p. 6 | Encouraging and Significant by Arthur G. Daniells

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 5, 1906

Encouraging and Significant

By Arthur G. Daniells

I WONDER if the readers of the REVIEW, and our people generally, are taking account of the deep interest that is being manifested at this time by our union and local conferences in the great mission fields of this denomination. To me the course being taken is very encouraging and significant.

Not long ago the great majority of all our conferences were expending all their tithe, except a tenth sent to the General Conference, within their own boundaries. When our people began to open missions in foreign fields, a call was made for donations for their support. The donations were uncertain; they fluctuated according to the frequency and fervency of the calls. They were nearly always insufficient. This made the work of opening and enlarging missionary enterprises slow and perplexing.

The donation basis for the support of missionary enterprises is very different from the tithe basis for the support of organized conferences. It is uncertain and insufficient, and therefore unsatisfactory. It is not the Bible plan for the support of gospel workers in either home or foreign fields.

Our conferences are fast coming to recognize this, and are expressing this recognition by sharing their tithes with mission fields. In looking over the records since the Atlantic Union Conference made its splendid gift of two thousand dollars at its last session, a little more than six months ago, we find that over twenty-six thousand dollars in cash has been appropriated by union and local conferences to the General Conference for missions. Here is a list of these appropriations:—

Atlantic Union Conference ..$ 2,000.00 Iowa Conference .......... 6,000.00 Maine Conference .......... 300.00 West Michigan Conference . 3,350.00 Northern Union Conference.. 1,500.00 Central Union Conference ... 2,000.00 Pacific Union Conference .... 2,000.00 California-Nevada Conference 1,000.00 Lake Union Conference .... 1,767.11 Southern California Conf.... 398.36 Upper Columbia Conference. 3,000.00 Western Washington Conf. .. 1,200.00 Minnesota Conference ....... 500.00 South Dakota Conference .... 500.00 Western Oregon Conference . 1,000.00 Total .................$26,515.47

These gifts are in addition to the many laborers these and other conferences are supporting in mission fields from their tithes. The reports show that during 1905 our home conferences expended $78,957.79 of their tithes for the support of ministers and Bible workers in mission fields. Adding to this the amount of cash appropriated to the General Conference since last November, we have a sum totaling $105,473.26 from conference tithe being expended in mission fields. As there are many large, strong conferences yet to hold their annual camp-meetings and conference sessions this year, it will not be surprising if another twenty-five thousand dollars shall be added to the above.

This is encouraging; for it means to wonderfully lighten the strain on the Mission Board treasury, and to greatly increase the force of workers in the great harvest-field that is already white for the harvest. It is significant; for it affords evidence that great resources are soon to be at the back of our missionary enterprises. The tithes received by our conferences amount to nearly one million dollars a year. Our annual offerings to missions are growing larger each year. These are being wonderfully augmented by the Sabbath-school offerings appropriated to missions, which now amount to nearly one thousand dollars for each Sabbath that passes, or fifty-two thousand dollars for the year.

And while the appropriations are thus increasing, the older missions are being organized into self-supporting conferences, thus allowing the gifts they once required, to be passed on to other fields. While this is continually narrowing the circle of our field of missionary operations, yet it is increasing our activities, our force of workers, and the amount of expenditures. We have never looked into so many wide-open doors in our history as we do to-day. We have never listened to so many pressing calls for help as we hear just now. Every door we open seems to touch a spring that opens several others, and every call we answer brings many fresh appeals. Thus the great work we have undertaken grows more strenuous every day, and the demands for workers and means continually increase. All this shows plainly that our work is being finished, and that the end is near. For this we thank God and take courage.

A. G. DANIELLS.