Obvious are the advantages of supplying the interested public attending one's evangelistic meetings in America with printed or mimeographed copies. of the preacher's own current addresses.
The public is interested in what he is saying. It has a definite psychological appeal, and immediate distribution avoids any "red-tape delay'? or possible rejection incident to acceptance, publication, and release through one of :our denominational printing houses. Moreover, one has freedom in this way to say pretty largely what he pleases. It is gratifying to have one's own materials circulated, and sometimes it has proved financially advantageous. It is the way followed by the popular evangelists of the world.
But there is another side to the question, which definitely overbalances these immediate advantages—an aspect which we must not forget. We are not independent workers, unaccountable to any central:body for our words and acts, and wholly free to utter and circulate what we please. We are a -closely compacted organization. We. all labor under conference direction. We are to move in concert. What we say or do independently may affect all other workers in the movement, just the same as what they say affects us. Particularly is this true when it reaches countries which have restrictive policies.
A North American worker, for instance, who has never labored or even traveled in the Orient or in Europe, who has grown up and preached exclusively-where there is full liberty of speech and press, without censorship or check of any sort, does not realize the serious and even the fatal results that unrestrained utterances over here may bring to our work in such countries. ' More than half of our worker force and membership is now in lands outside North America. This we must never forget, or the fact that a worker in one division has no moral right, through his own liberty of utterance, to jeopardize the personal liberty and welfare of his fellow workers and believers in lands where there is .restriction of liberty. Mere tolerance, it is to be remembered, that may be withdrawn at an' moment, is the greatest freedom that any of these lands have ever known:.
It may be argued that these governments will never know what a local. American evangelist is saying. But such sanguine reasoning betrays an ignorance of the facts. Press reports, radio talks, and all kinds of statements are sought for, reported, and filed for use. Because of the unpopular character of our cause and message, there is constant watch for Seventh-day Adventist statements that can be used to hamper our work elsewhere, and there is greater knowledge of our public utterances than most of us dream. This statement is not drawn from imagination, but is a sober, proved fact. This constitutes, therefore, a serious and sufficient reason why all our public utterances should pass under the scrutiny of trained and experienced associates, in order to safeguard our work in other lands. The unity of this movement must not be broken or jeopardized by the unsupervised liberties of the inexperienced and unthinking.
Our denominational literature is produced in harmony with these principles. All items which come from our presses have previously passed through the protective scrutiny of a group of competent hands—experienced readers on the book committee, the book editor, the proofreader, etc. These work under the counsel of our leaders, and follow clearly defined safeguarding policies and procedures. This serves as a bulwark against hasty or unwise utterances that would bring us into conflict with our brethren here, or that would create difficulty for the movement or its representatives elsewhere.
This is both a safeguard to the writer himself and a protection to the cause at large. The provincial outlook of some, the inexperience of others, and the faulty information or concepts of still others is thus cared for by this wise provision. Let us all sympathetically and heartily follow this wholesome plan.
L. E. F.
A Program That Merits Support
We are a small people with an extraordinarily ambitious program—a program for God, indited by the Holy. Spirit and attested by Holy Writ. Our full-rounded message embraces a health and an educational reform, as well as an evangelistic enterprise that encompasses the globe.
To aggressively carry forward these far-reaching plans, requires not only a most earnest, united effort, but much money as well. Our denominational financial system, which is the admiration of other religious bodies, cares for our evangelical work through the tithe, and many other enterprises are fostered through our various offerings. But there remains much local expense, such as church-school equipment, teachers' salaries, and other involvements, for the care of which we have frequently drifted into the plan of donated food sales—often of pastries and confections.
Although this method may not be intrinsically wrong, there is unquestionably a better way. It is one that has been successfully employed by one of our overseas divisions, and has proved a godsend to our church schools there. We refer to the large health-food manufacture and distribution operative in Australasia, with a substantial percentage of profit reverting directly for the aid of our church school work throughout the division. We firmly believe the present hour is propitious —though tardy—for perfecting a similar arrangement in North America. Just note certain obvious advantages of the plan:
1. It provides a means of carrying a definite percentage of our local church and church-school expense load through returns from a highly legitimate and helpful business enterprise.
2. It not only affords financial income to the church locally, through profits from sales, but in addition it offers a definite per cent of the manufacturing profit to the general educational work of the denomination.
3. It gives employment to an increasing number of Seventh-day Adventists, including students, both in the manufacturing process and in the distribution end.
4. It affords opportunity for distributing wholesome health foods in support of our health reform program—products which are clearly proved, scientifically attested, health-giving foods.
5. It does not take money from the pockets of our people through donations, or contributed articles for bake sales and other sales, but obtains means from the public, which, in turn, gets full value received.
This is the plan as it operates in the Australasian Division. In North America, a similar program is taking shape. The needed manufacturing equipment is established and in operation, and distribution plans are expanding. Many churches and schools already are benefiting from the plan. But the success of such a project depends to no small degree upon the good will and active support of our workers who mold the policies and activities of our churches. A countrywide distribution of our health foods is not only possible, but wholly feasible, if moral backing and tangible encouragement are given.
This voluntarily written editorial springs from a conviction that the hour is due for action. The publicity for the health-food program which appears in the advertising pages of this journal is worthy of the careful study and support of every worker.
L. E. F.
