According to the decision of the West Indian Union Conference that I should take charge of the work in British Guiana, I started on my first trip early in April to hold quarterly meetings with our people; and as the geographical conditions of the country and the manners and customs of the people have been so often reported by other workers, I shall confine my report to the spiritual condition of the people and their needs.
Leguan Island
Calling at this place, I found the church much reduced, there being only eight members left out of a membership of more than thirty a few years ago. Owing to the illness of the elder, the meetings and Sabbath-school had been discontinued for months. I proceeded to elect new officers as far as possible, and filled vacancies by appointment. The church building is in need of repairs, and should, I believe, be moved to La Bagatella, a distance of two miles, which is the central village of the island, the estate where it now stands being abandoned. I have since visited this church, and find they are earnestly endeavoring to keep up their meetings, hoping soon to receive further help. I believe the membership would be increased if we could send a man there to do the work.
Tappacooma Mission
Calling at this place, I found the work under the charge of Brother T. J. Kennedy in a healthy condition. All the members, about thirty-nine in number, are of good courage; and the mission house is well advanced, with fair prospects of completion soon. At this mission we have recently lost by death one of the first native members to receive this message.—Brother James Jeffery,—who faithfully performed his duties as elder until the time of his decease. Various lines of the work were carefully presented, in which all manifested a deep interest. The school is making good progress under the management of Brother Kennedy, and as a result of his labors I baptized three adults before leaving.
Queenstown
At this place is located, it is said, the oldest company of Sabbath-keepers in the colony. A great deal of money and labor have been spent here, and at one time a membership of nearly thirty was on the church-roll; but by the many attacks of Satan, and for lack of help, they, like the company at Leguan, have been reduced to only sixteen members; and the church building must soon be abandoned if it is not repaired. There are a few waiting for baptism, and if we could only give more attention to the work here, I believe several more would soon unite in keeping the commandments. At this place we held a Sabbath-school convention; this was a profitable time to all.
Munker Pomeroon River
At this place we have a company of about thirteen in a fair state spiritually, and steps are being taken to purchase a building for church purposes. All seem to be of good courage, and the work is making some advancement. There are a few awaiting baptism at this place on my return visit. Arrangements had been made to hold a Sabbath-school convention here, but owing to another attack of sickness these meetings were interrupted, and I was obliged to return home without completing the plans for the work.
Bootooba, Demerara River
On my recovery from my illness I visited this place, and found it had been sadly neglected. It was in such a confused state, so many being found in questionable standing, that it seemed necessary to dissolve the organization, and reorganize. Accordingly, steps were taken to that effect, and out of a church of thirty-four members, only seven were found eligible to membership. With this number a new organization was formed. In the services the presence of the Spirit was felt in a marked degree, and many were moved to confess their sins, and declared their intention to re-consecrate themselves to God. We hope that at least a few may be reclaimed at some future time.
On finding a large number of children here who have school advantages only as they go three miles up and down the river in a canoe, and who are sometimes unable to reach home before dark, their frail bark frequently capsizing, and occasionally a child being drowned; and considering the willingness on the part of the parents, not only of our people but of others as well, to help maintain a school at this place, steps were taken to re-establish the school opened here several years ago.
This is properly an Indian mission, as nearly all of our members are full or part Indian, and the prospects are promising for a prosperous work to be built up here.
On a whole this report is not as encouraging as we wish it were, as it shows a decrease of membership compared with a few years ago, also a great wasting away of buildings. At this place the mission house once occupied by our workers is to-day only a skeleton, nothing being left but the frame. I think, however, that facts and figures are the most profitable to the cause, even if they show a deficit, for thereby we know the certainty of the matter, and are better able to correct the evil. Some may inquire the cause of this great falling off in membership; but the area of this conference is equal to that of Pennsylvania and South Carolina, and the means of traveling such that in order to reach the last-named place, a distance of one hundred twenty miles, and spend Sabbath and Sunday with them, means that one must spend six days in all. This people need a worker with them much of the time, as their environment is such that they are easily overcome, and fall into sin, and hence need to see the worker frequently; but it is impossible for one man to meet these people as often as he should, to say nothing of doing any aggressive work. We need at least two more good colporteurs to work along these great rivers, lined with human beings. And the city of Georgetown will furnish more work than one man can do before the Lord comes. Besides, we must have a man at the head of the work. As I look back to America, with her hundreds of workers and thousands of dollars spent every year, and besides this, thousands of lay members who can and should be God's helping hand in finishing up the work there, I often wonder why the workers are so slow to enter new fields yet untouched. Paul, when he was converted, did not go back to Jerusalem, nor remain at Damascus to tell what he had learned of the Lord; but he went at once directly into Arabia, an unentered field, and on to new fields. Are there not some Pauls in the home land who will listen to hear that Macedonian cry, “Come over, . . . and help us.”
