City Work in the Chesapeake Conference
By Roscoe T. Baer
THE question of how to get the message before the great masses in our congested cities is one of absorbing interest to every believer and worker whose lot it is to live or labor in these centers of population. The recent council for city evangelists, held at Takoma Park, helped to solve many difficult problems, and we believe that the Lord directed in the instruction given. We have seen a great need in our city work in this conference, and we have often sought the Lord for light and help that plans might be laid whereby more effectual work could be done for those who have not known our message. In our study of this problem we found that the Lord had a plan which is clearly outlined in "Testimonies for the Church," Vol. IX, pages 111, 112:— "A well-balanced work can be carried on best when a training-school for Bible workers is in progress. While the public meetings are being held, connected with this training-school or city mission should be experienced laborers of deep spiritual understanding, who can give the Bible workers daily instruction, and who can also unite whole-heartedly in the general public effort being put forth. And as men and women are converted to the truth, those standing at the head of the city mission should with much prayer show these new converts how to experience the power of the truth in their lives. This united effort on the part of all the workers would be as a nail driven in a sure place." In harmony with the counsel from the Lord, we began to look for a suitable location where we could properly organize our city work. We finally secured a large semidetached building in one of Baltimore's beautiful suburbs, easy of access15from any part of the city; and here the conference headquarters and the city mission home are now established. The building is so constructed that the conference office and officials occupy one half, and the city evangelist and Bible workers occupy the other half. On the conference side there is a system of work carried on, with regular hours for work; and on the mission home side, a daily program is carried out, which provides time for devotion, breakfast, Bible study, reports by workers, and for different kinds of city work. Elder F. W. Paap carries the responsibility of the mission home. He has had experience in this kind of work, and we therefore expect good results. The conference committee spent a day in the city looking for a suitable location, and have approved this combination of the conference-mission home, as well as the location. We can accommodate a few earnest young people who are desirous of entering the Bible work, but who find it necessary to take some training for this work. This training we believe can be given in our mission home, where city Bible work is studied. The large population of Baltimore offers a field for real, practical work along with the studies given. With this organization of city workers, we expect to see fruits from our labors in the salvation of many more souls than have come to us in the past. Though the cities appear walled up to heaven, yet if we follow out the plan of God, we shall be able to gather out the honest in heart, and the kingdom of Christ will come. What we have been able to do in effecting a combination of city workers in Baltimore, we hope to do for other cities in our field, such as Wilmington, Del., and Hagerstown and Cumberland, Md. The Lord has promised to bless our efforts proportionate to our willingness to walk in the light of his counsel.