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THE DIME TABERNACLE

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 11, 1878

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 52, No. 3.

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THE DIME TABERNACLE.

By James White; Dudley Marvin Canright; S. N. Haskell

An address to all, old and young, great and small, far and near, who would esteem it a privilege to contribute of their means to build a tabernacle in the city of Battle Creek, Mich., of sufficient capacity to convene the growing congregation, and to receive the crowd at our General Conferences, and on other special occasions.
A MEETING of the General Conference Committee was held at 8 A. M., July 3, 1878, at the residence of Eld. James White, corner of Washington and Champion Sts., Battle Creek, Mich. The subject of a new meeting-house in Battle Creek was taken into consideration, and the following resolutions were presented, and after due examination, were unanimously adopted:—
Resolved, 1. That the rapidly increasing congregation, in consequence of the location of the College and Sanitarium at this place, and from other causes, demands that a house of worship be erected that will seat 2,500 persons, and on special occasions accommodate 3,000.
2. That as a tabernacle would cost only about one-half what a fashionable meeting-house would cost, in our opinion it would be more in accordance with the faith of Seventh day Adventists to build a plain tabernacle that would seat this number of persons, than to build a fashionable house with the same amount of money, that would seat only about one-half of this number.
3. That as our present house of worship will contain only about one-half of the congregation that will wish to attend our meetings at the commencement of the next term of the College, in our opinion the work of building should commence immediately.
4. That Battle Creek church do not need for their own use a larger house of worship than the present one, as it will accommodate the members of the church, and those who, under common circumstances, would meet with them.
5. That the location of the Battle Creek College and the Sanitarium at this point increases the congregation to twice the size it would be were these institutions not located here, making a larger building absolutely necessary.
6. That the funds to build this house be raised by monthly contributions from any and all persons, men, women, and children, who shall esteem it a pleasure to contribute to such a house.
7. That the amount of these monthly contributions be ten cents from each contributor.
8. That the librarians of all our tract and missionary societies be the collectors of these contributions, and forward them to the REVIEW AND HERALD monthly.
9. That those churches which have no librarians, and our scattered friends who reside where there are no churches, forward their donations direct to the REVIEW AND HERALD Office.
10. That these, and all others who can do so, pay one dollar or more each, in advance, during the month of July, 1878.
11. That a supplement to the REVIEW AND HERALD be printed monthly, which shall contain the names of the donors, and the receipt of the amounts when paid.
12. That the proposed house of worship, on account of the manner of raising funds for it, be called The Dime Tabernacle.
13. That the plan of raising funds to build this Tabernacle, set forth in the foregoing resolutions, does not release the Battle Creek church from its pledges, nor make void the appeal made through the REVIEW of July 4, to wealthy brethren in the United States to donate according to their several ability toward the building of this place of worship.
14. That an address be prepared, to be put in print as soon as possible, to be read at the church quarterly meetings, in which the foregoing resolutions shall be embodied, with an appeal to all our people to act promptly in this matter.
15. That the doings of this meeting be published in the REVIEW AND HERALD.
Adjourned to call of chair.
Jas. White, President.
U. Smith, Secretary.

ADDRESS AND APPEAL.

Brethren and Friends,—
We invite your attention to the foregoing report of the doings of the General Conference Committee, touching a house of worship. The plan to raise the necessary means may appear novel to some, yet its final results will prove it to be the right one, as it calls for the littles from the multitude. As little drops of water make up the ocean, and as little grains of sand make the vast plains, and little acts of love bring a great reward in heaven, so by donating the little sum of ten cents monthly by ten thousand of our friends, the house of God at our very headquarters can be paid for and no one feel it.
The Battle Creek church has built three meeting-houses to meet the wants of the growing cause and congregation at this point. Their third house will seat about five hundred persons. With a membership of less than three hundred, they have ample room for themselves and all their friends who would attend on ordinary occasions; but, as we have before stated through the REVIEW AND HERALD, the congregation at the opening of our school will be made two or three times its size under other circumstances, by the advent of four or five hundred students and hundreds of patients at the Sanitarium. Most of these wish to attend services every Sabbath morning.
The College is the property of our brethren scattered everywhere. The students come from all parts of the country, and one object of great importance that our brethren have in view in sending their sons and daughters, and their youthful friends, to our College is, that they may have the benefits and blessings of the religious services on the Sabbath. This being the case, the brethren of all our Conferences will not fail to see that they need a house of worship of sufficient capacity to seat the students they send to our College, besides the regular Battle Creek congregation.
And one ground of preference in sending patients to the Sanitarium rather than recommending them to go to other institutions of the same character is, that they too may be brought in contact with the strong religious interest based upon the great facts of the present truth. Therefore, our brethren scattered abroad who feel that these men and women are losing their hold upon this life, and should have their attention called to the preparation for the next, should feel the importance of a house of worship at this point to receive all such visitors, where they can hear the word of God set forth, if they choose to attend, every Sabbath day.
As the tract and missionary societies are spread out almost everywhere among our people, they may become the most wide-spread and effective agents in the collection of these small sums. We have, therefore, suggested that the librarians of all our churches consider themselves authorized to immediately take steps to collect these monthly donations. And there are many brethren and friends scattered away from our churches, who would take pleasure in contributing to the Dime Tabernacle. These are invited to forward their donations direct to the REVIEW AND HERALD. As but very few would wish to forward less than a dollar at a remittance, we recommend that these scattered ones forward, during the month of July, their donations for the entire year.
It will be seen that the foregoing resolutions do not make null and void our former appeal to wealthy brethren in the several States to forward their donations all the way from ten to one hundred dollars each.
And we suggest that the privilege of building this house be not restricted to our brethren and their families. Whosoever will, of a ready mind and willing heart, give toward this enterprise, let them have a chance. There is scarcely a person in all S. D. Adventist Christendom, except our special enemies, who would not wish to take part in such an enterprise as this.
The donations from multitudes of unbelievers who are the friends of education would be like ten thousand cords drawing their hearts toward us as a people. We therefore say to all our friends who shall read this Address, We constitute you our agents to collect the dimes from all persons who would esteem it a privilege to contribute, whether they belong to the S. D. Adventists or not, and forward them to the REVIEW AND HERALD Office. Be very particular to take the full name and address of each donor, and forward them with the donations.
Our apology for making this appeal, and adopting this plan, is the necessity of the case. Do you plead hard times? We reply, This is the very reason why we have adopted this easy plan to raise the needed funds in these hard times. The work of building will commence at once, and the building committee have no funds to commence with. Their immediate action will be based upon an unshaken faith in your willingness and your promptness. The credit of the S. D. Adventists at Battle Creek is good to-day, and as our committee shall venture out in good faith that you will be prompt, we appeal to you not to disappoint that committee and expose the credit of our people at this most important point. The building finished and furnished with proper heating apparatus, will not cost less than twelve thousand dollars. It would require the donation of one dime each month from a little more than ten thousand persons to raise this sum in one year from date. Our membership in the United States is considerably more than this, besides a host of children and outside friends, who will wish to take part.
Let the work of gathering the dimes be commenced at once, and carried forward with a vigilance worthy of the enterprise. And should more be raised during the year than is required to build, furnish, and heat the church, the surplus will be put into the treasury of our European missions, and a faithful account of the amount received and expended, and how it is appropriated, will be given in the supplement of the REVIEW AND HERALD.
Servants of the Church,
JAMES WHITE, } Gen. D. M. CANRIGHT, } Conf. S. N. HASKELL, } Com.