OUR FOREIGN MISSIONS by General Conference Committee

The Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · December 11, 1879

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 54, No. 24

OUR FOREIGN MISSIONS.

By General Conference Committee

At our recent General Conference, the subject of our foreign missions received much attention. Perhaps the press of business and the want of time would not permit all that careful consideration which such an important subject demanded; but we can truly say the deepest interest was felt in their prosperity. The hearts of our people in America are drawn out toward our dear Brn. Andrews, Loughborough, and Matteson, who have left us to go among strangers away in distant lands, to preach the precious truths of the last message, and toward their fellow-laborers who have united with them in the work. We know they must experience hardships and trials of peculiar difficulty, which we can little realize in America. It is in all our hearts to sustain them by our earnest prayers in their behalf, and by our means as duty shall require. We feel that these are our missions, and nothing fills our hearts with greater joy than to learn of their prosperity. These dear brethren we know to be men of God, who would peril their lives to advance this cause and save precious souls for the Master. We greatly miss them, and feel their loss in the work here; but we know they are engaged in a branch of the work of the utmost importance, and for this reason we will try to bear patiently the loss we feel in their absence.

When we take into consideration the final outcome of these missions, now in their infancy, the work, under God, they are yet to accomplish in warning the world of its approaching doom, and in gathering out a people prepared to meet the Lord in peace, our hearts are overwhelmed at the thought of the importance of their work. Think of the hundreds of millions of our fellow-men in Europe and the eastern world who are ignorant of God’s truth, and exposed to his wrath. The coming of Christ is just before us. “The great day is near, and hasteth greatly.” These missions must expand till their influence will be felt in all those countries. God has precious jewels there whom his work is sure to reach if we wisely improve the time, and make the best use of the means at our command. Bro. Andrews is located among the French and Germans, and is publishing, in their tongues, the great truths God has given us. Bro. Matteson has opened up a good work among the Scandinavian peoples, and encouraging progress is already being made. Bro. Loughborough has obtained a foothold in old England, upon whose dominions the sun never sets; and thousands of copies of our papers and tracts are being circulated there, and are being sent by English ships to all parts of the world. Reports recently received of this branch of the work are of thrilling interest, and suggest thoughts of what may and will be when these enterprises are firmly established and in full operation.

Thus we see that many of the leading races and nations of the world are already having access to the light of present truth. And it is safe to say that there is no nation in Christendom or the world that may not be reached through them when these missions become fully established and do the work God would have them do. Hence we consider these by far the most important missions we shall ever establish till the close of time. Lesser ones may grow out of these; but these are the most important of any we shall ever see. We cannot, therefore, be too careful in perfecting their establishment, and laying their foundation securely. Every important building must have a good foundation; it must be firm and solid.

Mistakes are liable to be made, and possibly may have been made already, in reaching out too far before we are prepared to do our work thoroughly. Those who come among us who have never had the benefit of a thorough acquaintance with our past experience, our doctrines and manner of labor, need careful instruction before they are fully qualified to build up the work properly. This is a peculiar work. Nothing exists in the world like it. Experience with other religious bodies in their manner of labor rather disqualifies than assists in labor among us. Those who have had this experience have much to unlearn before they are prepared to help build up this cause. The dear brethren of large experience who have gone to Europe to found these missions, will need to use special care in instructing those who join them in labor there, so that their work may be well done, and the believers there may be thoroughly established in all the truth. If they are not, great evils will result, and the work will have to be done over at great disadvantage. Economy in the use of means must be carefully looked after, and many such lessons as have been learned in the earlier days of our history in America must be taught.

The first and most important work is to get these three leading missions thoroughly established, not merely in one town in each of these countries, but with separate churches here and there in each. The branches thus formed may support and strengthen each other, while uniting to sustain the important interests where our publishing work may be located. When these missions are firmly fixed, it will be time to establish others in distant countries. We firmly believe we can in this way work more successfully and economically than to reach out too far before we are prepared to hold what we have already started.

Our publishing work in Europe is also a matter of the deepest interest. Already papers are issued regularly in French and Danish, and publications in German and other tongues are being sent out. We must soon issue papers in English from England. Means have been raised in this country for founding the publishing work there upon a stable basis. Many important and perplexing questions connected with this subject are arising, and the most careful plans and the closest investigation will be required in order to use money in the most economical manner and accomplish the important work we have in view.

We long to see the day when thousands of our periodicals shall be regularly circulated to all the English-speaking dependencies of the British crown, as well as to other countries in Europe. But this, like every other important enterprise, must be built up from small beginnings, as the providence of God opens the way. It is much better to grow up gradually than to get ahead of Providence and suffer losses which will discourage our hearts and weaken our hands.

We have reached a point of much interest and great perplexity. Our General Conference, in considering these matters tried to weigh them well, and while determined to do nothing rashly, nor lavish money unnecessarily, yet they mean to forward the work with ever-increasing momentum till the end shall come. God’s work cannot stop; it must not stop; it will not stop. Victory is before it. We must increase the efficiency of our missions. We must see our publishing work so consolidated and strengthened that it may exert a great influence in foreign countries.

In order to secure these results, it is decided to have a general meeting of our missionaries at some central point in the old world, with some from America well qualified by their experience in the message and the publishing work, that they may counsel together as to the best means to forward these important interests. There are many important objects to be secured by such a council, among which are greater unity of effort, more system in the use and application of means, and greater efficiency and thoroughness in the work. We believe the time has come for a council of our missionaries in Europe. “In the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” These brethren can be a help to each other. Brn. Matteson, Jasperson, and Brorsen, from the Scandinavian countries; Dr. Ribton and Bro. Bertola, from the Orient; Bro. Loughborough from England; Elds. Andrews, Ertzenberger, and others in Germany and Switzerland, and others whom these brethren may think it wise to invite, can meet with such persons as the General Conference Committee may see fit to send from America.

We believe such a meeting would be of immense benefit to the cause in Europe. This will involve some expense; but it is cheaper going to Europe than to California, and we have never regretted sending help there from time to time. We believe plans might be laid which would, in the end, be a great saving of expense. We think some point in Switzerland would be the most central for such a gathering, and most productive of good to the cause. Such a meeting ought to be held as early as February, if not before.

We would counsel our missionaries abroad to plan such a meeting at once, and correspond with the General Conference Committee in regard to it, as to when and where it shall be held. Our work is onward, and the Lord is giving us special light as to our duty. For years we have been talking of starting the publishing work in England. We feel that now we have come to the time for action. We firmly believe our people everywhere will be ready to support these missions as the providence of God opens the way before us.

GEN. CONF. COMMITTEE.