Thoughts and Suggestions for the Missouri and Kansas Conference by J. H. Rogers; T. J. Butler; J. H. Cook

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 5, 1873

Thoughts and Suggestions for the Missouri and Kansas Conference.

By J. H. Rogers; T. J. Butler; J. H. Cook

DEAR BRETHREN: Our yearly gathering, which was, we trust, a great blessing to those who attended it, is over, and we have returned to our respective fields of labor, and have had some time for deliberation respecting the future prosperity of the cause in this new and large field. Our progress in the past has been very slow. The General Conference Committee has done for us, until they thought best to leave us to our own ability and resources, with the blessing of God, to shoulder these responsibilities, and press forward this great work of sounding the last warning message of mercy to the world.

At this writing, two tents are manned with laborers from our own Conference, and are blessed with a good prospect of a successful summer’s labor, and there are now in the field, in active labor, seven ministers and licentiates, who design to give themselves to this work, and we have confidence to believe they feel something of the burden of the work in which they are engaged, and are trying to fully consecrate themselves to the service of God.

Now, brethren, should these laborers continue in this work during the entire year, and the Auditing Committee decide they ought to be paid for their time, we ask, Where is the means to come from? A small estimate of what would be necessary, including tent expenses, would be two thousand dollars. If we are correctly informed, about twelve hundred would cover the amount of S. B. pledged. Should that all be paid, which is not probable, there would be a deficit of eight hundred dollars.

Now the question arises like this, Shall this work move on with all the force now in the field? or shall it stop for want of means? We are satisfied that there is no lack of means, if our brethren only felt the importance of sending in their tithes to the treasury of the Lord.

Again, most of those in the field are poor, and cannot labor all the time without something to help their families while they are away. This makes it necessary that all should promptly pay their pledges quarterly, and forward it to J. N. Ayers, Conference Treasurer at Farlinville, Lynn Co., Kansas, and the reports, to the Secretary, Chas. F. Stevens, Elk Falls, Howard Co., Kansas.

Now, a word to the unorganized bodies of Sabbath-keepers, and the scattered and lonely ones. Many of you are doing nothing in the way of supporting the cause, and few are doing what you probably ought to do, were you to come up to S. B. figures. Now we earnestly request you to send in your pledges to the Conference Treasurer, so that we may know what to depend upon. If you can send the money now, very well. But if you cannot send the money, send your pledges for the year, and see to it that they are paid quarterly.

But some say they are keeping their means to spend in their immediate neighborhoods. If that is so it is a very successful method of crippling the cause of God. We believe if all would send in their tithes there would be abundance to meet all the wants of the cause in this Conference. Then our ministers could go out into the ripening harvest, and gather in the golden grain to the garner of the Lord, and probably during this coming fall and winter nearly all of you could be visited, where calls for labor have been made. Now, brethren, we make this appeal in behalf of the suffering cause of truth, and to fully apprise you of the financial embarrassment under which we are laboring, and as you love the cause of God, we expect you to respond by sending in your means or pledges immediately.

J. H. Rogers, } Conf. T. J. Butler, } Com. J. H. Cook,