O. E. DAVIS.
Turkey
By Claude D. AcMoody
Turkey
BAGTCHEDJIK, ASIA MINOR.—We are on the verge of most interesting times in Turkey. Every one is now in suspense. Three days ago the sultan granted a constitution for the empire, and a parliament is to be elected from the provinces, and it is hard to tell what will result. Whether this means a period17of open door for the gospel message to go, or whether it means that we are on the verge of a great civil war, remains to be seen. Certainly since the signing of the treaty of St. Stefano, and the Berlin arrangement which followed, there has been no time when all Europe's attention was on Turkey as it is at the present time. Now is the time to work.
There seems to be a strong prejudice against our work on the part of the Protestants in Turkey, but I am glad to say that I have some of the best men among them in the list of my friends.
Certainly the Lord is opening the hearts of his people, in this time of great need of both means and men. O, if the dear ones at home could only know the needs over here as those of us here know them, no means would be spent foolishly. Every cent possible would be given to help close up the work.
CLAUDE D. AcMOODY.
Current Mention
— Hon. W. B. Allison, senior United States senator from Iowa, died in Dubuque, August 4. He had been in ill-health for some time, but the immediate cause of his death was heart failure.
— The American fleet of war vessels left New Zealand last Saturday morning for Sydney, Australia. Their departure was the occasion of a great demonstration on the part of the New Zealanders.
— The aeroplane flying-machine invented by the Wright Brothers of Ohio, is now making a series of very successful flights in France, and has been pronounced by French experts in aeronautics the best flying-machine so far produced.
— As a result of criticism on the part of the Russian Parliament, the czar has dismissed his uncle, Grand Duke Nicholas, from the presidency of the council for national defense. This action on the part of the czar speaks volumes for the influence the douma is acquiring in the control of the highest affairs of state.
— The German Foreign Office is exchanging views with the United States over the question of assisting the republic of Liberia in its efforts to withstand the encroachments of France and England. The officials of Liberia have appealed to both the United States and Germany for assistance in this matter.
— The famous composer, singer, and evangelist, Ira D. Sankey, died last week in Brooklyn, at the age of sixty-eight. Mr. Sankey has been blind for the past five years, but continued his work of hymn-writing almost to the very last. Mr. Sankey’s hymns have been sung in almost every language, and almost every country of the world. It is stated that he has sung many of his hymns into phonographs.
— The Dutch government is seeking America’s views with reference to conditions in Venezuela, and the various contingencies that are likely to arise before the present dispute is settled between Holland and Venezuela. The Dutch government has already discontinued the sending of mail to that country, and the reports indicate that another war-ship is being despatched to the seat of difficulty.
— There was a terrible outbreak of the mob spirit in Springfield, Ill., last week. The outbreak was caused by the repeated assaults of negroes upon white women. The local authorities being unable to cope with the situation, three thousand militiamen were called out. The reports received up to the time this paper was printed showed that five persons had been killed, and twenty-eight injured. The governor of the State of Illinois issued a statement declaring that “the entire resources of the State will be drawn upon, if necessary, to protect every citizen of Springfield in his person and property, and those who violate the law must suffer the consequences.” To prevent another mob from lynching two negroes at Portsmouth, Va., the accused men were taken to another place for safe-keeping. These men are also charged with an assault upon a white woman.18
— Eight men were killed, about twenty others more or less seriously injured, and thousands of dollars’ worth of property was damaged by the explosion of a boiler in the York Rolling Mill at York, Pa., on August 10.
— Mylius Erichsen, the Danish explorer who has been mapping the unexplored regions in North Greenland, perished with two of his companions recently while adrift on an ice-floe. The date of his death is not given in the despatch.
— Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, chief of the Bureau of Chemistry in the United States Department of Agriculture, after prolonged investigation of certain preservatives used in preserving foods of different kinds finds that benzoic acid and benzoate of soda can not be used for this purpose without injury to the health of those who partake of foods thus preserved.
— The great German firm of war-implement builders known as the Krupps have purchased of a Swedish inventor all the rights outside of Sweden, to a weapon of war known as an aerial torpedo. It is claimed for this torpedo that it can be directed with great accuracy, fired without noise, and that it will completely demolish any vessel or fort upon which it may fall.
— An indication that the air-ship has really become one of the permanent factors in modern life is seen in the movement that is now on foot to have the names of the villages and cities of the country printed in large white letters on the roofs of large public buildings, so that aeronauts may know where they are as they sail over the country. The city of Columbus, Ohio, will be the first to adopt the suggestion.
— The result of the Cuban elections thus far has been a disappointment to state department officials at Washington. It seems that the element that is winning in the elections is not the element that would give the best indications of permanent peace, as viewed by American officials. The press report states: “The possibility of complications arising that might necessitate a change in the program of evacuation is found somewhat disturbing to the War Department.”
— Canadian government surveyors have begun to lay out a railway route to the southern shore of Hudson Bay. It is expected that legislation allowing the construction of this road will be begun in the Canadian Parliament during the present year. A steamer line in connection with this road will give to northern and western Canada a summer outlet to European markets. The promoters of this project believe that it will greatly help in developing middle and north-western Canada.
— At the present time there is much comment in English papers over the visit of the American fleet to Australasia. Some of the papers are blaming the government for not having a fleet of British war-ships in Australasian waters to welcome the Americans, and others are excusing the government for keeping the fleet at home because of “the necessity of concentrating the British fleet in home waters in view of the more immediate struggle.” The belief seems to persist that Germany and England are soon to be testing each other’s military and naval strength.
— On August 10 the American battleship fleet arrived at Auckland, New Zealand. The fleet is receiving an enthusiastic welcome from people and officials alike. The prime minister, during his address of welcome, presented to Admiral Sperry for President Roosevelt a beautiful gold and silver album, a souvenir of New Zealand. While the newspapers publish long articles welcoming the Americans, they also take occasion to denounce the alliance between England and Japan, which has never been popular with the Australasians.
— At the annual orphans’ picnic, held recently at Pittsburg, Pa., by the Catholics of that city, a number of very questionable methods were employed for raising money. In the past, this picnic has yielded from twenty-five to forty thousand dollars. While the methods of raising this money in the past have been questionable, the mode of procedure for this year was in complete defiance of the law. Gamblers had been brought in, with all kinds of gambling devices, with the understanding that the church was to receive a portion of all sums won by the gamblers. The matter has been reported to the district attorney, who has instructed the county detectives to make a thorough investigation. A number of persons who lost heavily in these games of chance are threatening prosecution. The church officials expected to receive fifty per cent of the winnings, but the reports state that some of the gamblers got away without giving any commission at all, in which case the church received just recompense for its unrighteous combination with evil.
Field Notes and Gleanings
AT the South Side church, in Chicago, Ill., three persons were baptized on July 25.
FOUR new members were recently added to the Chicago (Ill.) German church.
SIX persons were baptized recently at Stewartville, Minn., and united with the church there.
TWO young men were baptized recently at Hornell, N. Y., and united with the church there.
NINE persons were recently baptized at Lincoln, N. D., and others will be baptized soon.
A REPORT from Oneida, N. Y., states that ten have accepted the third angel’s message in that place.
SEVEN persons have begun to obey the commandments of God as a result of the tent effort at Adrian, Mich.
FIVE persons have already accepted the truth at Norwich, Conn., as the result of the meetings being conducted there.
On Sabbath, July 18, five members were added to the Peru (Ind.) church; baptismal services being held the same day.
ELDER A. W. KUEHL on a recent Sabbath baptized five persons whom he had been instrumental in leading into the truth, at St. Paul, Minn.
SABBATH, July 18, was a good day for the Mankato (Minn.) church. After the forenoon service nine dear souls followed their Lord in baptism.
SUNDAY, July 5, nine persons were baptized at Lincoln, N. D., and two more were taken into the church. Five or six more will soon be ready for baptism.
