The Schools and the Mission Fields by Editor

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 19, 1906

The Schools and the Mission Fields

By Editor

The educational convention which has just been held at College View, Neb., was a meeting of much interest and profit. The representatives of the educational interests in all parts of this country who gathered there gave thoughtful and earnest consideration to the solution of the practical problems which they face in their work, and the interchange of views and experiences was exceedingly helpful. The discussions concerning courses of study, text-books, and educational principles and methods were enlightening and stimulating, and the recommendations adopted as expressing the consensus of view of those present will be a helpful guide to many teachers in their future work. Viewed from this standpoint alone, the convention accomplished excellent results. The technical work of the schoolroom will be better done because of this meeting. Improved plans and methods will be adopted, and a higher standard will be maintained in all grades of work from the church-school to the training-school in consequence of the emphasis laid upon the necessity of constant advancement in all right lines, and of faithful application as the only road to intellectual development. Study, and not sentiment, was one of the watchwords of the convention.

There was another feature of this meeting, however, to which we desire to direct special attention. It was a missionary educational convention. The program was well balanced, and all phases of the work received due consideration, but the deepest interest and the warmest enthusiasm were aroused in the study of the relation between the schools and the movement to give the advent message to all the world in this generation. The opening address sounded the key-note by emphasizing the right relation between the educational institutions and this great second advent movement, and by declaring that the inspiration needed to arouse us to a sense of our present responsibilities and to impart the zeal befitting our time and our work would be found in the spirit of this closing message. The convention responded heartily to these thoughts, and showed itself ready to be led further in the same direction. The themes of the Sabbath services were of a nature to direct the eyes of all to the waiting fields, and to impress upon the hearts of those who train the youth their solemn responsibility to make the schools the recruiting stations for the companies at the front. The Holy Spirit witnessed to the effort to arouse an intelligent missionary zeal, and impressions were made which will not soon be effaced.

The proposal was made, growing directly out of these addresses, that an hour should be devoted to a mutual conference over the relation between the schools and the mission fields. At this conference attention was called to what is known as the Student Volunteer Movement, an organized effort to secure missionaries for foreign fields among the students of the colleges and universities of the world, whose motto is, “The Evangelization of the World in this Generation,” and which has resulted in sending thousands of well-trained workers to dark and needy fields. The similarity between this motto and our own, “The Advent Message to All the World in this Generation,” was noted, and it was suggested that there ought to be a movement in our own ranks whose purpose it should be to hasten the accomplishment of our work by making our schools missionary institutions and by opening the doors of missionary opportunity to thousands of the students. As these subjects were discussed with increasing earnestness, it became more and more evident to all that this was to be indeed a missionary educational convention, and that the Lord was calling upon the educators to enlarge their vision and to make their horizon include the fields waiting for the third angel’s message. There was a hearty response to this call, and the missionary tide ran higher and higher. At this conference a large representative committee was appointed, of which Elder A. G. Daniells was chairman, with instructions to prepare in suitable form such an expression of the attitude of the

convention toward the missionary problem as would serve as a working program for the future.

The committee performed its duty with painstaking earnestness, and presented its report on the morning of the middle day of the convention. This report we give herewith in full:—

We, a representative body of Seventh-day Adventist teachers and educators, assembled in convention at College View, Neb., June 29 to July 10, 1906, fully and firmly believe that the Holy Scriptures plainly teach:—

1. That it is God’s purpose to finish in this generation his work in behalf of mankind.

2. That this will be done by the proclamation to all the world of the gospel as set forth in the great threefold message of Rev. 14:6-14.

3. That the proclamation of this message to the world will be made by the church, the Lord’s people who are called out and developed by the message itself.

We also believe in the following instruction from the spirit of prophecy:—

1. That it is the purpose of God that through the excellence of the work done in our educational institutions the attention of the people shall be called to the last great effort to save the perishing.

2. That the primary object of our training-schools is to afford young men an opportunity to study for the ministry, and to prepare young persons of both sexes to become workers in the various branches of the cause.

From the experience through which God has led us, we have found:—

1. That in doing this work, the church must make use of varied lines of service, such as preaching, Bible work, writing, translating, teaching, medical work, colportage, Christian business management, etc.

2. That this work for the Master may be efficiently and acceptably performed, men and women should receive a definite, thorough education.

To-day we face a great missionary problem. Notwithstanding all that has been done to finish this work, there are still vast fields unentered, millions of men and women unwarned, and many pressing Macedonian calls unanswered.

