p. 1 | Systematic Effort by W. H. Littlejohn

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 1, 1870

Systematic Effort.

By W. H. Littlejohn

It must be apparent to any intelligent person, that a work so vast as that of carrying the third message to the world, can only be accomplished by a general circulation of books and tracts. This being the case, the important problem which presents itself for solution now is, How can this be brought about? At first glance, it is obvious that this can be solved only when we shall be able to meet the following conditions:

1. We must be furnished with a supply of books and tracts which set forth the various points of our faith in a manner well calculated to convince the judgment, and arouse the conscientiousness, of the people.

2. A system of colportage must be devised which shall enable us to give our publications a wide-spread circulation.

So far as the first of these prerequisites is concerned, we think that the good providence of God has furnished us with nearly everything which is necessary for the successful accomplishment of our work. It may well be questioned whether there can be found in history another denominational people who, when not a quarter of a century old, and not having reached in numbers more than 15,000 persons, could present so fine an array of books and tracts containing clear and Scripture arguments in the defense of the varied points of their faith as can S. D. Adventists.

Nor is it simply true that the arguments upon which we rely for the maintenance of our position have been so far elaborated as to enable us to successfully challenge their refutation by the religious world. The same hand which has led out a people from the mazes and mysticisms of modern theology, knowing that their work must be very extended and very brief, has, in the art of printing, in its present perfection, furnished them with every facility necessary for the accomplishment of their task. Already with our steam power press we are able to produce nineteen, neatly executed, thirty-two page tracts, in each minute, at a cost of not over two dollars per hundred. With these advantages, which, by the multiplication of presses and an increase of laborers, can be extended sufficiently to meet any demand which an enlargement of the field can create, and with a book and tract fund which the liberality of our brethren will make equal to any emergency, all that now remains is that the second condition above mentioned should be answered, i. e., that our works should be speedily and judiciously distributed wherever there can be found candid persons who are willing to read them. At present the supply is fully equal to, if not greater than, the demand, not because there are not tens of thousands who are famishing for the very bread these contain, but because they are ignorant of their existence, or because they have no means of obtaining them. How, then, we inquire again, can we be relieved from our embarrassment in this direction? Certain it is that we shall find no help in inaction. Were we to wait until a full corps of qualified colporteurs should present themselves for employment at the doors of our publishing house, we should wait in vain. It has been well said that “Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.” When we have exhausted every resource within our reach, then the Lord will make up any lack that may still exist. Until then, we cannot with propriety call upon him for help. Have we done this? If so, then let us cry mightily to God for the relief which the necessities of the cause demand, and which it will therefore be for his glory to afford. But if we are satisfied that we have not, then let us discover, if possible, wherein we have come short in the past, and enter upon the work of immediate reform.

It seems to us that a moment’s reflection will convince any person that we have not only failed to come up to our privilege heretofore, but that we have not accomplished in this direction one-tenth part of what ought to have been realized. The failure has not arisen from a lack of anxiety on the part of our people to do good, but from a want of knowledge of the proper manner of setting themselves at work on one hand, and on the other, a fear of doing harm through indiscretion. In the different communities where our churches are located there has been no one to lead out in the matter, and it has therefore gone by default. As an illustration of this, I have but to cite our experience in this place. Previous to last June, but very little had been accomplished in the way of getting our views before the people through the circulation of our publications. At that time we resolved upon consultation among ourselves, to determine by experiment whether this state of things could not be changed by the inauguration of organized effort. For this purpose we instituted a society adopting for its government the following constitution:

ART. I. Name: This society shall be called The Book and Tract Society of Seventh-Day Adventists in Allegan.

ART. II. Object: The object of this society shall be that of promoting the circulation of such publications as shall be best calculated to instruct the public respecting the various points of our faith.

ART. III. Officers: Its officers shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and Executive Committee of three, of which the President shall be one; and they shall hold their respective offices for six months, or until their successors shall be duly elected, unless they remove from the place or cease to be members of the society.

ART. IV. Duties of Officers: The duties of the officers of this society shall be the same as those devolving upon persons occupying like positions in similar associations, unless they shall be otherwise limited or enlarged by the by-laws of this society.