EIGHT persons have recently united with the Reno (Nev.) church,—four upon profession of faith, and four by baptism. Others are awaiting baptism.
As a result of the Fresno (Cal.) tent-meeting fifteen persons were baptized, while sixteen united with the church. Since then a number of others have been baptized.
A LETTER from Brother Amos Mitchell reports that four persons were baptized by him at Newburg, N. Y., on July 18, three of whom united with the church at that place.
A REPORT of the work at Bishop, Cal., from Brother J. J. Hill, states: ‘On July 5, Brother Lewis baptized two willing souls; and on July 11, five more were buried with their Lord in baptism.’
ELDER WM. COVERT recently held a series of meetings with the church at Aledo, Ill., and before they closed, six persons were baptized, four of these being young people who will unite with the church.
A REPORT in the West Michigan Herald states that four persons gave their hearts to the Lord recently at Grand Rapids, Mich., as a result of the tent effort there. Others are expected to take their stand soon.
The Columbia Union Visitor contains a report from Charleston, W. Va., which states that four new converts were taken into full church-membership at the last quarterly meeting, and that others will unite with them at the next quarterly meeting.
The Workers’ Bulletin, reporting the work at Muscatine, Iowa, says: “Meetings which are in progress are deepening in interest, and thus far ten have taken their stand for the truth. This makes a total of about sixty who have united with the church since January 1.”
SISTER JENNIE R. BATES, reporting in the Atlantic Union Gleaner, says: “At our June meeting in Richmond, Maine, two of our young people followed their Lord in baptism, and three united with the church; in two weeks, three more went forward in this ordinance, and there are still more to follow.”
A NEW church has been organized at Moundsville, W. Va. A report in the Columbia Union Visitor says: “We have baptized five, and shall have another baptism next Sabbath. We organized a church of twelve members with a full set of officers, also a Sabbath-school of twenty members. Two united with the church last Sabbath, making a membership of fourteen.”
BROTHER J. J. REISWIG reports that the small camp-meeting for the Germans at Gackle, N. D., was well attended by the citizens of Gackle and by the farmers close by, and the interest increased all the time, until on Sunday there was such an interest that the German Baptist church was not opened for service, all of their members coming to the camp-meeting. A number of the visitors expressed the conviction that they will have to obey the fourth commandment before they can be saved. Three persons were baptized during the meeting.
Prosperity in Periodical Work
THE main office of the Review and Herald reports for the week ending June 26, thirty-one agents in its territory, working forty hours a week or more. In that week these agents worked a total of one thousand four hundred eleven hours, taking orders valued at $1,673.10, — an average of forty-five and one-half hours a week for each agent, with sales averaging $36.75 each, or eighty cents an hour.
Never before in the history of the denomination was our periodical work so prosperous as at the present time. The periodical departments of our publishing houses are constantly increasing their lists, and the sale of single copies. A conservative estimate of single copies of the Signs, Watchman, Life and Health, and Liberty sold by agents during the month of July, will swell the number to three hundred thousand copies, which, at a retail value of ten cents a copy, represents thirty thousand dollars, with a net profit to the solicitors of eighteen thousand dollars; or, at this rate of sales continued through the year (and there are good prospects for it to be increased), the total amount of sales at retail would be three hundred sixty thousand dollars, with a profit to our workers of two hundred sixteen thousand dollars — enough to support thirty-five ordinary families in most any field in the world, a full year.
The shipping-rooms of our publishing houses and their branches are hives of industry these days. The Kansas City branch of the Pacific Press reports shipments of books for the week ending August 7, aggregating six and one-half tons. Thursday of that week three tons of our truth-laden literature were shipped to the field workers in the Central and Northern union conferences, and the day following over a ton was sent out. Truly the Lord's hand is in the work.
Brother Ira S. Jones, general agent of the Canadian Union Conference, reports renewed interest in the book work in that union. There are now sixteen workers in the field in the Maritime Provinces, all of whom are meeting with a fair degree of success. The other conferences in the union are also getting new workers into the field, and the brethren there are laying plans which should result in a marked impetus being given to subscription-book sales in that field.
