Some Financial Matters in the Southern Union Conference
By George I. Butler
THE readers of the REVIEW AND HERALD have doubtless all read the recent “Appeal for the Southern Work,” directed “To Our Churches in America,” from the pen of Sister E. G. White. In this most earnest appeal the servant of the Lord, who has always been prominent in every step taken to advance this great cause of present truth, has spoken emphatically concerning the importance of our people’s assisting, by their efforts, prayers, and means, the struggling institutions of the cause in the South, especially the Southern Publishing Association recently established in Nashville, Tenn. In this “Appeal” reference was made to the importance of making Nashville a leading center of our work in this great Southern Union Conference of nine States, with fourteen millions of people, both white and colored. Nashville is a great educational center for white and black alike. Here are many important universities and schools, where large numbers of the brightest young people of both sexes and of both races gather to secure an education to fit them for usefulness in life. Here, as much as anywhere, perhaps, in the South, have the problems centering in the troublesome “color line” been wrought out peaceably and fairly. The great Fiske University, with its noble pile of edifices and large number of colored students, is located here, where white teachers have been for many years seeking to instruct and elevate the young people of both sexes of the colored population of the South. Many other schools, perhaps of lesser note, in this important city labor for the same noble purpose. Large educational institutions with wealth at their command, abound for the white race. Nashville is also the capital of Tennessee, where the men of influence and means congregate to make laws and direct in public affairs. If we as a people ever expect to exert an influence in the great new South, we cannot be indifferent in our attitude to such an important center as Nashville. God has committed to us the closing work, the last warning, threefold message. Our people as a body believe this with all their hearts. For years this great message has been making its way in the world against the current of human opinion, in its work of warning the world of the coming of Jesus in glory and of the great salvation so soon to be realized. This message is to lighten the earth with its glory. This being true, the great Southern field must behold its rays of light. The great cities of the new South, rapidly increasing in population and intelligence, must be entered. And Nashville, as a great educational center most favorably located, must be conspicuous. No other place is more favorably located. The spirit of prophecy has told us in no uncertain tones that here in this very city our new publishing house for the great Southern field should be located. While Graysville for our white training school and Huntsville for our colored training school have been designated in the order of the Lord to fill positions of usefulness in this great work, yet our publishing work has ever been in this message the most important agency for the dissemination of light to our fellow men. This agency has an important work to perform for the great Southern field; and the Lord has unmistakably pointed out Nashville for its location. More will be said concerning this point in the future. I expect that those of our people whose hearts are imbued with love and devotion, who long with intense interest to see this most glorious of all causes moving onward to victory, who desire to assist in the development of this long-neglected and most important field, to which the servant of the Lord has been calling the attention of our people for years, pleading with them to do their duty therein, will help to place the Southern Publishing Association on its feet. Our brethren and sisters nobly donated funds to erect a convenient building for the printing office. Some funds were also given toward its equipment, but not nearly enough to enable it to fill the important position it was designed to fill in the great Southern field. For lack of means it has been sadly crippled in many ways. Means are now greatly needed with which to purchase some additional machinery, and also to purchase a stock of paper and other material, so that the work can go forward at once. In the recent meetings of the executive committee of the Southern Union Conference at Nashville, Tenn., and of the publishing association and other interests also, which for eleven consecutive days wrestled with all the perplexing questions of finance and difficulty that had been gathering and piling up for years, a great victory was gained. Our sessions were pleasant. A kind, tender spirit prevailed. The dear Lord was with us. Every perplexing matter received careful consideration; and when at last we reached the end of the session, and carefully inquired if any other matters needed consideration, none were forthcoming. Our brethren all returned to their homes happy, and hopeful of the future. Boards and committees were elected, which we feel certain will command the confidence of our people as careful and conservative men. It has been the desire of these that everything of mere personal interest should be separated from the cause and work of God, that all important matters relating to the cause should be open for inspection, that everything that could be considered suspicious or of doubtful propriety should be discarded, and all things connected with the Lord’s cause should be so conducted as to command the confidence20of all reasonable people in our work. Hence, we ask for the confidence of our people everywhere in the integrity and conscientious fidelity as managing boards and committees that are intrusted with the interests of the cause of present truth in this long-neglected field. Firmly believing that better days are before us, that “best of all, God is with us” in the work here; and that light is coming in to illuminate the perplexities and difficulties of our peculiar situation, and that the dear Saviour has his eyes of love and mercy upon us, and will surely help us in this very difficult field, we thank God, and move on with courage and hope, fully trusting in the Lord, and expecting the co-operation of all true friends of the cause which we love. Already our brethren on the executive committee in this field, who are most conversant with the improvements recently inaugurated, have voted to place the funds of the union conference in the publishing association on deposit, to give evidence of their confidence in the financial integrity of that institution, and to help sustain its credit as a business institution. This is right. It has been the course pursued invariably in the history of this denomination, so far as the writer has known, since the first publishing association was formed among us. The publishing work must ever stand most prominent among us while we are a missionary people, with a message of warning to give to the world. That is our mission as a people, the leading reason why we have an existence as such. Hence the publishing work must ever be safeguarded and sustained. The fact that our people as a rule have made our offices of publication places for the deposit of their funds, drawing from them as they needed, and that our conferences have done the same, has added greatly to their stability as financial institutions. The Southern Publishing Association, 1025 Jefferson St., Nashville, Tenn., has been voted by the Executive Committee of the Southern Union Conference as the place of deposit of all Southern Union Conference funds. Let every friend of the cause who contributes funds to this field bear this in mind. Great confusion in the past and various misunderstandings have resulted because of a lack of one central point of deposit. It has not been possible in all cases to tell where funds sent in have belonged. Calls were made by Sister White and others, and the friends of the work have sent in cash as a response. Many sent to the Southern Missionary Society, some to the publishing house, and some to Graysville, and perhaps other destinations, but did not clearly state to what object these gifts should be applied. Hence, some confusion has resulted. In view of the fact that these calls were largely made of late by Sister White in behalf of the office of publication, and for the furtherance of the work in Nashville, it would seem probable, to say the least, that if no specific object was named by the donors, but their funds were sent for the “cause in the South,” as many of them were, they expected that those funds would be applied according to the tenor of the calls made, and not for some other purpose for which no recent call was made. To avoid all confusion in the future, it is considered best that our central, properly authorized place of deposit should be designated for funds coming to this Southern field in response to the calls being made. This place is the Southern Publishing Association in Nashville. Every donor should clearly state what disposition he desires shall be made of the funds given. In behalf of the present board of management, I will most emphatically state that all such funds will be sacredly and religiously applied as the donor requests, and if any failure to understand his wishes exists, an effort will be made to ascertain his wish. We ask our people to help us in our hard field. We want your sympathy, prayers, and means, to help us. I hope that many will respond to the recent call of Sister White. God will bless the cheerful giver. GEO. I. BUTLER, President of Southern Union Conference and of the Southern Publishing Association.