their Purpose and Work; Book-making; How to Equip and Send out Canvassers; Selection of Agents and the Importance of Contracts; How to Work Large Cities; Territory of, and Other Business Arrangements with, Agents; Uniformity in Reporting; The Need of Field Missionary Secretaries; Concentration of Effort on Special Books; Resident Canvassing; How the Publishing Work May Co-operate with Our Schools; The Foreign Book Work.

In the discussion of these subjects a few points were developed which stand out in prominent relief. Among these are the following:—

1. That the circulation of literature is a fundamental method of the gospel by which the truth for these last days is introduced successfully and clearly to the minds of people who could be reached in no other way. That the printing-press is one of the inventions of these last days by which knowledge is increased, and particularly that Bible knowledge which will prepare the world for the second coming of our Lord. And that, as the printing-press was the most active agent by which the great Reformation won its way in the sixteenth century against the intrigues of the Catholic Church, so the printing-press in this day will be the most successful means by which the truth will work its way to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

2. That the organization for this work should be sufficiently strong and complete to carry the work in all its details to all the homes of the people in the wide world by means of the men and women, boys and girls, who love the third angel’s message, and are looking for the soon coming of their Lord.

3. That each conference should maintain a tract society secretary and State agent who are well qualified for their respective positions, who are missionaries indeed; and that all conference officers should unite with these workers by strong co-operation in building up the tract and missionary work.

4. That we should organize very thoroughly for pushing the periodical and tract work, so that this work may have the same earnest, organized attention that is given to the subscription book work.

To this end, the following resolution, which was recommended by the General Conference Publishing Department, was unanimously carried:—

“That we unite in strengthening and building up the distributing agencies of the Publishing Department so that they may lay hold very definitely upon every individual who has espoused the cause of the third angel’s message, and enlist him as an active working factor in distributing our publications, and give him the instruction and training necessary to qualify him for the work.

“To this end we recommend,—

“(a) That a field missionary secretary be appointed in each conference, to take active supervision in the field, of the circulation of periodicals, tracts, trade books, and forty-per-cent books. Among the duties of the field secretary would be the selection, instruction, and direction of periodical workers, the holding of institutes in the churches for the instruction of the members in the methods of home missionary work, auditing librarians’ books, and increasing the clubs of our papers, and the sale of literature provided especially for home workers.

“(b) That the field missionary secretary be appointed and directed by the State conference committee; that he be supported by the conference, and hold practically the same relation to the Tract and Missionary Department as the field missionary agent.

“(c) That the field missionary secretary co-operate closely with the tract society; that he make the tract society office his headquarters if possible, and join with the tract society secretary in the office work when not in the field.

“(d) That a general missionary secretary be appointed by each union conference, to take the general supervision of this work in the union, very much the same as the general agents direct the sale of subscription books.

“(e) That the general missionary secretary be supported by the union conference and wholesale house, the expense to be mutually provided for between them.

“(f) That the general missionary secretary make the wholesale office his headquarters if possible, provided there is such a general distributing center in the union.”

The above resolution providing for missionary secretaries was also passed by the Atlantic and Columbia Union Conferences in their sessions which followed the bookmen’s convention.

5. That earnest and more diligent attention be given to the circulation of literature in the great cities of the East, which, it appears, can be reached most successfully by this kind of work.

6. That the co-operation between our publishing department and denominational schools be strengthened so that many more of our young people may be able to make this field of missionary work a means whereby they may secure a technical education in the schools, while, at the same time, securing a practical education in field work.

It will be readily recognized that these questions are vital ones. They are neither new nor unique. They constitute the plain, practical, fundamental basis upon which our publishing work depends for its prosperity.

We shall earnestly pray that the workers who were present at this convention may be abundantly blessed of God in their local conferences in carrying out the plans and policies outlined at this convention, and we trust, and have reason to believe, that the same good spirit will prevail in the bookmen’s conventions which will follow in other parts of the United States, and that clear, broad, comprehensive plans will be as heartily adopted in every union conference throughout the world.

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