Our Foreign Missions by George I. Butler

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 25, 1883

Our Foreign Missions.

By George I. Butler

THESE missions are assuming a prominent place in the work of S. D. Adventists. In our last General Conference their consideration occupied more time than any other one subject. Doubtless they will be more and more prominent in our councils as the work enlarges. Many important reasons can be assigned why this will be so. We have sent to Europe men who have a warm place in the affections of our people,—men we can hardly spare from the work in this country. We have never recovered from the feeling of loss occasioned by their absence. We are still sending others whose loss will be greatly felt. Nothing but the intense interest we feel for the progress of this precious truth in foreign lands would ever reconcile our people to spare these men who have nobly consecrated their lives to the missionary work in Europe.

We have the utmost faith that the cause of God will accomplish a great work in the Old World before time closes. A few years since, there were but a handful of Sabbath-keepers in that whole country. Those who have been there now report that there are probably one thousand observers of the seventh-day Sabbath in Europe. And they are scattered over all parts of it, serving as channels of light to others around them. The success of Bro. Andrews' paper, of which he now prints 4,500 copies monthly, is most cheering. God is working in those old countries. The Scandinavian work has greatly prospered, and we hope for still greater success. The seeds of truth which as a people have been scattering are certainly bearing fruit, and good results will be more and more apparent.

During the past six years, our people have paid into the European Mission fund for the support of our mission in Central Europe nearly $16,000. There has been paid out of this fund for the support of the missionaries and the paper upwards of $12,500, or on an average over $2,000 per year. During the same period there has been paid into the Scandinavian or Danish Mission fund about $7,000. There has been paid out a little over $5,500, or over $925 per year on an average. During the past five years there has been paid into the English Mission fund about $8,000. There has been paid for the support of the mission during this time and for sending the SIGNS OF THE TIMES in 1881, $8,250, or over $1,600 per year on an average.

Last winter, when we called the attention of our people to the wants of some of these funds, the European Mission fund was in debt to the office about $350. Since that time, our people have generously donated to that fund over $4,000, besides nearly $700 sent to this office on Brother Andrews' personal account. The European Mission fund is now ahead over $3,000; the Scandinavian Mission fund, about $1,200; and the English Mission fund is about $300 behind. The calls on this latter fund the past year have been very heavy. The sending of 1,000 copies of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES for 1882, voted by the General Conference a year ago, cost the Mission fund nearly $1,800. We have also sent several helpers there to labor, which has added to the cost.

One object we have in giving these figures from the books of the Association is to show what is being done. We also wish to show some in this country, who are zealous to see the work move forward, and are in such a hurry that they feel they cannot wait to work through the ordinary channels of missionary effort by putting their money into funds in the office, which are used to support our missionaries, because the process is so slow, that those giving to these funds are accomplishing a great and noble work. Already many hundreds have been brought into the truth, and the foundation has been laid for a vast work in the future. It is through these regular channels of effort that our missionaries are sustained, and the warning is going to the world, rather than by some side-track experiment, which comes up of a sudden.

Our people can rest assured that these funds are sacredly guarded by the General Conference Committee, who are intrusted with them by the General Conference, the highest authority recognized among us. The figures here given show that these funds are not lying idle, doing no good. They are in constant use for the noblest purpose in this world—the salvation of our fellow-men. Upwards of $31,000 has been nobly contributed by our people during the past six or seven years for the purposes of European missionary effort alone; and all but about $4,000 of it has actually been expended, with most excellent results. We have been doing something, but we might have done vastly more.

If we read the signs of the future correctly, we are to have a general advance all along the line of our missionary operations, in this country and in the Old World. The General Conference Committee hope to be able to manage all the funds committed to their trust in such a way as to inspire in every true friend of the cause the utmost confidence that the money is used just as the donors designed, and that it is not lying idle. The General Conference placed upon the Committee the responsibility of managing these funds. Perhaps, on the whole, it was the wisest course that could have been taken, as it is their duty to look after the cause in all parts of the field. Our people may rest assured that the Committee feel the intense interest in all our missionaries who have gone to foreign lands, or who may go in the future. Our field is the world, and as the openings appear for the light of truth to penetrate, we feel exceedingly anxious that the cause may advance in all these directions as rapidly as possible. We want our faithful missionaries to be fully sustained; and if our people put means in our hands with which to sustain them, we shall try the best in our power to do this. All money sent to the Review Office for any of these foreign mission funds will be sacredly applied to the purpose for which it is given, and money will be drawn from them to pay all expenses, according to the best judgment of the Committee. If money is sent to any of our missionaries personally, in their own name, this money is set to their account on the books of the office, and will be paid out to the order of those for whom it was given.

We shall still make earnest appeals to our brethren to see that these important missions are fully sustained. The English Mission, especially, is in need at this time, as the above figures clearly show. We hope there will be a greater degree of interest manifested in missionary operations in the near future than has ever been shown in the history of the cause. Those that take a proper interest in this important branch of our work will never have occasion to regret it. We expect to see important developments in the coming year. Let our brethren not divert their means to sudden calls outside of those made by our people. If they do, they are liable to have their money worse than wasted. Our General Conference has wisely arranged the plan of supporting foreign missions. If our brethren sustain these plans, the work will never be left to suffer. Let us all labor and pray for the success of these missions during the ensuing year. GEO. I. BUTLER.