There are now over two thousand persons in the United States who are devoting some time to the sale of Life and Health and Liberty. Many of these work only as they find time and opportunity. A few are devoting all their time to this work, and are making as much at it as they can in almost any other business. Scholarship companies, and individuals working for scholarships, are doing well. Many are reporting that they will have the amount of their scholarship at an early date.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH
By John Norton Loughborough
Experiences in the Publishing Work — No. 8
After Sister White came out of the vision of Nov. 18, 1848 (mentioned in a former article), she said to her husband: “I have a message for you. You must begin to print a little paper, small at first; but as you send it out free to the people, those who read it will send you money with which to print it. It will be a success from the first. It was shown to me as the result of that small beginning like streams of light that went clear round the world.”
Here was a plain statement as to duty; but how was that duty to be performed? Elder White had no money with which to print, and those then obeying the truth were all poor. There was with them much praying for the Lord to open the way to print the paper. During that winter Brother White lived in a room in Brother Albert Belden’s house at Rocky Hill, Conn. They kept house with borrowed furniture, not owning anything of that description themselves.
In June, 1849, Mrs. White had another testimony for her husband, that it was his duty to “write, write, write, and walk out by faith.” He began to write, and he found opportunity to mow forty acres of timothy grass with a hand-scythe, at seventy-five cents an acre. Thus he was enabled to obtain means19with which to print. Of this first printing work Sister White said: “My husband then began to publish a small sheet at Middletown, eight miles from Rocky Hill, Conn., and often walked this distance and back again, although he was lame. [In getting out the first number of the paper he walked over this distance eight times.] When he brought the first number from the printing-office, we all bowed around it, asking the Lord, with humbled hearts and many tears, to let his blessing rest upon the feeble efforts of his servant. He then directed the paper to all those he thought would read it, and carried it to the post-office in a carpet-bag. Every number was taken from Middletown to Rocky Hill, and always before preparing them for the post-office, they were spread out before the Lord, and earnest prayers mingled with tears were offered to God that his blessing would attend the silent messengers. Very soon letters came bringing means to publish the paper, and the good news of many souls embracing the truth.”
The name of this paper was Present Truth. The first number was dated July, 1849. Up to November, 1850, there were eleven numbers printed. Nos. 1-4 were printed at Middletown, Conn.; Nos. 5-10 were printed at Oswego, N. Y.; No. 11 was published at Paris, Maine. The paper was an eight-page sheet of two columns each, the reading-matter on the page measuring four and five eighths by eight inches. In the first number Elder White said: “For months I have felt burdened with the duty of writing, and publishing the present truth for the scattered flock; but the way has not been opened for me to commence the work until now. I tremble at the word of the Lord, and the importance of the time. What is done to spread the truth must be done quickly.”
As to how the way opened we have already stated. When I was attending the General Conference at South Lancaster, Mass., in 1899, a daughter of Albert Belden was present, who said to me that when Brother White would come home to his room in their house from his mowing the grass to get money with which to print, he would praise the Lord aloud. “And,” said she to me, “he was as happy a man as you ever saw.”
In the fifth number of the paper Brother White said to the readers, “The money which you have sent in has been more than enough to print the paper, and we have used the rest of it in paying the expenses of Mrs. White and myself from place to place to hold meetings with the brethren and sisters.” Of the success of the work, Elder White himself said: “In the summer of 1849 we issued the first number of a little sheet entitled The Present Truth. We commenced the work under circumstances that were the most unfavorable, being destitute of means, and the very few friends of the Sabbath being generally poor. But soon after sending out the first number, sufficient means came in [to pay for printing], and we were greatly cheered by hearing that several of the dear advent brethren in different States had embraced the Sabbath. About that time Brother Joseph Bates visited the brethren in Jackson, Mich., who received the truth, and have since aided much in the cause with their means.”
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH
The Publishing Work
Conducted under the auspices of the General Conference Publishing Department.
