p. 17 | Using Newspapers in the Northern Union Conference

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 19, 1914

Using Newspapers in the Northern Union Conference

By W. L. Burgan

Many encouraging reports of the progress that has been made toward advancing the truth through the newspapers were brought to the biennial meeting of the Northern Union Conference held in Minneapolis, January 27 to February 8, by various workers in this territory. Several persons have been won to the truth who first heard of our movement either through articles in the news columns or through advertisements in the secular press. Workers in this union were quite enthusiastic over the possibilities in using this medium, and declared that they intend to continue to consider the newspaper an important feature in connection with their tent and hall efforts.

Through the publication of several advertisements in one of the Minneapolis newspapers last summer, announcing the tent meetings being held in that city, three good, substantial persons accepted the truth, and are today stanch believers. One of these three, a man, lived on the north side of Minneapolis, while the tent meetings were held in the southern section of the city, his home and the tent being about five miles apart. He knew nothing of the meetings that were being held until he read one of the advertisements. He visited the tent, and became more interested in each succeeding meeting until he finally joined the ranks of the Lord’s people.

Two persons in Iowa rejoice in the truth as the result of a controversy that was carried on in the newspapers between a minister of another denomination and one of our workers. When the attack was made on our cause, the only one to defend it was our foreign worker in that place. Though he had difficulty in preparing his answer in the English language, the Lord blessed his efforts. His answer was published in full, and a physician and his wife who read both sides of the controversy, took their stand for the truth and are stanch believers.

One worker in Iowa stated that he had forty sermons published in connection with one tent effort. Through the papers these sermons were carried twenty-five miles into the country, as well as being circulated through the city where the papers were printed.

Another brother in Iowa, who labored last season in a city where there are three daily newspapers, said he was a stanch advocate of using the press. He told of the success he had in getting extracts of sermons published, and said that though his audiences were not unusually large, yet the thousands of persons in that city and the surrounding country got the sermons through the reports in the papers. He said he knew that many not attending the services read the articles, and that considerable interest was manifested in the reports. He is planning to give some attention to the newspaper part of his tent effort during the coming season.

An encouraging bit of information concerning the Northern Union Conference came to Minneapolis in the shape of a clipping. This clipping was taken from the Star published in Baltimore, Md., and gave a very interesting announcement about the meeting. The remarkable part about it was that the press association thought so well of the importance of this meeting that it sent out an announcement over the wires to various parts of the country. The announcement in Baltimore was published at least 1,200 miles from where the meeting was held, and a non-Adventist, in looking through her paper, saw the announcement, and sent a clipping to one of her relatives attending the meeting in Minneapolis. Who can tell how many persons read of this meeting, and how far it was advertised?

There is power in the press to attract people to hear the truth. An important part of the newspaper work is that of bringing to the attention of the people, who would not otherwise learn about it, the fact that this glorious gospel is being preached in their city or town or neighborhood. As this agency is used more and more, it will take a prominent part in searching out the honest in heart, and also in warning others regarding the things which are coming on the world.

W. L. Burgan.