South Africa Introduces a New Secretary
At the annual meeting of the African Division committee, held in December, Elder E. D. Dick was appointed secretary of the Ministerial Association for the African Division, thus relieving Elder W. H. Branson, division president, who has given personal supervision to Association interests during recent months, since the former secretary, Elder T. M. French, was called to the presidency of the Natal-Transvaal Conference.
In reference to the reception accorded The Ministry by workers in the African Division, Elder Branson writes: " Our brethren in Africa who have learned of the plan for the publication of this paper are very happy over it. We believe it is going to mark an advance step in our ministerial work. It will certainly fill a long-felt need. You may be sure that we will do everything we can to co-operate with you in placing this periodical in the hands of every worker in the African Division."
Australasia Has Unbounded Faith and Happy Anticipations
Elder C. H. Watson, president of the division, writing under date of December 13, gives the following cheering assurance: " I am very much interested in the progress of the work of the Ministerial Association. You know that I believe in it, that I had strong faith in it when there were perplexities as to the possibilities before it. We greatly appreciate all that is coming to us from the Association, and desire to keep up a strong living touch with you and the work. I am more pleased than I can tell you at the prospect of the arrival of Elder DanielIs in our field within the next few months. It will touch our most vital need. With his decided influence and strong leadership in ministerial work, he will be able to help us greatly."
The Far East Takes Prompt Action
Elder I. H. Evans writes: " The letter concerning The Ministry is received. Professor Griggs is in the Philippines, and will not be back until sometime in February. If we should wait until his arrival, we would not be able to do much in reaching you by mail before April. Our committee, therefore, thought best to recommend that the secretary, Brother C. C. Crisler, send you the names and addresses of our workers in the Far Eastern Division, asking that you send the magazine to them. There will be quite a few English-speaking native workers who ought to have The Ministry, but it will take quite a while to work out this list. Later when we have definite information, we expect to send in the names of various natives in the different dialects who can read English."
European Division Getting Plans Under Way
Elder J. C. Raft writes: " We have received a set of the Reading Course books, and I think they are excellent. I am going to take them along on my next trip, and read them through. It is my desire to give The Ministry as large a circulation as possible. Although I have not yet received the first number, I am convinced that it will be a good paper, and that it will do our workers good to read it. I really think it will be a great benefit to the conferences if they will place this paper in the hands of every minister. They will not by any means lose by this expenditure, and I am taking the matter up with the presidents."
President F. A. Spearing, of the South British Conference, responds by saying: " As far as our conference is concerned, we shall be pleased to subscribe for The Ministry for each worker in our field. I believe this is the right thing to do, as the work of the Ministerial Association has already proved a very great help to large numbers of our ministers and other conference laborers, and I understand it will contain instruction that the Association has for the workers throughout the world. With reference to the Ministerial Reading Course, I will say that we are doing our best to encourage our workers to avail themselves of this help; and in order to make it as easy as possible for ministers and other workers to take the course, the conference pays half the expense."
A later, most encouraging word comes in from Elder W. M. Landeen, formerly Association secretary for the European Division, and at present secretary of the division educational department: " Though not at the present time directly connected with the Ministerial Association, I take a very keen interest in the work it is doing. Here in Europe, so far as T can learn, the work of the Association is appreciated more warmly year by year. I have just received and read with much pleasure the first copy of The Ministry. I am very glad that you have been able to start a journal that will serve as an organ for our ministry. So far as I know, our denomination has been the only one of any size without such a journal, and I believe that the plan will especially meet the need in our work. I am going to suggest that The Ministry be sent to the Bible teachers in our schools, and to other educational workers who will be directly interested in its contents."
South America Pleased With the Plan and Price
" I am particularly pleased with the plan you have of asking all the conferences to supply The Ministry to their workers," writes Elder J. W. Westphal. " Fifty cents a year, the price to the workers, for this monthly periodical is certainly cheap, it seems to me, in these times. I am sure that not one of our workers who can read English will want to miss the paper on account of the price. Yesterday I received a set of the Ministerial Reading Course books. I have not had time to examine them carefully as yet, but the titles say much for their contents."
Inter-America Sends "Subscription List
From Inter-America a 100 percent subscription list for The Ministry arrived in time to apply on the first issue, and this list is backed by the expressed conviction of Elder E. E. Andross and Elder C. E. Wood that " this periodical will prove to be a source of great blessing to our workers throughout the world." Through the courtesy of Elder Wood, in connection with his letter of January 2, we were 'permitted a glimpse into the experiences of workers in the field which clearly indicate that the Spirit of God is moving upon the hearts of the people. We planned to share these experiences with the " World Circle " readers, but they must be reserved for a later issue.