C. H. JONES - - - - Chairman
E. R. PALMER - - - - Secretary
H. H. HALL - - - Assistant Secretary
“Old Blue-Laws Bob Up”
HON. G. H. WALSER, of Liberal, Mo., a retired lawyer and an ex-member of the Missouri Legislature, takes the ministers of Lamar, Mo., to task for publishing a petition calling on the business men of the place to lend their assistance to an effort to secure for the city compulsory Sunday rest. In his review of their work, published in three of the leading daily papers of Lamar, and also in leaflet form, under the title, “Old Blue-Laws Bob Up,” Mr. Walser says:—
“From time immemorial the public has been trained to sit in the sanctuary and take down all the ministers say without question; for it is not only impolite to challenge their remarks, however absurd, but a little dangerous, lest one be accused of disturbing public worship; but when ministers go into print, as four of those of Lamar did last week in publishing a petition calling on the business men to lend their assistance in procuring for the city of Lamar a ‘Sabbath day of rest,’ their utterances become public property, and the public has the right of criticism if they take untenable grounds.
“While I am not interested in the Sunday observances in Lamar, yet I am, as every other citizen, interested in all questions that threaten the rights of citizenship in this country. I certainly believe, as a hygienic practise, that men should have one day in seven for rest and recreation from their common vocations; but I would let them choose their own way of that exercise. If they wish to go to church, let them do so. If they want to play ball, go fishing, bathing, attend theaters, or other innocent places of amusement, those inclinations should be encouraged; for Sunday is the only day that working people have for recreation, and it is both a moral and social criminality to deny them that right.
“Those four learned ministers who desire to enforce their way upon the people of Sunday observance, base their arguments on the genius of our government, and what they call the laws of God; and in stating premises they either show themselves to be uninformed on the subject they have brought up, or they wilfully misrepresent Biblical literature.
“In their plea for the proper observance of the ‘Lord’s Day, or Sabbath,’ they submit the following reasons: First, That it is God’s law, and that this is a Christian government. Neither proposition is true. This is not a Christian government. Under our Constitution all men can worship God according to the dictates of their consciences, whether they be Christians, Jews, Gentiles, Mohammedans, Brahmans, Buddhists, Spiritualists, or infidels. They are all protected alike. Second, They beg for a closer observance of the Lord’s day, or Sabbath, and quote as authority the third [fourth] commandment which says, ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,’ etc.
“If the Sabbath day has a binding obligation, then Saturday is that day, and not the first day of the week called Sunday.
“Now what of Sunday? Has Sunday any binding force in and of itself as a divine institution? Sunday is not mentioned in the New Testament. It is altogether a religious conception which was first attempted to be enforced by an imperial order of Constantine, in the year 321, in which he decreed that all court business except the manumission of slaves, and all other business except agricultural, should be suspended.
“In the year 425, Theodosius II ordered that all games and theatrical exhibitions be suspended. At the third council of Orleans, in the year 538, all kinds of labor were forbidden on Sunday. There is no divine authority anywhere to be found that makes any distinction between Sunday and other days. Every Sunday law, from the days of Constantine to the present, has been enacted by secular lawmakers for the purpose of boosting the Christian religion, and forcing its observance on the people.”
Church Services May Become a “Nuisance”
By W. A. C.
Not infrequently Sunday laws are defended on the ground that such laws are necessary in order to protect worshiping congregations from disturbance, and to preserve “the peace and quiet of the day.” In reply to this all that is necessary generally is to call attention to the fact that the laws protecting peaceable assemblies, whether religious or otherwise, on any day are quite sufficient for the protection of worshiping congregations on Sunday.
While it is perfectly proper that worshiping congregations should be protected from any unnecessary or intentional disturbance, and this at all times, regardless of the hour of day or day of the week when assembled, it is quite possible that the exercises of a worshiping congregation might be conducted in such a manner as to become themselves a disturbance to the “peace and quiet” of the neighborhood. A complaint to this effect has recently been made in Washington, D. C. The following appeared in the Washington Post, of August 8:—
“Constantly increasing noise, shouting, boisterous and disorderly conduct on the part of the people engaged in so-called religious worship” at the Cosmopolitan Baptist Church, a colored congregation, on N Street, between Ninth and Tenth Streets, Northwest, is the complaint made to the District commissioners by John R. Galloway, owner of the Henrietta apartment-house, located near the church. The noise, according to Mr. Galloway, frequently lasts until eleven or twelve o’clock at night.
“The shouting, noise, and disturbance occasioned by these meetings,” says Mr. Galloway, “are seriously impairing my property and the property of others similarly situated, and rendering it uncomfortable20and undesirable for living purposes, and thereby causing it to depreciate in value.”
