ALBANY MISSION by A. E. Place

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · May 5, 1885

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 62, No. 18

ALBANY MISSION.

By A. E. Place

Soon after the establishing of the mission in Buffalo, some of our brethren began anxiously to look forward to the time when a like work should be started in this city; but owing to the lack of means and laborers to carry on the work as we felt it should be carried on, it continued a matter of anticipation. Last summer steps were taken to start the missionary work at this place, by sending Bro. Stureman and Hicks here from Boston, who, in company with Bro. Crockett, who resided here, began canvassing for and distributing periodicals. Last December Bro. Wild was sent to take the place of Bro. Stureman and Hicks. He has had excellent success with “Sunshine” and Signs, having taken to present date 213 subscriptions, besides selling 10,609 pages of tracts, pamphlets, etc. Bro. Crockett has also done good work.

One feature of the labor which I am especially pleased to report is the children’s work. The daughters of a couple of our brethren here, though only twelve years of age, have taken our periodicals, and, with the spirit of the message warm in their hearts, have entered the homes of rich as well as poor, and accomplished what older heads do not accomplish. One little boy, one day, in about three hours sold twenty-two copies of Sabbath Sentinel. This is additional proof that the third message, like the first, can be helped by the children. They may be an important factor in the cause of the work.

The following is a general summary of the work done here during the past year:—

Subscriptions to Signs ........................................ Periodicals sold (by children) ................................. “ distributed ......................................................... 5, Pages books and tracts sold .................................... 38,8

Last autumn a brother and his wife of Rensselaer County felt the importance of the work and need of help to that extent that they sold their pleasant home in Keene, and began to make preparations to come here and devote themselves with all they had to the cause of God. During the winter a very desirable location for reading and lecture rooms was secured at low rent, and in March this brother and his family came to arrange for opening the mission, and I joined them in April. Although some things have hindered the speedy prosecution of this work, yet we expect to have the rooms open to the public by the time this is in print. They have been fitted up at a cost below our expectations. Nearly all parties with whom we have had deal have been very generous in the terms given to the society.

Bro. Whitney, although severely pressed by the work in other places, has lent efficient help here. Several came in to our meeting last Sabbath and seemed to enjoy the service. The blessing of the Lord has been felt among us from the beginning, which has caused unity and love to triumph. We trust that all through this large State there will be Aarons and Hurs who will stay up the hands of those who labor here, that as the work in the capital city opens in a more public way, we may see of the salvation of the Lord, and victory on Israel’s side. A. E. Place. Albany, N. Y., April 23.