The Command and the Call to Enlarge Our Missionary Enterprises
By Arthur G. Daniells
THE command to Seventh-day Adventists in behalf of missions comes from Christ, the great Head of the church. His command is, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” Matt. 24:14. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Rev. 14:6. From these statements it is plain that Christ aims at the conquest of the world. Nothing short of the proclamation of his message to every tribe on earth will fulfil his command to Seventh-day Adventists. This command involves a decision. Is obedience to this command a fundamental part of our program as a denomination? Is it a settled fact, well understood by all, that we as a people are to enlarge our missionary enterprises until every tribe on the earth is reached, and the whole world is lightened with the light of this message? We have made a beginning in almost every land. But in many places we have made only a beginning. In Spain, we have only two workers; in Italy, only three; in Turkey, only two; and in other countries with teeming millions, we have only a little band in each. Yet in all these lands our missions are making progress. Wherever our missionaries have gone, they have found people ready to receive their message. And every advance step taken in the fields entered, opens the way for other steps to be taken. Thus fresh, urgent calls come to Seventh-day Adventists for more laborers and more money. And this makes our problem regarding missions a growing, widening, enlarging problem. During 1902 we increased our expenditure for missions nearly one third over any previous year. But instead of this expenditure easing the pressure, it increased it. The openings are more numerous and the calls more pressing. This is a feature of our mission problem that should be fully and distinctly understood. We are in the war. The aim of our Leader is nothing short of the conquest of the world. He is able to carry the undertaking through to success. But he must have volunteers who are committed to the work in all its fulness, and who will press on with him until the last fortress is taken. The response to the command of Christ to “go,” and to the call of the nations to “come,” means to send forth more missionaries, and to raise more money. It means the continual enlargement of our missionary enterprises. It means the sturdy training and sending forth of young people. It means the employment of a larger number of native helpers in all the mission fields. All this means continual and larger giving by our people; for this work can not be done without money. Now where does the responsibility rest for making this response? Beyond all question, it rests with the whole denomination. It rests with the people. It rests upon every believer who is joined to the world-wide movement of the third angel’s message. That is where the Lord has placed this great responsibility. It is the believer who must go. But unless some are willing to say, “Here am I; send me,” there will be no such thing as going. And, furthermore, it rests upon the believers in this message to supply the money required to send and support those who must go. Upon them rests the responsibility of supporting the Lord’s missions. They are stewards of the Lord’s means, and they are to be faithful in the support of his missions. Back of them is the Lord himself, who gives all the power any one possesses to get wealth. When this responsibility is understood and accepted and discharged by those upon whom it rests, a new and glorious era will come for our missions. There is need of a more general, emphatic, and enthusiastic announcement by this denomination of its policy regarding missions. Shall those already established be maintained? Shall they be heartily supported? And shall new ones be opened? These are questions that interest thousands of people. They interest the General Conference Committee, upon whom are placed the duties of administration. They very deeply interest the missionaries who are in the fields, working and planning for progress. And they vitally affect the millions in darkness, whose only hope is the light of truth God has given us to give to them. Shall the missionary policy of this denomination be a wide-awake, forward policy? Is it our fixed purpose to keep advancing until we have reached the uttermost parts of the earth, and finished the work? If so, there must be more volunteers and larger gifts. O brethren, let us put some enthusiasm into this holy and exalted work that is committed to our trust! It is worthy of all it can possibly receive. A. G. DANIELLS.