The Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollar Fund by William Ambrose Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 24, 1907

The Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollar Fund

By William Ambrose Spicer

For Special Work at Home and Abroad

The British School

TEN thousand dollars of the $150,000 fund now being raised is to go to the London College established by our people in Great Britain. Four years ago, in a General Conference Committee council, it was voted to raise ten thousand dollars for the building and equipment of the British school whenever a proper location was secured, and when the brethren in Great Britain were prepared to raise an equal amount, so as to insure the completion of the enterprise. At once the brethren and sisters in Great Britain went to work on the proposition. They sold “Christ’s Object Lessons,” and raised contributions. They have

worked unceasingly at the task. All the time they have carried forward other enterprises, and we must remember that even now, with all the growth of the last four years, they have but fifteen hundred Sabbath-keepers in the entire field. But they have secured the fund at which they aimed, and are ready to go forward with the building.

In the meantime the school has been doing splendid work, under difficulties, in a rented house in London. About one hundred young people are in attendance. At the recent British Union meeting the heads of the different fields testified that the influence of this school in turning workers into the fields had been a leading factor in the growth of their work.

Four years ago the British field was organized into a union conference. Since that time as great progress has been made in the raising up of Sabbath-keepers as in all the twenty-three years preceding. There is a hand of power behind the work in Great Britain, and our brethren and sisters there are working earnestly to make that field a strong helper of our American field in training workers and sending them forth into other lands. Already two young men from this British school have been sent to open our first mission in Uganda, Central Africa.

All along the brethren have recognized the fact that they must get their school out of the great city of London. They have long been seeking for a location within their means, affording the advantages desired, not only for school work, but for the publishing office and food factory. They have just secured the location toward which they feel the Lord has been leading them. It is at Watford, only fifteen miles from London. Fifty-five trains daily give close connection for business and work with the great city. This is an important point, for many students have earned their way by canvassing. Yet they have secured an ideal rural location in one of those old English estates, beautifully laid out with trees and fields, and having upon it a well-built house, which can be at once utilized for our work. There is a good spring of water on the land, and a water-main runs across the front of the property

They are guarded from being built against by other houses from the fact that all about are country estates.

The estate comprises about sixty acres. The publishing house and food factory join in this purchase, so that the school has only to secure its portion of the ground and put up its school building and dormitory. It is for this school that ten thousand dollars is called for in this fund. Steadily year after year the school has paid its way, so that they now have their “Christ’s Object Lessons” money intact to go into the building and school equipment. We are putting this money into a school for the young men and women of Great Britain, who are praying God to help them to become strong in this message in order that they may join us in the evangelization of Africa and Asia and all the lands abroad.

W. A. S.