p. 60 | SYSTEMATIC LABOR by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 22, 1862

SYSTEMATIC LABOR.

By Editor

Six of our ministers, counting the editor, at present have their head-quarters in or quite near Battle Creek. This is a singular circumstance. It must look strange to our churches in other parts of the State, who do not hear a sermon in three months. And no wonder they inquire why some good preacher cannot make his head-quarters with them, so that when he returns to his family, now and then, they can have preaching.

The church at Battle Creek needs these preachers less than any church in the State, from the fact that it has more active members than any other church in the State, many of them of long experience and sound judgment. We sometimes preach to them, but often feel when done that a social meeting would have been better. And it is frequently the case that, when we return from spending a Sabbath with some other church, we are told that the brethren enjoyed an excellent meeting, the best in several Sabbaths. Now what is the use for us preachers to get in the way of these experienced, living members?

But when it comes to this that there are at our Sabbath meetings, from two to five of our ministers, which is sometimes the case, and others so destitute of preaching, things look out of joint, and we are led to look for the cause. Not many months since we preached to the church when there were four of these ministers present. And we have no doubts but the church would have been as well off, and perhaps better, if all five of us had been preaching in five different congregations, and they left to pray, exhort, and sing to the praise of God, as is their custom when preachers do not get in their way.

We preachers talk of system and organization. This is right. We have been trying to organize our churches, and it works well. We have been establishing systematic benevolence, and the thing admirably answers the design. Now we propose to the churches that they organize the ministers, and introduce among us systematic labor; that is, unless the ministers soon take hold of it themselves. We say, let the ministers be examples to the flock. This huddling together is, at least, setting a poor example to the flock. Where is the missionary spirit in all this? Those missionaries, and their noble partners in life, who have parted with dear friends and the comforts and associations of their native land, and have exposed health and life, in a sickly climate, in the hope of converting heathen men and women, set a godlike example of sacrifice and love for the salvation of men, which some of our ministers and their companions would do well to follow. Could they but fully venture out upon the arm of God, then they would realize an almighty power sustaining them, and they would feel at home anywhere and everywhere. The consolations of a life of devotion and sacrifice are all-sustaining. He or she who walks with God never feels lonesome.

In the path of duty we find the sustaining grace of life. There all may find freedom of spirit, and joy in the Holy Ghost. If we will give God a chance to work for us, and believe his promises, he will do great things for us. Our preachers say that at Battle Creek is a hard place to preach. And why? The reason may be because the Lord has nothing for them to do in Battle Creek. We close these pointed remarks by saying to the churches in Michigan that it may be your duty to send the Macedonian cry in to Battle Creek—"Come over and help us." Just get fully organized, brethren, so you can provide and hold legally a good home for a minister, something like an old-fashioned Methodist parsonage, and then you are all ready to welcome among you our preachers. This will work admirably in the case of those preachers who come in among us very poor, whom we wish to encourage, and at the same time prove them.

We speak plainly for the good of the cause—the good of all. All that holds us at Battle Creek is our connection with the publishing department. And let no one think that these good preachers are in our way in a pecuniary point of view. We put more than thirty dollars annually into the S. B. treasury of the Battle Creek church, from which treasury we have never received one cent for preaching to the church and never expect to.