OUR WORK AND WORKERS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Oct 12, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 40.

OUR WORK AND WORKERS.

DURING the late sessions of the Canadian Union and Quebec Conferences at Knowlton, sixteen persons were baptized.

AT the General Conference Council, held at College View, Neb., it was decided to hold the next biennial session of the General Conference at Washington, D. C., May 11–30, 1905.

AS a result of labors by Brethren T. H. Starbuck, J. J. Clark, and C. L. Butterfield, they report the addition of ten members to the church at Grant’s Pass, Oregon, and fourteen converts to the truth at Ashland.

THE Missionary Worker states that Prof. H. C. Lacey and family, formerly of Australia, late of Healdsburg, Cal., have arrived in England. Professor Lacey will teach the Bible classes in the London school. He is a native of Leicester.

IT is reported that the Chinese Government has recently opened one hundred and eighty elementary schools in the province of Shantung. Altho free to all many of them are empty, while mission schools, where tuition is charged, are well attended. The reason is said to be distrust of government officials, and the belief that mission schools really educate.

THE following list of officers have been elected by New York Conference: President, S. H. Lane, secretary and treasurer, T. E. Bowen; additional members of the executive committee, J. W. Raymond, H. W. Carr, O. L. Stillman, Courtland D. Green, C. W. Lindsay, W. L. Skinner; secretary of S. S. department, Mrs. J. R. Calkins; secretary and treasurer of tract society, T. E. Bowen; educational secretary, H. W. Carr.

IN the Pacific Union Recorder, Brother F. D. Starr tells of a new convert at Cœur d’Alene, Idaho, one of whose first strong convictions about the Sabbath came to him while a soldier in the Cuban War. He became somewhat acquainted with the Spanish language, and when he found that in it the common name for the seventh day of the week was Sabado (Sabbath), it was to him an evidence of the genuineness of the ancient institution.

IN his annual address at the recent conference session, the president of Indiana Conference recommended that, for the next year, half of the Conference laborers be placed at the disposal of the mission board, and that they be supported in their foreign fields by the conference. The Camp-meeting Bulletin says, “The people seemed much interested, and quite enthusiastic over the policy, and the business meeting was turned into a praise meeting.”

AT the annual session of Ohio Conference, held at Marysville, last month, the following officers were chosen: President, H. H. Burkholder; vice-president, D. E. Lindsey; treasurer, C. V. Hamer; auditor, W. H. Edwards; recording secretary, D. E. Lindsey; missionary secretary, N. S. Miller; medical missionary secretary, W. W. Miller; educational secretary, James Shultz; field secretary, I. D. Richardson. It was decided to place six tent companies in the field. A resolution was passed to hold subject to missionary call, half of the conference means and laborers, when seventy persons indicated their willingness to go to any field to which they might be assigned. Brother B. L. House was ordained to the Gospel ministry.

JAPANESE Red Cross nurses carefully minister to wounded Russian prisoners. A missionary says that “the war has proved a marvelous revealer of Japanese character and capacity for development. The nation loves high ideals, and keeps its gaze steadily upon them. There promises to be a grand opportunity before long, for preaching the Gospel among such a people.” But the live missionary is seeking the opportunities that are open now. If these be faithfully filled, those that are to come “before long” will be all the more open and fruitful. It is a question, however, whether Japan’s developing war spirit will not render her people less and less susceptible to the Gospel message. Is not the present the more opportune moment?

FROM a report of labor in the Welcome Visitor, by Brethren C. A. Pedicord and B. L. House, at Dresden, Ohio, we take the following: “One man and his twelve-year-old boy walked sixteen miles to our meeting and they are staying with relatives here all this week to attend the meetings. He has known about the truth for twelve years, but never had heard an Adventist minister. He read a notice of our meetings in the Zanesville Recorder and decided in his mind to keep the Sabbath and take his stand with this people. One thing that impressed us was that he has taught the truth to his boy from infancy up; and he is as interested as the father. The mother of the boy is dead. The boy told his father he wanted to come over and hear God’s people preach.”

