p. 330 | VIGILANT MISSIONARY SOCIETIES

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, May 20, 1880

FromThe Review and Herald, Vol. 55, No. 21

VIGILANT MISSIONARY SOCIETIES.

(Condensed from the Constitution.)

WHY NEEDED.

The question is frequently asked, “Why do we need a vigilant missionary society where there is a local tract society organized?” We answer: 1. It is not usually practicable for the officers and leading members of local societies, who are mostly brethren, to devote the attention and labor required to carry out our present plan of distributing reading matter, especially the Signs of the Times, and other periodicals, and no special responsibility is felt by others in the matter, unless it is made incumbent upon them. 2. It opens to the sisters a field of labor for which many of them are well qualified, independent of the general management of the tract society. 3. It gives system and order to this part of the work, which is indispensable if anything is really accomplished.

OLD METHOD OBJECTIONABLE.

The old plan of gathering up names and having periodicals sent to individuals directly from the Office, without first learning whether those to whom they were sent would be interested or not, has serious objections. 1. There is a law forbidding publishers to send out printed matter at publishers’ rates of postage to any who are not regular subscribers. 2. Many to whom the papers were sent were not interested, and never would become so; and a year’s subscription was lost. 3. Two or three copies were sometimes sent to the same individual by different tract workers. 4. The individual simply paid his money, and had no further care or responsibility in the matter, and no burden of labor.

THE PRESENT PLAN.

By the present plan, the society or an individual subscribes for a club of from four to four hundred copies of our paper, and remails them to such individuals as it is thought would be willing to read. Three numbers are sent to one address, and then a letter is written. If the answer indicates that the person is interested, more papers or tracts are sent. But if no response is made, the name is dropped, and others are tried.

This plan has advantages over the old method in the following particulars: 1. It educates people to labor for others. 2. It lays upon each person a weekly responsibility which cannot be properly discharged without thought, planning, and much prayer. 3. It calls into exercise talent which would otherwise be useless to the cause of God. 4. The systematic workings of a vigilant missionary society prevent any of the copies of the Signs being left over in families, because they cannot find interested readers. 5. By this method, at least ten families will be visited by the Signs, where, by the old method, only one family would receive it. 6. It brings into the church a good moral atmosphere.

WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP?

The first questions that arise are, How many copies of the Signs can this church take? and how can we pay for them?

A paper is drawn up, as follows: “We, the undersigned, do hereby agree to pay monthly the sum set to our names, for The Signs of the Times, to be sent to this church at club rates, for one year, these papers to be used in the tract and missionary work.” The amount pledged will show how many copies of the Signs can be taken by the church. One dollar and twenty-five cents a month will pay for ten copies; sixty-five cents a month, five copies, etc. Good Health, the REVIEW, or any other periodical, can be taken in the same manner, if used for the same purpose. One dollar per month would pay for twenty-four copies of Good Health, thirty-five of Stimme der Wahrheit, twenty-five of the Harolden, twenty of the Tidende, or sixteen of Les Signes des Temps.

VIGILANT COMMITTEE.

Where the members are few, and so scattered that a regular attendance of five or six cannot be secured every week at some appointed time and place, a Vigilant Committee of one, two, or three is appointed to attend to the distribution of these papers. It is the duty of this committee to obtain a sufficient number of addresses, so that each copy can be used weekly.

In such cases the Signs should be sent to one of the members of the committee, who should furnish copies to those who have pledged, if they are so situated as to use them.

THE VIGILANT SOCIETY.

The Vigilant Missionary Society is an arrangement entered into by members of the church, usually sisters in small churches, though all are invited to join. These persons meet weekly, and take the responsibility of seeing that all the copies of the Signs not otherwise appropriated are used weekly for the purposes designed. This organization can be effected in churches where six or more sisters can meet weekly at some stated time, to confer together and transact such business as pertains to their work.

ORGANIZATION.

In organizing a Vigilant Missionary Society, at least two officers are necessary, a President, and a Secretary who shall act as treasurer. A Vice-president, assistant secretaries, and corresponding agents can be added when circumstances render these officers necessary.

For the benefit of those who are able to effect an organization, we present the following By-Laws, which in substance are adopted by regularly organized Vigilant Societies East and West:—

BY-LAWS.

ART. 1. This Society shall be called the S. D. A. Vigilant Missionary Society of ———

ART. 2. The object of this Society shall be to secure the world-wide circulation of our periodicals and other publications, and to awaken and increase an interest in pure and undefiled religion wherever, and in whatever manner, practicable.

ART. 3. The officers of this Society shall consist of a President, and a Secretary who shall act as treasurer. These shall be elected semi-annually. Corresponding agents may be appointed as the work demands.

ART. 4. Any one who keeps the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus may become a member by a two-thirds’ vote of the members present at any regular meeting, and by the payment of fifty cents.

ART. 5. The duties of the President and Secretary shall be the same as are common to such officers. The duties of the corresponding agents shall be to circulate tracts and periodicals; also to render aid by securing names and addresses of those they think would be benefited by receiving reading matter or letters from the Society.

ART. 6. These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds’ vote of members present at any regular meeting.

(Concluded next week.)