BATTLE CREEK COLLEGE AND THE CANVASSING WORK.
By E. P. Boggs
In the providence of God our colleges were established for the purpose of affording old and young who desire to devote their lives to missionary work, the privilege of obtaining a Christian education. The work of placing the printed page containing the third angel's message in the hands of the people is a missionary enterprise, and the field must be worked from a missionary standpoint. This calls for an army of educated Christian workers who possess tact and refinement. During the past three years, Battle Creek College has taken the position that, as stated in the Spirit of Prophecy, there must be a corps of educated canvassers in the field, who can go to the people and rightly represent the cause of present truth, explaining in an intelligent and impressive manner the great truths which their books contain. This school has taken the initiative in establishing and maintaining a thorough and regular course of instruction for the education of canvassers. For years we have had these and similar statements in our hands: "Young men who desire to enter the field as ministers, colporteurs, or canvassers, should receive a suitable degree of mental training as well as a special preparation for their calling." "Our schools are to be training-schools." "It was as a means ordained of God to educate young men and women for the various departments of missionary labor, that colleges were established among us. It is God's will that they send forth not merely a few, but many laborers." "Every one who receives the light of truth should be taught to bear it to others." We see then that no effort is to be spared in training those who are to engage in missionary work. It may not be out of place to say that even at this eleventh hour, and in the face of the positive statements in the Spirit of Prophecy that canvassers should be educated for their work, many obstacles have been encountered; and often these obstacles are offered by those who should be pushing the work forward. But with the instruction from the Lord that the education and training of canvassers is a part of his work, all difficulties are used as stepping-stones to success, and it will not be long before we shall have a corps of canvassers in the field who will stand faithful to their post of duty, no matter what the trials they are called upon to meet. Owing to the fact that "the world is ripe" for a new book on the life of Christ, "Desire of Ages" is being carefully studied by a class of earnest Christian workers, a number of whom were in the canvassing field last year, and after doing acceptable work, returned to take the second year's course in canvassing at the College. Another class is studying the health works preparatory to engaging in the sale of them at the close of the present school year. There are forty-seven students enrolled in the canvassing department.158 It is indeed inspiring to any one, even to the veteran canvasser, to step into a room where twenty-five or thirty young people are reciting a lesson on the life of Him who is our Elder Brother. The work increases in interest with each succeeding day as the student canvasser becomes more proficient in imparting to others in a clear tone a knowledge of the contents of this book. Arrangements have been made for the College canvassers to go two by two, according to the Bible plan. It is thus that they will spend the summer. Some feel that the canvassing work has accomplished its mission in connection with the message. Such, however, is not the case. The demand for the pure reading matter contained in our books is constantly on the increase. This is shown by the letters constantly received from people of the world who desire to canvass for our publications. In a recent Testimony the statement is made that "where there is now one canvasser there should be one hundred." And again: "The proper circulation and distribution of our publications is one of the most important branches of our present work; but little can be done without this. And our ministers can do more in this work than any other class of persons." As we approach the end, difficulties will multiply on every hand; it will then become all the more necessary for ministers to engage in house-to-house work. "By doing this work they will obtain a varied experience, and will be doing the very work the Apostle Paul did." The proceeds of the forthcoming book by Sister White, entitled "Parables of Jesus," have been generously donated by her to the educational institutions, to assist in raising the debts; and the publishing houses have agreed to publish the work for the benefit of these same institutions. This calls for hearty co-operation on the part of the people. In this offer made by Sister White and the publishing houses lies a golden opportunity for this denomination. Ministers, Bible workers, canvassers, the students in our schools, and all the people should unite in one heroic effort to scatter these books by the hundreds of thousands. They can be sold, and as the burden of debt which is now hanging over the institutions is wiped out, the denomination can again breathe freely, and begin aggressive missionary work on sound business principles. This is one reason why canvassers should be educated for their special work. Hundreds of our people should now plan to take an active part in the circulation of the new book, "Parables of Jesus," as soon as it comes from the press.