p. 6 | Report of Meetings by Stephen N. Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 17, 1873

Report of Meetings.

By Stephen N. Haskell

April 17, I left Battle Creek for Iowa, where I spent three weeks. From there, I went to Illinois, and remained two weeks; then, to Minnesota, where I also spent two weeks. The tract and missionary interest has been considered at each meeting, and a good degree of interest has been manifested on the part of the brethren and sisters in each State, in not only attending the meetings, but also in taking hold of this branch of the work.

In Iowa, we held meetings with the friends at Richland, Knoxville, Sigourney, also in Eld. Morrison’s neighborhood, and Osceola. Our Richland meeting was small, as the roads were almost impassable. At Knoxville and Osceola there was a good representation of the brethren and sisters, in their respective localities; especially at Knoxville, they manifested their interest in the missionary work by remaining together from 9 A. M. until 2 P. M. on first-day, with an increasing interest, and at the close pledging for a fund in the tract and missionary work, also, to settle the indebtedness on our periodicals, about $475.00, a portion of which was paid. A large portion of the time at Osceola on Sabbath and first-day was spent together at their meeting-house, and I trust it was not an unprofitable time. At this place, also, they donated freely; and, from reports since received from Bro. Nicola, the same lively interest is taken in other parts where he has visited, so that they now have a capital of nearly five hundred dollars, enough to settle their indebtedness at the Office on the delinquency of those whose periodicals have been stopped. This is as it should be. A sufficient fund should be kept on hand in every State for the T. and M. Society not only to have a supply of tracts and pamphlets with every company of brethren and sisters, where they are members of the society (and all should become members), but so that a good supply of the various kinds may be kept in reserve, and the society be in a condition to do a cash business with the Association, as this is the only proper basis on which the Tract Society can do business. Then, the friends of the cause will always be in a condition to take hold and carry forward every enterprise that may come up in connection with present truth. I formed a very pleasant acquaintance with Bro. Nicola and Bro. Harvey Morrison, and when I left the State it seemed like parting with friends.

At Aledo and Serena, Ill., the meetings were not large, but of some interest. The brethren in this State did nobly in relieving the Publishing Association from their share of indebtedness, as a Conference, on the delinquent subscribers, and at these two meetings, they donated some three hundred dollars more than enough to settle this matter with the Office, which will be used as a T. and M. fund in this Conference. The brethren in this State need help, and I have reason to believe they would appreciate it. The brethren are very much scattered, and could there be held, sometime in September or October, three tent-meetings, with the proper help, especially to help the church in those things where they need especial instruction, of about a week’s duration each, I think it would be of a great benefit to the cause in this State. At the last one of the tent-meetings, there could be a session of their Conference, and some time might be devoted to the tract and missionary work, as that would be their annual meeting.

May 22, I arrived at Stewartsville, Minn. Knowing something of the condition of things in this State, and the struggles of the brethren to meet their Conference expenses in the past, we did not expect that much could be accomplished here except to organize a T. and M. Society, and to receive, perhaps, the initiation fees from those who wished to become members. The traveling was then very bad. Teams, with empty wagons, would get stuck in the traveled road. This was the case in the vicinity of Jo Daviess; yet the brethren turned out better than we could reasonably expect. Although our meetings were not large, they manifested the same liberal heart and lively interest as in other places, and in some respects went farther. They appreciated the assistance the General Conference had rendered them in the past, and raised money enough to settle all the claims of the Association on the delinquent matter against this Conference, and donated for a Tract Fund sufficient to meet present expenses, and have pledged, besides, about $425.00. Let the same interest and consecration be retained and manifested in every enterprise—the School Fund and Health Institute—and they will find in the day of Judgment that they have laid up a good foundation against the time to come.

The plan adopted by each of these Conferences on the matter of delinquency has been as follows: First, To pay the S. D. A. Publishing Association its claims against them on the various periodicals which have been stopped. Second, Place in the hands of each director the names of those whose papers have been dropped and the sums due, and he visits or corresponds with each person who is thus indebted in his district, and collects what he can, which is reserved as a fund to send the periodicals to the worthy poor and such as the board of directors, at each general meeting, may decide would be benefited by reading them. Third, To make it a special point to learn who are the worthy poor, whether their names have been dropped or not, and to see that they are not deprived of any of the periodicals which they may be interested in, or any reading matter which they should have and are unable to purchase, especially such works as the Testimonies, How to Live, and Appeal to Mothers. Minnesota not only raised money to pay the past indebtedness in this matter, but has relieved the Association of a number of names of this class, and paid six months in advance, at three-fourths the usual price.

We are fully satisfied that the friends of the cause, everywhere, only need to understand its wants and the relation they sustain to it, and a system whereby they can act efficiently, and they will consider it a privilege to sacrifice to carry forward this work. The cause of God is the best of all causes, and if we would save our means, our reputation, and our life, it will be by sacrificing or investing in the cause of our divine Lord. Let no one think that what is done in this direction, prompted by a pure motive to glorify God, is lost. It is a sure way to save it. It transfers it from mortal life to the immortal shore. Those who have sacrificed their health and even life for Christ’s sake and the gospel have sent a poor mortal life in advance, which will be exchanged for immortal health in the kingdom of glory. Houses, lands, earthly friends, and everything this world calls dear and precious can be thus safely placed beyond the reach of the fiery element of this world, and thus secure to themselves a treasure in the Heavens. See Luke 12.

S. N. Haskell.