The Missionary Acre Fund
By S. H. Lane
The plan of donating the proceeds of missionary gardens and acres, among us as a people, to aid and build up some branch of the cause, was first set in operation by the Sanitarium. The plan was productive of aiding the medical work in a material way for some time. Some of the States, being in debt, employed the plan in their own boundaries to aid in the liquidation of their debts. Some sent means to the Mission Board, and thus the foreign work was benefited. At the General Conference held at South Lancaster, Mass., in 1899, it was decided to restore the privilege of the use of the proceeds of the Missionary Acre Fund to the Sanitarium, as it originated the plan. At the last General Conference, when it was decided to move the Battle Creek College into some country locality, making it an industrial school, and to purchase the Battle Creek College property for the medical missionary college of the denomination, for the training of physicians and nurses for our sanitariums, and to supply needy fields in all parts of the world, the Sanitarium not being able to pay for the Battle Creek College property, it was decided to ask our people to purchase the property for the medical college by the acre fund, which the Sanitarium of its own free will offered for this purpose. Since Nov. 1, 1901, all the money received from the Missionary Acre Fund has been faithfully applied for the purchasing of the property. The Sanitarium organized the medical college, and during the past five years it has educated and graduated scores of young doctors and nurses, quite a number of whom are now standing at the head of our treatment rooms and branch sanitariums, or doing valiant service in foreign fields. The denomination has never raised a dollar to support the medical college, but now, through missionary gardening and the raising of acres of produce, and the donation of money, each one has the blessed privilege of aiding. The Sanitarium has met from its profits the expenses of the medical college, and expects to do so in the future, so that substantial young men and women from all parts of the country can become graduated physicians and nurses at a trifling expense, provided they desire to become real missionaries, devoting their lives to the upbuilding of the good work everywhere. If all the young men and women to be educated were to be drawn from one State, then it would be proper that our people in that State should donate enough to purchase the property for the medical college, but as those educated come from all parts of the world, it is proper that our people everywhere take hold with earnest hearts and willing hands, and donate means to purchase the property. We are thankful that so many are raising gardens and acres, and donating poultry, etc., as well as money. When sending in money, address H. M. Mitchell, Battle Creek, Mich., or send through your tract society. We give a partial list of those who have sent in means since Nov. 1, 1901. The list will appear in the REVIEW until all the names have been published. We expect to keep this matter before our people until the property is paid for and turned over to the medical college, free from debt. We trust that you will plan to aid another year. The cause has never needed means more than now, and great will be the blessing and reward of those who aid now. Who will help in this grand work?