OUR WORK AND WORKERS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 12, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 31.

OUR WORK AND WORKERS.

Four members were recently added to the church at Tulare, Cal.

A feature of the late quarterly meeting at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, was the addition of four members to the church.

On the 24th ult. Prof. P. T. Magan and Brother J. E. White were ordained to the Gospel ministry at the tabernacle in Battle Creek, Mich.

A tract society has been organized at Burlington, Iowa. The membership at the organization was eighteen, and Sister Alma Nelson was chosen as librarian.

Elder G. K. Owen and wife have been transferred from the State of Nevada to Napa, Cal. Just prior to leaving Nevada, four persons were baptized at Lawton Springs.

Elder D. T. Bourdeau, who has been laboring among the French-speaking people in the northwestern States, has organized a Sabbath-school of twenty members at Wilson, Mich.

At the camp-meeting held at Eureka, Cal., in July seven persons were baptized one Sunday afternoon in Humboldt Bay. On the closing night of the meeting several others responded to the call for sinners to accept the call of mercy.

Three of our missionaries on the Gold Coast of Africa have been compelled to withdraw on account of the terrible fever that prevails in that region. Elder D. U. Hale has returned to America in order to recuperate his health, with the hope of being able to return; and Brother and Sister Kerr have gone to Cape Town, South Africa.

In connection with the camp-meeting held last month near the city of Winnipeg, fifteen persons were baptized. The services were conducted in both English and German, mainly by Elders A. T. Jones and J. T. Boettcher. The meeting had a good influence in the community, and was a means of great encouragement to the brethren in that region.

Elder W. C. Grainger, missionary in Tokyo, Japan, reports fifty or more Japanese students who come to the mission as they have opportunity to learn about the Christian religion. This work began by one student's coming, then bringing a friend, and so on. With the exception of one, these young men never had read a word in the Bible. Brother Grainger makes the stereotyped missionary call for more help. Who will answer the call, either in person or by donation of means?

We acknowledge receipt of the annual catalog of Graysville (Tenn.) Academy for 1897-98. The academy is now in a prosperous condition, although but three years ago it was entirely closed by the enforcement of the State's intolerant Sunday law. The time for opening the next term of school is fixed for October 13. The course of study is practical, and the terms very reasonable. The catalog is a handsome souvenir, and gives full particulars regarding the school and the requirements of students. Address, Prof. W. T. Bland, principal, Graysville, Tenn.

Elder George B. Thompson, president of West Virginia Conference, gives some good counsel to his people in regard to attending camp-meeting, which should be remembered in other fields as well. We make this extract from the Monitor: “In the days of the children of Israel the Lord bade them assemble in a holy convocation three times in the year, and he gave them the assurance that no man would desire their land when they went to appear before the Lord. Ex. 34: 23, 24. Here the Lord pledged himself to look after their financial interests while they were away from home in their annual convocations. These things are written for our admonition on whom the ends of the world have come. Satan will suggest to us if we go to camp-meeting once in a year that this thing and that will suffer. Brethren and sisters, the end is here, so let us go to camp-meeting and let the Lord look after our affairs while we are gone. He is surely more able than we. Can we not trust him?”

Our good church paper, the Review and Herald, the pioneer of all our periodicals, and, we might say, of all our denominational literature, has this timely hint in a recent supplement: “Despite this melting weather, the SIGNS list runs merrily along at about 40,000. What ought it to do when cooler weather sets in? Rather, what will you do?” Sure enough, “What will you do?” is the gist of the whole matter. This is not merely a general question, it is personal. Our mission as a people is to give the everlasting Gospel to the world, and especially that which pertains to the coming of the Lord and a preparation for the judgment. There is no other means by which you can circulate so much matter on these topics for so little money as through the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Think of this, and decide what you will do. Satan's work goes on in hot weather just as persistently as in cold weather, and why should not the work of the Lord do the same? Satan works through human agency, and so does the Lord. Then should not those who profess to work for the Lord be as devoted to their calling as those who serve the adversary of souls? The hire of those who carry the Gospel will be far greater in the end, and their reward far more enduring.

At a Sabbath-school convention held in Fairfield, Iowa, a paper was read by Mrs. Emma N. Teeter on “Our Need of Consecration,” from which we take the following truthful sentiment, as reported in the Workers' Bulletin: “As the work advances and the end draws near, we know there is no place for half-hearted workers, nor haphazard work; for it will not stand the test of the judgment. If we are devoted to the work God gives us to do, every effort we make to dispel darkness and diffuse light and the knowledge of Christ, causes the heavenly beings to rejoice and sympathize with us in our labor. We can not depend upon human ability, but upon the promised help from above. The Lord needs consecrated workers to gather the souls as sheaves of precious grain for his garner. As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams may strengthen it, so let us turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven's light may shine upon us, and our character be developed in the likeness of Christ.”