p. 9 | Foreign Mission and Relief Funds by W. T. Knox

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 7, 1914

Foreign Mission and Relief Funds

By W. T. Knox

Herewith is submitted the report of the receipts of the foreign mission and relief funds for the first three months of 1914, being the record of each local and union conference in North America. It is to be greatly regretted that conditions necessitate the rendering of a report with such a poor showing. On account of all that is involved in our success or failure in raising these funds, the careful consideration of the report by the Review readers is earnestly requested.

The appropriations of the General Conference for 1914 have been based upon the expectation of securing offerings equivalent to a full fifteen cents per week per member, our calculations being based upon a membership in North America of 65,013. This would furnish the General Conference for its operations $507,100, every dollar of which would be required to meet the necessities of the General Conference on account of the great expansion of the work during the past year.

The extra five cents per week per member called for, should yield $169,000 for the relief of our institutions. The report shows that there should have been received for the quarter just closed $169,033.80, one fourth of which would have been for the relief of our institutions, and three fourths for the work of the Mission Board. The total receipts, however, have been $78,754.64, hardly 50 per cent of the amount desired, and $48,000 less than the actual requirements of the General Conference, with nothing, of course, for the relief of our institutions, as in this relief measure it is understood that no funds will be available for the relief of the institutions until the full fifteen cents per week per member for missions has been secured. Only two conferences and one mission field have made a perfect record. Almost all others show a deficit ranging from 50 per cent to 75 per cent.

We are already well into the second quarter of the year, and unless instant attention is given to this situation and determined effort put forth to correct it, most serious embarrassment is sure to come to our foreign mission work before the year closes. All conference and church officers are therefore urgently requested to give this matter their immediate attention. The situation demands prompt attention. W. T. Knox.