General Statement

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 5, 1912

General Statement

Report of Work Conducted by Seventh-day Adventists in Non-Christian and Non-Protestant Countries

Compiled by H. E. Rogers, Statistical Secretary, Washington, D. C.

General Statement

IN harmony with the Saviour's great commission, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Seventh-day Adventists have endeavored to obey this injunction literally by going to the various nations of the world with the gospel message which they bear. And in every land where this truth has been planted, it has borne fruit to the glory of God, to whom all praise is due for the results accomplished, and in whose honor the work has been done.

Soon after the organization of the General Conference in 1863, plans were considered for carrying out the divine commission to preach this gospel to every creature, and steps taken looking toward the accomplishment of this result in as large measure as then seemed possible. But it was not until the year 1874 that active steps were taken in the sending of missionaries to countries outside the United States to promote the interests of this cause. In that year, in accordance with the vote of the General Conference, laborers were sent to Switzerland, to establish a nucleus for the work in that country, where believers had already begun the observance of the tenets held by this body. Work in non-Protestant lands, however, was not entered upon until in the year 1886, when laborers were sent into Russia. From year to year other non-Protestant lands were entered; but work in heathen countries was not begun by this body until the year 1894, when missionaries were sent into Mashonaland, now Rhodesia, South Africa. Other fields have been entered from year to year, until this body is now conducting work in forty-seven non-Protestant countries, and twenty non-Christian lands, supporting laborers in these lands who speak seventy-three different languages and dialects, and issuing publications in sixty-four different languages, for circulation in the countries designated. The total number of foreign missionaries is 586, and of native helpers, 974, a total force of 1,560. There are 140 main stations, 145 sub-stations; 413 churches, with 17,565 adherents; 13 training-schools, having an enrolment of 724; 192 schools and out-schools, with an enrolment of 6,730. Total foreign teachers number 103, and native teachers, 262. The number added in 1911 was 2,679, or a gain of 22.74 per cent. The income from the mission fields for 1911, was $135,234.87, and the amount added thereto by the home base, was $357,587.73.

The Present Report

This is the first report issued by the General Conference dealing specifically with our work in non-Christian and non-Protestant lands. Up to the present we have been content to use the information contained in the regular statistical report of the denomination as being sufficiently complete with reference to our work in mission territory; but our work in such territory is conducted on lines somewhat different from those followed in Christian lands, so that as the cause has grown, and new methods of working have developed, it has been found essential to secure data regarding the various features of work carried forward in mission territory, for the purpose of issuing a separate report on such fields. Comparisons, therefore, can not be made with the statistical report covering these same fields, for the reason that the plan and scope of the two reports are different.

Extent of Work

The foregoing shows that Seventh-day Adventists are now carrying on work in mission territory whose population comprises the major portion of the world. It is true that the force of workers in some of the fields is very small, and yet experience has demonstrated that the gain as a whole is much greater in following this method than in combining a large number in certain fields. And it is only thus that the judgment-hour message as brought to view in the everlasting gospel can be carried "to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," the proclamation of which is the very work which brought this people into existence.

Progress of Work

The progress made in entering the fields herein noted may be illustrated thus: Beginning with 1886, when work was first undertaken in a non-Protestant land, the next decade saw the opening of work in 17 different countries, or 25.38 per cent of all the countries that have been entered; during the next decade, from 1896 to 1905, work was begun in 29 countries, or 43.28 per cent of all; during the six years following, to the present time, 21 other countries have been entered, or 31.34 per cent of all. Thus work in 50 new countries has been begun during the past sixteen years, or 74.62 per cent of all that have been entered since 1886. Therefore the work in three fourths of all the countries that have been entered as mission fields by this body is of comparatively recent date. And while in some fields the work is not yet on a firm basis, and the force is small, these fields will erelong be strengthened. This will be accomplished in two ways: By sending additional recruits from time to time, and, what is more important, by development of resources internally. In addition to strengthening the work in fields already occupied, plans are on foot to enter other new fields, notably Madagascar, Congo, Arabia, etc.

Results of Work

The results of the work for the year 1911 are very gratifying indeed. The report shows that the net gain in baptized members is 2,679. This is a gain of 22.74 per cent for the year. Another excellent result shown is the

large number of pupils in various schools. There is a total of 724 who are taking training for various lines of work, and 6,730 pupils who are taking work of a more elementary character, and who are thus brought in touch with workers giving instruction in Bible doctrines. Many of these pupils will, it is believed, later connect with the work in their respective fields. In Africa alone there is a total of 112 schools, with over 5,000 pupils in attendance from homes which were formerly heathen. Forty-nine teachers have this work in charge, with 156 native teachers trained to assist in a satisfactory manner.

Comparison With Christian Lands

To reach a more accurate understanding of the work to be accomplished in heathen lands, it will be profitable to make a few comparisons respecting work in Christian lands and in heathen countries. This is done in Summary 1, to which attention is directed.

From this it will be seen that the population of certain divisions is entirely out of proportion to the number of workers engaged. Take the Asiatic division, for instance, whose population constitutes 54.65 per cent of the world's population. The workers there employed constitute 8.39 per cent of the total force, and the adherents 2.89 per cent of the total communicants. Compare the above showing with that presented for North America, whose population is 6.39 per cent; the workers 47.42 per cent, and adherents 62.47 per cent.

The difference in the situation of the work in Asia and in North America, for instance, is easily noted by reference to column 6 of Summary 1, where it is shown that if the entire population of each division were grouped into congregations, each worker now laboring in those divisions would have a congregation of the following size: in Asia, 1,830,138; in North America, 37,932. In other words, each worker in Asia has a congregation forty-eight times as large as has each worker in North America.

