THE BATTLE CREEK TABERNACLE by James White

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, January 1, 1880

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 1

THE BATTLE CREEK TABERNACLE.

By James White

THE debt on the Tabernacle should be raised from it as soon as possible. The bountiful harvest of the Christmas Tree reported in this paper shows that the members of the Battle Creek church stand ready to pour in their free-will offerings for the house of the Lord, erected not for their good alone, but for the benefit of the general cause. The debt before the donations placed on the Christmas Tree was about $10,000. We give some of the reasons why this should be met by the free-will offerings of all our people, as soon as possible.

1. Most of this amount is due the Office of the REVIEW AND HERALD, which is embarrassed for the want of it.

2. This house was built for the good of the cause, and too great burden should not rest upon the church at Battle Creek in the payment of it. At the recent General Conference and Biblical Institute, the Battle Creek church made the terms of those benefited very easy. Board, tuition, heating and lighting the Tabernacle was free, excepting a fee of one dollar each for a course in elocution.

3. Last, but not least, our houses of worship dedicated to the service of God should be free from debts. If it seems necessary to make a debt which may rest upon a house at the time of the dedication, it should be removed as soon as possible.

We hope to hear good news of the fruit gathered from hundreds of Christmas Trees for the benefit of the house of worship at Oakland, Cal., and the Battle Creek Tabernacle. If any church, or any brother or sister, feels convicted that they did not do their duty on Christmas, the door is still open. Please send in your offerings. Let these houses of worship be free from debt, then let them have a new dedication to God. J. W.