p. 8 | THE WORLD MISSIONARY MOVEMENT A SIGN OF THE END

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Mar 10, 1914

THE WORLD MISSIONARY MOVEMENT A SIGN OF THE END

By William Ambrose Spicer

A Conviction Spontaneous in Many Denominations—An Unseen Power Is Pressing the Work—A Reformatory Message

THERE was recently held in Garden City, Long Island, a representative meeting of all the Protestant missionary societies in the United States and Canada, in which reports were given surveying the whole world situation from the missionary point of view, with the discussion of methods of work, both in the preparation of missionaries and in the pressing of the work on the mission field.

A MIGHTY MOVEMENT AND A SIGN

The development of a mighty movement for the carrying of the gospel message to all the world is one of the remarkable signs of our times. As the end draws near, the providence of God begins to lay upon the hearts of believers a burden for the great unevangelized world; and as events have marked the rapid approach of Christ's second coming, more and more has the burden of evangelizing the world been pressed upon the heart of Christendom.

A TOTAL OF TWENTY-SIX MILLION

To take the one item,—devotion of means to this work: The reports presented at this conference of missions for North America showed that the American societies last year spent over $16,000,000 in this work. Supplementary reports showed that the European societies had expended a sum that brings the total for Protestant foreign mission service up to the immense figure of $26,000,000 during 1913. True, this is a small amount as compared with what is spent on war and preparation for war; but it is a sign of the times that must cheer the heart of every believer, to see the ever-strengthening and increasing effort to spread the light of God's word in all the dark corners of the earth. It is impossible to refer to all the sources of this income, but the following is the list of societies devoting more than a quarter of a million dollars a year to this work:

Presbyterian, North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,800,000 Methodist Episcopal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,500,000 Baptist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,100,000 Congregationalist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,048,000 Woman's Methodist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 837,000 Protestant Episcopal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 823,000 Methodist Episcopal, South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 790,000 Presbyterian, South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637,000 Southern Baptist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580,000 Seventh-day Adventist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444,000 Canadian Methodist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380,000 Christian (Disciple) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352,000

We thank God for the record our own Seventh-day Adventist society can present in this list, numbering so few as we do. Surely the "little flock" of Adventist believers are pressing forward with their eyes upon the dark regions beyond. This ought so to be. And yet greater results, we know, will be aimed at; for those who believe that the coming of Christ is "even at the door" have nothing else to live for, or to do business for, than to press the gospel message of the Lord's soon coming to the uttermost parts of the earth.

WHY THIS TREMENDOUS MOVEMENT

We thank God also for every effort that is spreading the light of the blessed Word among the nations. Why is this tremendous movement on just now? Well we know. It is because the coming of the Lord Jesus is at the door, and He has given us the chiefest sign of all in just such a work as we see fulfilling before our eyes: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matt. 24:14.

IT IS A MESSAGE OF REFORM

Every agency that is spreading the living Word abroad is contributing to the hastening of that glad day. No one, however, can read those verses of Revelation 14, from the sixth verse onward to verse 14, describing the rise of the special message of preparation for the coming of the Lord, telling of the glorious second appearing of the Saviour, without seeing that inspiration plainly declares that the final message of the gospel to all nations and tongues is a message of reform, calling men away from the traditions of men to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus in this time of Christ's closing work of judgment in the heavenly sanctuary. This is the message that has made Seventh-day Adventists a people in the world, and the power of God attending it has rapidly spread this movement into all the continents of earth. The Lord is fulfilling His word before the eyes of this generation, and soon the Saviour will come. W. A. S.