In view of this situation, we feel deeply impressed that the time has fully come when we should put forth the highest efforts of which we are capable to place in the field the number of qualified workers required to finish the Lord’s work according to his purpose.

To this end we recommend that immediate, earnest, and continuous efforts be made—

1. To create a more intelligent and profound conviction regarding the field to be occupied and the service to be rendered.

2. To unite conference and school into closer and more sympathetic touch for intelligent, harmonious co-operation.

3. To press the demands of the fields more heavily upon the schools for the supply called for.

4. To inaugurate and carry forward a steady, well-grounded, persuasive movement, the great aim of which shall be to provide qualified workers for the work to be done.

That the above lines of work may become effective, we urge the Department of Education to take immediate steps to secure the sure and speedy realization of these ends—

(a) By promoting a general, thorough, and continuous study of the subject of home and foreign missions.

(b) By aiding all our schools to arrange a definite course of study of missions.

(d) By encouraging teachers to give the subject of missions more careful study, and to speak on the subject more frequently to the people.

(e) By providing suitable articles regarding missions for all our papers.

(f) By enlisting the co-operation of all the children, youth, and young people in the financial support of some teacher or classmate who leaves them from time to time for mission fields.

(g) By stimulating home missionary work on the part of those who can not go to regions beyond.

(h) By making our motto, “The Advent Message to All the World in this Generation,” a guiding, determining factor in the life plans, and in the use of the time, money, and opportunities of our young people.

(i) By leading all who can not go, to reckon themselves members of recruiting bands in behalf of their comrades at the front.

In view of the importance of our educational work as related to the entire work of God, of the large place it has come to hold in that work, and of its great possibilities as a factor in preparing and supplying trained workers for the mission fields of the world,—

We earnestly request that arrangements be made for either the chairman or the secretary of the Department of Education to devote his entire time to the general work of the department.

A. G. DANIELLS, C. C. LEWIS, W. E. HOWELL, H. R. SALISBURY, M. E. CADY, M. E. KERN, J. E. TENNEY, J. W. LAWHEAD, A. G. HAUGHEY, Committee.

The reading of this report was followed by a most interesting and most profitable discussion. The presence of the Holy Spirit was recognized by all, and it was plain that the Lord was setting his seal of approval to the proposed movement. Some were almost overcome by their emotions as they spoke of their past experiences and their hopes and purposes for the future. Although the regular program called for the consideration of other subjects during the morning hour, yet there was no desire nor effort to check the flow of missionary feeling, and this meeting continued until the noon hour. As a practical feature of the occasion, the chairman, Prof. Frederick Griggs, asked all who were willing to go themselves to any field to which the Lord might call them to rise, and it was an inspiring sight to see nearly the whole assembly of ministers and teachers on their feet in response to this invitation. The report was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the convention, and while all were thus standing as an expression of their approval of a more aggressive missionary campaign, Elder E. W. Farnsworth offered an earnest prayer of consecration, to which the whole congregation said, Amen.

It is difficult to transfer to paper the spirit of a meeting, and we wish that all our readers could have been present to share in the inspiration of this gathering. We feel sure that we voice the feeling of many in attendance when we say that in our judgment it marks the beginning of a most important movement which will contribute greatly to the speedy finishing of our work for the world. The time has come for this message to move forward with an increasing power. Volunteers should now press into the ranks, that the working force may be greatly strengthened. There will be places for all, young and old. The Holy Spirit will be given for service, the way of the Lord will be speedily prepared, and the consummation of all our hopes will be realized. In this final movement our youth and children are to bear an important part. This fact should now be recognized, and the educational work should be shaped accordingly. Those teachers will accomplish the most for the Great Teacher and his cause in the earth who direct their energies in harmony with the evident providence of God at this time. This will meet any legitimate demand for the training of missionaries both for home and for foreign fields.

The following instruction, given through the spirit of prophecy, seems appropriate to this subject:—

With such preparation as they can gain, thousands upon thousands of the youth and those older in years should be giving themselves to this work. Already many hearts are responding to the call of the Master Worker, and their numbers will increase. Let every Christian educator give such workers sympathy and co-operation. Let him encourage and assist the youth under his care in gaining a preparation to join the ranks. . . .

With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come,—the end of suffering and sorrow and sin!

We believe that the missionary movement inaugurated at the educational convention of 1906 will, in the providence of God, hasten the glorious result. We believe that as a result of this movement many serious, earnest young people will be found in our schools. Let parents and ministers unite with the teachers in bringing this movement to a successful issue.