This stenographically reported talk was given by Elder McElhany at a recent joint meeting of the General Conference departmental secretaries and associates—the first gathering of its kind under the new administration. Outlining the spiritual ideals and the vital objectives of departmental work, this talk fittingly introduced a series of informal, but informative, statements by the recently elected department heads. The meeting was called specifically to foster sympathetic understanding and unity of purpose among the departments, and to give an insight into their future plans and their relationship to the movement in its entirety. It was to enable each man" to better "help his neighbor" in the common task of finishing the work assigned under our divine commission.—Editor.
The work of the church is to prepare men and women for the coming of the Lord. That is a spiritual work, and it can be done only with spiritual power. Every line of activity in the church ought therefore to be an outlet for spiritual power. When we look upon our departmental activities in that light, they assume a very decided importance. These activities naturally take definite shape in particular lines of service. We cannot visualize our young preachers, for example, and their preparation for work in the cause of God, apart from our educational system.
To me it is always a mistake to look at a department as being merely an office with a desk, some secretaries, and some people busy doing this and that. The real department is out there where the work is being done. The Department of Education, for instance, is out in our schools—church schools, academies, junior colleges, senior colleges, and our Advanced Bible School. But all look to the General Conference Department of Education for inspiration and leadership. And the same is true of every other department, such as the Sabbath School Department, the Missionary Volunteer Department, and the Publishing Department. All are a part of the sacred activities of the church itself in preparing men and women for the coming of Christ.
We have no Department of Spirituality. It would be an odd thing, wouldn't it, to propose the organizing of such a department? Every department ought to be a department of spirituality, an outlet for spiritual power. I hope that all down the line, in our union and local conferences, we can help our associate departmental workers to understand that the work which they are doing is a spiritual work, and that it is a direct contribution to the great work of preparing men and women for the corning of the Lord and the setting up of His kingdom.
It is good that we can get together, and it is our plan and our hope to have meetings of this kind at intervals, as we can plan for them, so that ideas and plans and suggestions may be exchanged. And I want to say to you that I believe that the greatest service we can do for the cause as a whole, the greatest contribution we can make to it, is for each one to do all he can to build up and strengthen and help the various lines of service.
We send men out to the far ends of the earth. The problems out in these fields are many and varied. When a man goes out, he finds himself, before he is aware of it, surrounded, perhaps, by conditions with which he is not familiar. He learns that he must be a many-sided man. He must learn to give counsel on many problems. When Brother C. E. Weaks was down in the Caribbean Union not so long ago, he had to preach a sermon at the dedication of a church. "What," you ask, "is that the work the Publishing Department secretary is supposed to do?" Why not? First of all, he is a minister of Jesus Christ, and preaching a sermon ought to be just as much a part of his work as talking about selling our literature.
I have always tried to encourage our departmental secretaries to look at their work in that broad way, and to feel that it consists of more than merely talking about their special departmental work. As a conference leader I have often taken this attitude on campgrounds where the daily program of speakers was being prepared. Someone would say, "Whom shall we ask to take that devotional meeting?" Many times I have suggested some departmental secretary. "Can he take that kind of meeting?" would come the inquiry; "remember, he is a departmental man." I have replied, "Certainly, our departmental workers can take that kind of meeting."
Really, I do not believe a man ought to be a departmental worker unless he is able to do that kind of work. For it is just as much a part of his work to minister to the spiritual uplift of people as it is to talk about his particular department. I think it brings a great deal of strength to a man when the brethren discover he can do more than talk about his department. His influence is strengthened, and he is the type of man that the brethren are all anxious to have come to their field.
We want all of you to be informed regarding the progress and objectives of the other departments. When you go out to the far corners of earth, go filled with all the information you can gather. It is a good thing to go to the other departmental leaders and say, "Now that it has been voted for me to go out to this field or that field, what can I do to help your department?" In that way all can cooperate in making a success of the work in all departments.
[Then followed the presentation of the objectives and problems of the various departments, outlined by the respective secretaries.]