ART. V. Elections: The regular elections of the officers of this society shall take place on the evenings of the first Monday in May and first Monday in November, unless by vote of the society some other time be designated. In case, however, of vacancy in any of the offices of the society, an election to fill the same may occur at any meeting of the society which the President, or, in his absence, the Vice President, may call.

ART. VI. Membership: Any person who is a member of the church of Seventh-day Adventists in the village of Allegan may become a member of this society by subscribing the constitution and by-laws thereof; and any person who is not a member of said church, desiring to unite with this society, may do so by a vote of all the members present at any meeting of the society, and by subscribing the constitution and by-laws as herein before provided.

ART. VII. Meetings: The regular meetings of this society shall occur at such times as the members thereof may designate in the by-laws, and special meetings may be called at any time by the President, or, in case of his absence or inability to act, by the Vice President or Secretary.

ART. VIII. Amendments: This constitution and the by-laws of this society may be amended, changed, added to, or repealed, at any meeting of the society, by a vote of a majority of those present, provided those present at such time shall represent one-third of all the members of the society.

ART. IX. Finances: The funds to be employed by this society shall be made up of such donations as may be offered by individuals from time to time, and by collections from the members thereof, either as quarterly dues, or by the levying of special taxes, such as shall be voted by a majority of the members present at any regular meeting.

ART. X. By-laws: By-laws for the government of this society, which shall not conflict with the provisions

of this constitution, may be passed by a majority of the members present at any meeting of the society.

The workings of this society have been very satisfactory. Instead of the almost absolute state of inactivity which has characterized the church heretofore, in the branch of service in question, we have put in circulation from five to eight hundred of our tracts and pamphlets. The effect of this has been as marked upon our brethren themselves as upon the community without. When they had found themselves actually engaged in useful employment which was contributing to the advancement of the interests of the cause, their gratitude has found expression not only in words, but their lives have also given evidence of its sincerity. Instead of becoming rusty upon points of doctrine, they found that in the distribution of tracts, questions would continually arise, respecting which it was necessary that they should post themselves.

Nor is this all. It has also been rendered apparent to them when engaging in this sacred work, that their personal character should be free from blemish, thus leading them to a more thorough self-examination.

In order to avoid indiscretion in the distribution of tracts, we have been in the habit of holding society meetings occasionally, at the call of the President, wherein each one has given a report of the number of tracts which he or she has distributed, relating at the same time something of a history of the manner of procedure on their part. In this way, those who have the management of the matter have been able occasionally to impart such advice and counsel as was necessary to keep all from an injudicious distribution of the tracts, while the meetings themselves have furnished an opportunity for each one to select from the general stock of publications kept by the society, such as they could use to the best advantage. And it has not unfrequently occurred that incidents and experiences have been related at such times which have been well calculated to deepen the interest of every member of the society in the work, and stimulate all to more earnest effort.

It has never been our policy to limit our labors to our own community. On the contrary, we have considered it advisable to send the tracts by mail, each individual paying his own postage, to all persons at a distance whom we think will be benefited thereby.

As a whole, we regard the thing as a complete success. We do not mean by this that no tracts have been thrown away, or that no indiscretions have been committed. On the contrary, we have no doubt that a portion of our labor has been lost. Nor do we ever expect to see a plan devised whereby it will be possible to engage in this work without the hazard of wasted means and time. This would be presuming upon penetration such as men in this state can never attain to. But we do believe that it has been vastly better both for the church and the cause that we should be employed in this manner than it would had we been altogether, as before, unoccupied. And now what we are anxious to see is, our brethren in other places, either by adopting the same system that we have, or by introducing a more perfect one, bringing all the resources of their respective churches into this most important labor of disseminating our pointed views with the greatest expedition, and in a manner the least liable to exception. When we shall witness this, and it shall be made manifest that we are doing all in our power for the accomplishment of our great mission as a people, we shall expect that the blessing of God will attend our labors, and that his unerring wisdom will lead us in devising all the ways and means which shall still be required in the further prosecution of our work.

W. H. LITTLEJOHN.

Allegan, Oct. 19, 1870.