The matter having been referred to Chief of Police Sylvester and Assistant Corporation Counsel Pugh, the complainant will be informed by the commissioners that the condition, if objectionable, is in the nature of a private nuisance, and that his remedy is in the civil court.
W. A. C.
Christian Liberty
Reports, Notes, and Comments Pertaining to the Current History of the Rights of Conscience
Conducted by the Religious Liberty Bureau
K. C. RUSSELL . . . . . Chairman
W. A. COLCORD . . . . . Secretary
The Church
By T. E. BOWEN
Instruction Pertaining to the Duties and Responsibilities of Officers and Members
This New Department
It is not until after much careful thought and earnest solicitation by different ones throughout the field, that this new department is opened in our denominational church paper, the REVIEW.
Often questions arise in the minds of the local church officers regarding their work; and as it is frequently the case that persons are chosen to fill the offices of elder, deacon, treasurer, clerk, or librarian who have had little or no previous experience, with perhaps but very little opportunity for instruction in the different lines of service, it has been thought by many that if some space were allotted in the REVIEW for practical questions to be discussed by those of experience, it would be very helpful to the large army of these faithful servants of the Lord bearing burdens in their home churches.
Therefore at least once each month a page will be devoted to the interests of the home church. Many of the workers out in the different union and local conferences have been asked to contribute articles for this department. We shall be able in this manner to obtain the ripe judgment of many scattered throughout the field who have gained the confidence of the readers of the REVIEW by their long experience in connection with the work of God.
A committee has been appointed to receive articles and questions for this department, and it has been arranged for the convenience of this committee that communications designed for this page be addressed to the undersigned, Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. This is also the request of the editors of the REVIEW.
It is greatly desired that this department in our church paper shall be made into a living reality, proving especially helpful; and to this end we ask the hearty co-operation and prayers of all God's people.
T. E. BOWEN.
Church Finances
By I. H. Evans
In the book of the Acts of the Apostles we are instructed that the deacons had charge of the finances of the early church. These deacons were to look after the poor, distribute to the necessities of all, and see that none were suffering for the necessities of life. In our church polity we have elected not only deacons in the church, but treasurers. Oftentimes the deacon is the treasurer; and when he is capable of taking charge of the finances of the church, giving them prompt and due attention, we believe it is best that the deacon be the treasurer. In many instances, however, the deacon has not the knowledge of bookkeeping, does not know how to balance accounts, and lacks that activity and initiative that would enable him to make a competent treasurer.
A good church treasurer in the church is a necessity, if the church is to prosper spiritually and financially. According to the recommendation of the General Conference, every church is supposed to be supplied with what is known as the Missionary envelope. These envelopes are to be distributed every Sabbath, giving each church-member an envelope, in which he is to place his tithe, his offering to foreign missions, his contribution for church expenses, for the poor fund, and for the work in the home field. The treasurer then gathers these envelopes up and takes them home, counting the money and writing a receipt for each donation. This makes considerable work for the church treasurer; but we believe in the end it will be found more satisfactory to have all matters pertaining to church finances done in a proper way.
The treasurer should see that the collections are taken in the church each Sabbath, and a receipt given for all money paid to him. All amounts received should be properly entered in a book, and passed on once each month to the State treasurer, from whom he is to receive a receipt for all money sent. The treasurer should be very careful to see that his books are always in balance, and should never permit himself on any occasion, or for any purpose whatever, to use any of the Lord's money. The funds contributed and placed in the treasurer's hands for transmission, are not personal funds, and he has no right whatever to touch them for any personal use. This point should be sacredly guarded; and if any treasurer does use the Lord's money for his personal ends, a new treasurer should at once be installed in charge of the finances of the church.
The church elder and treasurer should work in perfect accord, that the brethren may have confidence that the blessing of God is resting upon the work that the church is trying to do.
The treasurer should submit a financial report to the church every quarter, keeping the church intelligent concerning the funds it is raising, and should see that the people are instructed concerning the amount of money they should raise. At the close of each year the treasurer should close his books and all accounts, carrying forward all balances into the new year. He should make an annual report to the church of all money received from every source, and show receipts for all money paid out. In this way his accounts will be straight, the church will have confidence in him, and he will be satisfied that he has honorably handled the Lord's money.