Other interesting comparisons may be observed, as, for instance, the fact that the total adherents in non-Christian and non-Protestant lands constitutes 15.74 per cent, while adherents in Christian lands are 84.26 per cent, of the total communicants. Comparison with the percentage of population indicates practically the opposite condition; that is, that the mission division has 84.87 per cent of population, and the Christian division 15.13 per cent of the population. Thus it is shown that 15.74 per cent of adherents are in countries whose population constitutes 84.87 per cent, and 84.26 per cent of adherents are in countries whose population constitutes 15.13 per cent, of the total. This is a situation which must surely be changed, so that the proportion shall be more nearly alike in both divisions.

Finances

The total of all funds raised by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in the United States for evangelistic purposes in 1911 constituted a per capita of $32.92 for the membership in that field. The present report indicates that the per capita amount of funds raised in mission territory constituted $7.69 for each of the 17,565 adherents in such territory. In addition there was sent to the support of work in such fields $357,587.73, or a per capita of $20.36 for each of the adherents in those fields, making a total of approximately $28.05 per capita used for the work in mission territory. Deducting the amount sent outside the home base, leaves the per capita expended there at $27.44, thus indicating something of an equalization of funds expended for the home field and the work in mission territory.

Languages Employed

The languages and dialects in which work is conducted orally by laborers under the auspices of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in non-Christian and non-Protestant lands, are as follows:— Aimara, Kiruri Amharic, Kisanaki Arabic, Korean Armenian, Lettonian Armeno-Turkish, Lithuanian Bengali, Malay Bohemian, Mandarin Burmese, Marathi Bulgarian, Maori Chasu (Kipare), Persian Cantonese, Polish Chimanyika, Portuguese Chinyanja, Rarotongan Chitonga, Roumanian Croatian, Russian Dutch, Samoan Esthonian, Santali Fijian, Servian Finnish, Sesuto French, Shanghai Fukienese, Sintebele German, Slavonian Greek, Slovakian Hakka, Spanish Haklo, Swahili Hawaiian, Syriac Hindi, Tagalog Hungarian, Tahitian Japanese, Tamil Javanese, Tigrinya Java-Malay, Tongan Italian, Turkish Kafir (Xosa), Urdu Karen, Wageia Kijita, Yao Kikerewe, Zulu Kikiden, Total, 73 Languages used in work in Christian lands, in addition to foregoing:— Danish-Norwegian, Swedish English, Welsh Icelandic, Yiddish Laplandish, Total, 7 Grand total, 80

Languages in Which Publications Are Issued

Languages in which publications are issued by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in non-Christian and non-Protestant lands:— Amoy, Garhwali Arabic, German Armenian, Greek Armeno-Turkish, Greco-Turkish Battak, Hawaiian Bengali, Hindi Bohemian, Hungarian Bulgarian, Ilocano Burmese, Italian Cantonese, Japanese Chasu (Kipare), Java-Malay Chinyanja, Kafir (Xosa) Chitonga, Korean Croatian, Lettonian Dutch, Lithuanian Esthonian, Malay Fijian, Mandarin Finnish, Maori French, Marathi Niue, Urdu (Persian) Polish, Urdu (Roman) Portuguese, Wendic Rarotongan, Wenli Roumanian, Zulu Russian, Total, 64 Samoan, The following are issued in Christian lands, in addition to foregoing:— Santali, Danish-Norwegian Servian, English Shanghai, Icelandic Sintebele, Laplandish Sesuto, Swedish Slovakian, Welsh Slavonian, Yiddish Spanish, Tagalog, Total, 7 Tahitian, Grand total, 71 Tamil, Tongan, Turkish,

An interesting work is reported in connection with the effort being conducted in German East Africa. Our missionaries found that the language of the Chasu people had not yet been reduced to written form. Their language was studied, and in time a grammar, portion of the gospel, and gospel literature were issued in the Chasu language.

Column 35 of the general table shows a total of ten printing plants engaged in the production of literature in various forms for use in mission territory. In addition, however, there are other presses in near-by Christian lands that are assisting in this work, notably in Hamburg, Germany, and in New South Wales. At the former place literature is prepared in eighteen languages, and at the latter, in seven languages, for use in adjacent mission territory. These presses are not included in the general table. Other work of this character is done in America, Christiana, Stockholm, London, Cape Town, etc.

The entire list of printed matter issued by the denomination includes at present about 350 bound books, 300 pamphlets, 1,100 tracts, and 125 periodicals in 29 languages. The circulation of this literature is an important phase of the work carried on by the workers in mission territory, and many of the persons listed in column 16 as native helpers, are those engaged in the distribution and sale of denominational literature in their respective fields. For the year 1911 the value of all the denominational literature sold throughout the entire world was $1,627,657.83, or $14.93 for every one of the 108,975 communicants.

Table 1, column 1, indicates that work is conducted in ten provinces in China, namely, Kiangsu, Chekiang, Anhwei, Honan, Hupeh, Kwangtung, Kwangsi, Hunan, Kiangsi, Fukien. The work there also includes the islands of Formosa and Hainan.

Notes on Table 1

a Columns 7 to 14 give the number of "foreign" missionaries; that is, workers sent from the home base into mission territory. b In column 18 is given the total of foreign workers and native helpers. This total includes the foreign teachers indicated in column 31, and the number of native teachers given in column 32. c Duplicate languages are eliminated, so that the totals for each division and for the grand total give the correct number. For a list of languages in which work is conducted orally and also publications issued, see elsewhere in this report.