Matters and Things by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 4, 1875

Matters and Things.

By James White

One year ago, we donated one hundred dollars to the Missouri and Kansas Conference for the definite object of the support of poor preachers in that Conference, and urged others to follow our example. A very few brethren followed with various sums, amounting in all to only a few hundreds. Somebody at once made appeals in the Review for the poor brethren generally in that Conference, and turned the liberalities of our people from the ministers to the people.

The result has been that the ministers of the Missouri and Kansas Conferences were paid at their last Conference from four to six dollars a week for their labors, and some of that was taken from the bank, on which Bro. Ayers, of Kansas, is paying two per cent. a month. When these facts are well known to the very persons who took the liberty to pervert our plans and effort one year since, why do they not now take the same interest in the ministers this year, as they did in the people last year?

We now order one hundred and twenty-five dollars to be sent from the General Conference treasury to Bro. J. N. Ayers, Farlinville, Kan., to pay the hired money. We gave one hundred last year, and urge others, especially those who have been meddling with our money matters, to follow our example in this thing. Personally, we have done our duty. Why don’t others take hold of this matter?

Bro. Christian Bauer, Palermo, Doniphan Co., Kan., was one of the $100 men to raise the sum of $2300 to relieve Eld. T. J. Butler of Missouri, now of Ohio. Bro. Bauer has had his crops cut off, and is in distressing want of his money. We order $100 from the General Conference treasury for this brother. It is high time that the brethren who loaned without interest one hundred dollars each to help in this matter had their money. Some of them are needy. Others want this money to help the cause. This matter was brought about by Eld. Geo. I. Butler, who should look after it, and see that in some way it is closed up, and the brethren have their money.

Again, Bro. L. R. Long writes of the poverty of some of their preachers, and shows that he and others need help. His peculiar wants and discouragements are such that we order fifty dollars sent to him from the General Conference treasury. One thousand dollars should be raised at once to help poor preachers in the two Conferences of Kansas and Missouri. Eld. Canright was at their Conference in September, and should report the case. We are crowded with work, cares, and perplexities—hands, head, and heart, and hope that too much will not be left to us. J. W.