THE CORSICA, OHIO, INSTITUTE by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, February 12, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 7

THE CORSICA, OHIO, INSTITUTE.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Our tract-society Institute just closed we regard as the most profitable meeting ever held in Ohio; we have gained a clear idea of how to conduct the minutia of the tract work. Eld. Whitney has a happy faculty of teaching this part of the work. All our officers go home resolved to carefully carry out the system as they have here learned it; and we are confident that we shall see evidences of new life in our missionary work throughout the State.

The largely increasing work of the society made it necessary to change secretaries, as Bro. Gregory, our former secretary, could not, on account of other business, give the time to it which the work will hereafter require. Sr. Ida Sharpe, Clyde, O., takes the office, and will devote her whole time and attention to it. She goes to Michigan with Eld. Whitney to attend two more institutes so as to become thoroughly informed in her work. In the future, therefore, all the district secretaries will send their T. and M. business to her, at Clyde.

The directors also re-districted the State. A report of their action in this respect will be found in another column, with the names and addresses of the officers.

Another step was taken which we believe will meet the approval of our brethren; viz., all the ministers and laborers in the Conference will sell books for the society instead of for themselves, and whatever profit there is on the sale of books will go to the T. and M. society. We do this to keep up the funds of the society, and to encourage our brethren to buy books which they need, and thus aid in the missionary work. All our ministers will be furnished with a full supply of our own works, also with Cruden’s Unabridged Concordance, teachers’ Bibles, Bible dictionaries, and other useful books. We hope our people will buy of them rather than from any other source, as this will aid our own society. Or, any book of any kind can be ordered through the librarians, and the profits will go to the tract society just the same. Besides our ministers, eight or ten colporters will go out to sell books and do missionary work.

Each director has undertaken to visit every Sabbath-keeper in his district during this quarter. Not one is to be neglected, wherever he may be. The object will be to ascertain their standing, encourage them in serving God, get them to take the REVIEW, Good Health, and the Instructor, where they do not have them, supply them with Testimony No. 29, the Spirit of Prophecy, and any other books they may need, see that they take part in the Sabbath-school, temperance work, paying tithes, etc. This will be our whole work for the next two months or more. Brethren and sisters, receive them as the ministers of Christ, and do all you can to aid them in this good work.

All our officers are determined that no effort shall be wanting on their part to bring Ohio up to the first rank in thoroughness and efficiency in the T. and M. work. But to do this we must have the aid and co-operation of all our brethren and sisters, whether in churches or living alone.

At the close of our good Institute, the following resolutions were passed by unanimous vote:—

Whereas, The Corsica church has so liberally and cheerfully borne the burdens of this lengthy session of the T. and M. Institute, bringing us from the cars over extremely bad roads, and caring for us while among them with so much attention and kindness, therefore

Resolved, That we extend to them our sincere thanks for all burdens borne, and kindness shown in our behalf, and unite in asking the richest of Heaven’s blessings to rest upon them.

Whereas, Eld. B. L. Whitney, of New York, our instructor in the T. and M. Institute, has so ardently, cheerfully, and successfully devoted his energies to our improvement, and, withal, with a Christian courtesy which has endeared him to us; and

Whereas, His plain instructions in keeping accounts and doing the business of the T. and M. work, have enabled us to understand it much better than ever before, convincing us that the system is simple and accurate, thus giving increased confidence in the T. and M. organization, therefore

Resolved, That we unite in expressing our sincere gratitude for the instruction received, and in earnestly praying that our dear brother may have the blessing of God to attend him as he goes from us to continue his noble work elsewhere.

We think it will be to the advantage of other States to secure Bro. Whitney’s help in this branch of the work.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

Corsica, O., Feb. 3.