OUR GREAT WORK by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 7, 1877

OUR GREAT WORK.

By James White

If our work is only to raise up a membership of a few thousands, to establish churches by colonizing or gathering at certain points, and settling pastors over a few large churches, then ours is not a great work. But our work is a world-wide mission. Instead of gathering at certain points, our people for the past twenty-five years have been moving West and South, where they have called for publications and ministers to preach the word until we have Conferences in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, California, Kentucky, and Virginia, and missions in Nebraska, Dakota, Oregon, Washington Territory, Texas, and the Canadas, and our publications alone are converting hundreds of men and women to the Sabbath annually, and very many of them in the Southern States. Several ministers in the South, and some of them evidently men of ability, have embraced the Sabbath and have begun to preach it, who have not seen one of our preachers.

When we view our mission to the world in the light of the word of God, what we are witnessing of the spread of the great truths connected with the last message is what we should expect. The only discouraging feature in the work is the want of vigilance and power in those who profess this message, and the consequent tardiness with which the cause moves forward. When we take a view of the past, the present, and the future, as far as we can look forward through the prophetic word, we are impressed that God has been leading in the preparation for our great work, and that we are now entering upon it in its length and breadth.

The present season tents are to be manned with speakers, exhorters, and tract distributers, on a much larger scale than ever before. Three will be used in California, one in Oregon, one in Texas, one in Kentucky, two in Virginia, one in Maine, one in Vermont, two in Massachusetts, five in New York, three in Ohio, one in Indiana, six in Michigan, one in Canada, two in Illinois, three in Wisconsin, two or three in Minnesota, and three or four in Iowa, making not far from forty in all. In many communities where these portable meeting-houses will be used for the solemn worship of God, the way has been partially prepared by the circulation of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and other publications. We hope for a glorious ingathering of souls this tent season.

The General Conference Committee has been in counsel at Battle Creek for the past ten days. This Committee has spent much time in prayer, and in careful, anxious consideration of the wants of the cause, and for ways and means to supply destitute fields, and for the advancement of the work. We invite close attention to the subject of Regular Quarterly Meetings, as set forth in this issue. The Committee took an anxious interest in our European Missions, and feel more than ever that their influence should be felt in directing the important work there.

It was thought not possible for W. C. White and his wife to go to Europe to establish the press there at present. And the work there does not seem to be far enough advanced for this. While it may be difficult for them to leave the office of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, they design to spend two years in study at our College, and we do not see that it is possible to do justice to a pioneer sheet for 1878 without them. As our cause advances we find ourselves overwhelmed with work, and but very few who will so adapt themselves to it as to be successful laborers.

The great want of the cause is consecrated laborers, who will cheerfully accustom themselves to care-taking, with a will to succeed, or die trying. We have labored hard to select men to fill important places in the work at head quarters, and about three in four prove failures, because they do not commence with a proper sense of the work, and will not bend muscle and brain to this work of sacrifice for the cause of Christ, with that singleness of heart and life which will secure his blessing, and rapid advancement in tact and ability to fill important positions. Some are bound to succeed. They in a short time learn to carry a load of care, and finally reach that point where a life of care-taking becomes natural, and they are very happy laboring under the inspiration of accomplishing in number-one order and style that which the providence of God brings before them to do.

The cause of truth languishes, and the few who stand beneath the burdens of the work are ready to faint and fall for want of the help of those young men and women who should at once enter upon it with a will to succeed, or die trying.

Our great work demands means as well as faithful men and women. The General Conference is in debt, and there comes in a call for a tent in Texas from Elder Kilgore, and one from Elder Fulton of Canada West for another. Elder Bourdeau, in Canada East, is calling for help, and Elder Lane has learned to take photographs in his tent in the daytime to support himself in preaching in the same tent evenings and Sundays. Times are hard everywhere, and will not justify moving from State to State, and the reckless use of means. Our ministers must settle into the work, and make our missions self-sustaining as fast as possible.

Elder Canright, and some others who labor like him, are crushing that old cry of “hard field of labor” which came from idlers in the Lord’s vineyard. God will be with all true laborers, and his Spirit moving upon the hearts of the people softens any field of labor. God has done more through Eld. Canright in New York the past year than had been done in five years before. His labors have added to the S. B. funds of that State enough to support four of our ministers. And at the same time the General Conference treasury is drained to assist men who do not add to the treasury a tithe of what they draw out. Elder Canright goes to New England to labor. We hope that his efforts there will not be crippled by the jealousies and narrow views of those who are content to do next to nothing, as they have been in the State of New York.

The General Conference Committee has laid plans for paying the debt on the College, building at our Sanitarium grounds, and increasing facilities for its usefulness. And we mention last, but it is by no means the least, a series of Biblical Institutes that shall reach from one end of the land to the other. Elders Smith and White are preparing a volume containing the series of lectures with questions to the class, and questions from the class and the answers. They will commence lectures where desired, and when they can get large classes in early autumn.

Time and space forbid further reports of the work of the Committee this week. Our great work, as canvassed by the Committee, will be the subject of future remarks. J. W.