Reserve Forces for the Crisis by William Ambrose Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Mar 8, 1906

Reserve Forces for the Crisis

By William Ambrose Spicer

THE stir of the new life and animation that is rousing the believers in other parts is to be seen in Great Britain also. Especially in the last three years, since the field was organized and the two conferences and three missions set upon their way, the progress has been marked.

Last year the tithe of the northern conference increased by over a thousand dollars, while the South England Conference shows an increase of over two thousand.

In the London training college are over sixty young people studying hard, and most of them working like beavers to pay their way. The school is now represented in the field by sturdy and well-trained young people who are successful in their work, and are building up conference membership and resources. I find in this school the same earnest missionary interest that stirs the hearts of the youth in America.

Napoleon was a master of legions. He said that the secret of victory was to bring on the reserves at the crisis of the battle. The crisis in our holy conflict is just before us, and in our schools throughout the world, and in the ever-increasing numbers stepping into the ranks for service, we see the recruits, the reserve forces, that are to press in at the crisis for the winning of the final victory.

At the Caterham Sanitarium I met a fine company of workers, aiming at this same thing, the hastening on of the message of the Lord’s soon coming.

All the British enterprises are prospering, paying their way in operating, and more. For fifteen years there has been talk of a permanent headquarters for this great field. The General Conference in session has voted more than once encouraging the workers in Britain to go ahead and find the right place. Once it was thought it should be in London, and General Conference money was appropriated for it, thirty thousand dollars. But it was decided that the time was not ripe for the move, and it was feared that the midst of a great city would not be the best place for the headquarters. That was years ago. Now the instruction from the spirit of prophecy, and the experience of all departments of the work are, of course, against the city location.

In the meantime the work has been growing into strength, and all departments of the cause are represented. Just now the school has notice that it must give up the premises occupied. The food factory in Birmingham must also move. The printing-office could greatly profit itself in operating if in quarters where it could do more of its own work. It does no commercial work whatever, but can not begin to do even our own work. The Present Truth, with over twenty thousand weekly, the British Good Health, with over forty thousand monthly, and a steady output of smaller literature, crowds the capacity to the utmost, while profitable lines of book printing are put outside, and other houses make the profits.

Taking it all round, the time seems fairly ripe for settling upon some common headquarters in the country. The issue is forced to the front by the progress of the work and the conditions. And as if definitely to meet the situation, it seems that the British workers have found the very place. If they develop the proposition, which surely presents many features of distinct providence, this field itself will get sturdily under the main end of the burden, in fact, will shoulder nearly all of it. But they will need some help from the large body of believers in America.

In the evangelical work the British field could go on with no help from across the Atlantic, and their work would continue to grow and prosper. But we must remember that here we are years behind in getting into the territory. The United Kingdom has nearly half the population of the United States, crowded into these tight little islands. To meet the situation they have fewer believers and less resources than many single American conferences. It is on this account that American conferences must stand by with men and means.

One may go over it dozens of times—the route from North England through the midlands to London—and he must each time be stirred by the sense of the great populations in the industrial centers of England. Vast and busy towns are seen, separated from one another by only thirty minutes or so by rail. It is a beehive of life and activity.

The country site the brethren have been looking at is near Birmingham, just in the edge of the populous industrial region that stretches from Birmingham right up to the northern border. While London is the commercial center, and the heart of the great empire, the industrial regions of northern England are really the center of the United Kingdom. The truth seems to make more rapid progress in these manufacturing districts. It will not be against the work, it is well believed, to place our country institutional center to the northward. It is a saying in England that what Lancashire thinks to-day, all England thinks to-morrow. This cause in Great Britain has grown so that placing the headquarters a few miles north or south will not put it out of close touch with the workers and believers.

Yes, the work is moving on in the United Kingdom, as never before. They are planning now to raise a special fund for opening a mission in British East Africa, following the lead of the German Union Conference, which is opening German East Africa. Great Britain, in a little from now, will be a strong factor in supplying workers and means for the outlying parts of the British empire.

The reserves are gathering in Europe for the crisis in this closing conflict. We met Elder Conradi in the London councils, and still he brings most encouraging words from the Continent. The storm-clouds are gathering over the nations. History is being rapidly made, and every tendency bears witness to fulfilling prophecy, and proclaims to us that the world is rapidly gathering its forces for the final crisis. At the same time the Lord is stirring the hearts of the believers, the ranks are being sifted, and all things are preparing for the last crisis in our work. We have talked about it for years. It is now breaking upon us, and, thank God, his word never fails, and his providences lead straight on toward victory. It seems as if every experience that comes to the work in these fields, however it may seem for the moment to tend to delay or discourage, turns only to the advancement of the message.

I hope Elder Conradi will soon write out some of their experiences with legal restrictions in the matter of anti-Catholic literature in Germany. Now is the time to help our brethren in Europe in every way possible to work the great Catholic fields. Well may we be of good courage, for this third angel’s message is winning everywhere. Let us invest ourselves and our all in it just now.

W. A. S.

London.