The Tract Societies and Eld. Haskell’s Work by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 1, 1877

The Tract Societies and Eld. Haskell’s Work.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

At the last General Conference, Eld. Haskell was elected president of the General Tract and Missionary Society, and sister Maria Huntley, secretary, with the understanding that they were to move their head-quarters to Battle Creek, Mich., so as to be in the best possible position to push forward this work in all the Conferences. They are now preparing to promptly carry out this plan.

The very best time of year for the tract and missionary work is now fully here. If anything is to be done in obtaining subscribers for our periodicals, selling the Health Annual, and interesting the people in other branches of the work, it must be started immediately.

Almost everybody expects to renew his yearly subscription for some paper between this time and January. The long winter evenings are here—the very best time for reading. Now, brethren and sisters, let us wake up everywhere, with renewed energy in this work.

There should be a more thorough system in the tract work than there has been as yet. The secretary of the General Tract Society should have the names and addresses of all the officers in every Conference, together with a statement of the condition of every society; then distribution of tracts, papers, and other matter, can be made judiciously. There ought to be two or three general meetings held in every Conference, as soon as possible, in the interest of every Tract Society, at which Eld. Haskell shall be present. Of course, he cannot be everywhere at the same time, hence some of these meetings will have to be held later in the winter; but the sooner arrangements are made for them, the more successful they will be. Eld. Haskell is now ready to attend to these calls. The officers of the tract societies in different States who wish his labors should write to him soon.

Much can be accomplished by correspondence, and through the REVIEW; but there is nothing like a good, enthusiastic general meeting to stir up the brethren to get the work started. I have observed that where these meetings are not held, the tract work drags heavily. Fall and winter, when the brethren have nothing else to do, is just the time for meetings. Every year proves more and more the wonderful efficiency of our tract work. It is simply astonishing to see what our New England brethren are doing in this direction. Converts to the truth are being made, not only throughout all New England, but particularly in the South; and, in fact, in every part of the world. The seed is being sown, and little blades are already observed springing up, here and there, and everywhere. Our tracts and papers go ahead of the preacher, and prepare the way for him.

A glance at the reports in the REVIEW will show that God has blessed those Conferences the most abundantly, where they have taken hold the most readily in this work. Look at Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and New England, and some of the other Conferences. Time is short; now there is peace everywhere in our field. Printing is wonderfully cheap; postage is almost nothing; and mail facilities are unparalleled. May the Lord help us to work while the sun shines.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

Danvers, Mass., Oct. 21.