THE late General Conference Council decided that on the first Sabbath in November there be a general collection amongst our people for the benefit of the colored work in the South. This important cause is sadly in need of funds, and the only way to relieve the situation is to give. Giving is the highest token of interest in any cause. Talking is good; appealing through our periodicals is good; praying is good; but the only thing that meets the urgent need of funds to defray the necessary expense is giving. Giving is the supreme evidence of the love of souls. God so loved the world—the lost, perishing world—that He gave; and when He gave He didn’t stop short of giving His only-begotten Son, which meant the gift of all things. Therefore the only thing for us to do is to reciprocate to the utmost of our ability.

WRITING to the Workers’ Bulletin, Des Moines, Iowa, of the work in Sin Tsai Hsien, Honan, China, Sister Bertha L. Selmon says: “Most of the missionaries of China have gone to the mountains. They are not looking for the near coming of the Lord, and expect many years in which to labor. Therefore, on account of the heat, they do very little in summer, and seek the established resorts in the mountains. We are staying at our post so far, for we feel that we can not spare the time when it is so precious. . . . Much of the ground in this part of the country which used to be devoted to rice culture, now helps to furnish China’s curse, opium. Just now, men from the large coast cities are buying up the local crop. This place furnishes them with ten thousand ounces of silver worth of opium this season. Last year the crop was worth between fifteen and twenty thousand ounces. This was the first seed planted in China by foreigners, and the devil. The plant of sin is great, but by the power of the Spirit of God the seed of His kingdom may grow even in China, and bear fruit for eternal life.”

REPORTING the work in Calcutta to the Eastern Tidings, Mrs. J. L. Shaw says: “During the last few weeks, notwithstanding the unfavorable weather, some of our sisters have been having some good experiences in working for the Lord in various ways. Every week some are going to one or more of the hospitals visiting the sick, where are found many who are passing through deep waters, and who welcome those who can give them kind help in their hour of trial. The hospitals in Calcutta afford opportunities for active missionary work. The soul-saving literature to some will be a seed sown to save a soul. To others, a few flowers will be a messenger that will speak to their souls sooner than the printed page. Some of our sisters can testify of

good experiences in visiting those who are ill, and of blessings received into their own lives by ministering in a humble way to those who need help. There is nothing that will give a brighter experience than this line of work. It is a sure cure for discouragement and doubt, and a means given us by God of helping those in trial. May we all avail ourselves of the blessing given by the service rendered to the sick and afflicted. There is work for those who will engage in it with a heart filled with love. As one timidly expressed it, “The Lord has helped me to do something.”

OF the great revival in Los Angeles, Cal., which we have before noticed, the daily Examiner of that city says: “In the course of the meetings their conductors have given away over $600 worth of literature. According to Evangelist Simpson, the expenses of meetings have been in the neighborhood of $1,100. There has been contributed $1,200 in cash, and jewelry valued at $300. The last evening’s service at the Spring Street tent was a great outpouring of people gathered to be present at the closing of the long-protracted series of meetings. Mr. Simpson was billed to speak on ‘Temperance,’ and he handled the subject in a far different manner from the conventional temperance orator. The speaker insisted that temperance means, primarily, self-control, and he asserted that many a man who can discourse with glibness about temperance, is as much a slave to tea and coffee as is the most hardened drunkard to his daily dram. ‘Temperance,’ said he, ‘will discard everything that is injurious to health, whether it be in the line of things we are accustomed to be shocked at, or something which we regard as a daily necessity.’ Mr. Simpson, before coming to California about a year ago in search of health, was an evangelist in Canada, where he labored for ten years in every city of prominence in the Dominion. Since coming here he has held services in Riverside and Redlands, increasing the membership from a scattered handful to a large congregation, and building a church in each place.”