It is ever a moving thing to note progress of any kind. It affects the live witness. It is an inspiring thing to note progress in a good cause. It has been a constant inspiration of joy to see and hear the progress made by the cause represented in this conference. For it is not a matter of hearing OF progress, you see and hear the VERY PROGRESS itself.
Review & Herald Publishing Association Building, S. D. A.
Thirty years ago when the truth of God quarried the writer out of the pit of skepticism, and he became actively connected with this cause of giving to the world the great Threefold Gospel Message of Rev. 14: 6-12, the people numbered all told about 8,000 adherents scattered in a few states of the Union. The general conferences which were held on a far smaller basis of representation numbered for years from sixty to a hundred delegates. Then the delegates were sent by local conferences. Now the local conferences send delegates to union conferences, and the delegates to the General Conference are from union conferences, isolated local conferences, and mission fields, and the numerical basis, apart from the regular delegate to which each field is entitled regardless of membership, is one delegate for 1,000 members. Yet on the much larger basis the delegates to this conference number 328. There are 150 delegates and representatives from foreign fields. Four years ago the foreign delegation numbered thirty-two, and that was much the largest up to that time. We quote the following from President Daniells' address: “This delegation has come from all parts of the world. It represents North and South America, from Alaska to Cape Horn; all of Europe, a large part of Asia, and the most of Africa. Australasia and the most of the island groups of the Pacific are also represented. In this vast stretch of territory we have twenty-one union conferences, one hundred two local conferences, and sixty-nine separate mission fields. . . . The territory represented by this delegation contains a population of fourteen hundred million people, and to them we are proclaiming the third angel’s message in about sixty different languages.”
Some Interesting Figures
The Washington Sanitarium, S. D. A.
The Foreign Mission Seminary, S. D. A.
During the last four years eight union conferences have been organized ; and the increase of Sabbath-keepers has been more than 16,000.
The tithes for 1908 were $1,101,396, an increase of nearly a half million over 1904. In 1908 literature was sold to the amount of $1,286,981, an increase of more than $700,000 over 1904. Annual contributions to missions increased from $163,000 in 1904 to $308,000 in 1908. Thirty-seven advanced schools were added, and attendance at the schools more than doubled. Sanitariums increased from 54 to 80. The missionaries sent out during the last four years number 328, an average of 82 a year. The last year 134 went to foreign fields. We quote from the report of the secretary (W. A. Spicer):
“Every year it has seemed as if the limit had been reached; that the pace at which the workers were going forth would have to be slackened to allow the means to accumulate to care for work already in hand. But year by year the mission treasury, like the widow’s barrel of meal, has seemed able to supply yet a little more. . . . Certain it is that we must cry to God and to His people for help to respond to such Macedonian calls as never came to our ears before.”
Thirty-three new countries have been entered during the last four years, away out in the dark heathen and Catholic lands of earth, and thousands are responding to the cry of the everlasting Gospel message. Those fields represent 250,000 millions of people, and “a score of new tongues thanking God for the ‘blessed hope.’”
The addition of souls in countries outside of the United States during the last four years amounted to 11,000. The believers in other countries to-day are now 32,500, a larger number than the entire membership in the world in 1891.
Whatever country the message reaches it wins precious souls to God and is welcomed.
The New York “Christian Advocate” said of our missionary work: “Its aim is avowedly to run the earth; and small tho the denomination still is, it has its missionaries scattered through every region of the globe.”
Praise God that it is so. It is time. It is God’s last message to the world; it must and will go to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Rev. 14: 6, 7.
The Opening Meeting
was a cheering occasion. President Daniels called attention to the large delegation present from nearly all lands, some of them for months on their journey, yet all of them arriving without sickness or accident. A number of the old pioneers bore testimony to the progress of the work during the half century of its organized existence. Among these aged servants of God are Elder Geo. I. Butler, of Florida; Geo. W. Amadon, of Battle Creek, Mich.; J. L. Prescott, of Washington, D. C. These men are all round about four score. Elder Frederick Wheeler, of New York, now in his ninety-ninth year, sent a cheering letter. Trumpet-toned, yet sweetly mellowed with age and rich Christian experience were these testimonies from these aged men. Various union conference presidents spoke for their respective fields. Vice-presidents L. R. Conradi and G. A. Irwin spoke respectively for Europe and America.
Sabbath Services
Mrs. E. G. White occupied the hour for the sermon Sabbath morning, May 15. She gave an earnest exhortation based on John 15, pointing out the necessity of connection with the Source of life, the necessity of complete consecration, and the privilege and joy of abiding in Christ.
In the afternoon Elder E. W. Farnsworth gave a stirring discourse on the true Vicarius Filii Dei, or Vice-gerent of the Son of God; namely, the Holy Spirit.
The beginning of this series of sermons was ushered in the evening previous by President Daniels, who delivered an impressive discourse from Rev. 14: 6-14, setting forth the great fact that God has a clear, definite message for this our time as truly as have had His people in the past. Yet this message is the great “everlasting Gospel.”
It will be impossible in these notes to give anything like an adequate report, and so will not attempt it. But there are many items of interest which we wish to note, and which we believe our readers will be glad to read. Of these, more in our next.
