The Spring Council has closed. The workers are back at their fields again, having carried with them the influence of that inspiring meeting. It is not our purpose to report here the general actions of the Council. These appear in the Review and Herald. But some things affecting our working policies will be of particular interest to IVIINIsmv readers, and these we bring to you.
In presenting his statistical report, a synopsis of which appears in this issue, Brother Conard emphasized that those added to our churches in North America by baptism and profession of faith in 1943 were fewer than for any other year since 1937. A staggering fact indeed! This, together with- our losses through apostasy, truly presents a challenge. Here is something that affects every executive officer, every institutional and field worker, as well as every evangelist and pastoral worker, for are we not all laborers together for the one purpose of leading men and women into the message? As workers we need to be aware of these facts.
Later in the Council, W. G. Turner, president of the North American Division, presented some rather disquieting figures revealing a growing trend in moving workers from conference to conference. The increase in transfers between 1941 and 1943 was well in excess of one hundred per cent. The transportation expense incurred in these removals would of itself be staggering, but this is not the only expense. When a worker receives a call to another field, his work usually begins to suffer. Certain projects are left unfinished. Weeks and sometimes months of time are required to fully effect a transfer, and in the meantime the work is left to languish. We were led to wonder, as we listened to the discussion, how much these transfers were militating against the success of our efforts in soul winning as reflected in the small number of baptisms.
Following Elder Turner's presentation many readers spoke of the disturbance caused in their fields through the frequent calling of their workers, as well as the confusion left in the mind of the minister himself. Years ago, when a worker received a call, he believed it was from the Lord, but when three calls come in one mail, it is not surprising if a worker begins to question which one--is from the Lord, or whether He is in any of them.
We might also ask ourselves what lies behind these conditions. If in building up the work in our own field, we are weakening other fields, what has been -accomplished? We are surely not in competition with one another in our efforts to extend the kingdom of God. The spirit of competition is foreign to the spirit of Christ, for competition breaks fellowship. The counsel of the Great Apostle reflects the true spirit of Christ. He said, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Not only those who place the call, but those to whom the call is sent, must guard against any possible selfishness of motive.
The method of calling and transferring workers affects us all; therefore we present in this connection certain sections of the General Conference Working Policy, as revised at this Spring Council, which concern the general transfer of workers within a division. All the local conference presidents and many heads of departments were present at this meeting as well as the General Conference Committee.
"For the preservation of unity and co-operation in securing and transferring workers for our growing cause in all its departments, the following is the approved method of calling and transferring workers within the division fields:
In order to avoid friction and the unsettling of workers, those who are seeking for workers shall conscientiously avoid making offers to, or entering into any arrangements whatsoever with, individuals who are employed or who may be under obligations for employment, with reference to their entering any particular line or field of work.
"Men in responsible positions shall be free to make inquiry from officers of institutions or organizations employing workers for whose services they are thinking of asking, for the purpose of counsel as to the suitability of such persons for the work in mind, and to ascertain whether or not their release could be arranged; but in no case shall inquiries be made, either directly or indirectly, of the individual worker, unless permission for such inquiry has been granted by the chairman of the board or the president of the conference in which conference or institution the worker is employed.
"Calls for individuals desired may be made in the regular way, as follows:
'Within a union conference, interchange of laborers between local conferences or institutions shall be made through the union conference.
"The union conference desiring a worker from a sister union shall request the General Conference or division committee to secure the release of such worker.
"The General Conference or division committee, before passing on a call by definite action, shall make inquiry, if it seems necessary, of the union and local conference or institution from which a worker is desired, as to qualification of the worker and the propriety of the transfer, and shall exercise its discretion as to whether or not the call shall be passed on.
"In no case shall the call be made to the individual, but through the union and local conference or institution in which he is laboring.. The letter of call to the worker shall be sent by the secretary of the General Conference to the union conference president with copy of the covering letter being also sent to the local conference president or head of union institution. The union conference president shall send the letter of call for the worker to the local conference president or head of union, institution, together with such counsel respecting the call as he may desire to pass on to the worker. If and when the letter of call has been placed in the hands of the worker, his local conference president shall write to the president of the calling conference or institution giving the information that the worker has received the call. After such word has been received, the officers of the calling conference or institution shall be privileged to correspond or otherwise make contact with the worker.
"In all negotiations regarding the securing and transfer of laborers, we should exercise an unselfish and broad-minded spirit, and after the General or division committees have passed on the call, should see to it that the call reaches the worker desired, in order that he may become a factor in the decision affecting his own work. It is understood, however, that if in the judgment of the union or local leaders, the worker is not qualified for the work to be done, or cannot possibly be spared, the passing on of the call shall be deferred until correspondence can be had with the General Conference secretarial office.
"Clear evidence of irregular approach to a worker before the call reaches him in the regular way, shall be considered by the General Conference Committee, a justifiable reason for declining to pass on the call.
"It is to be understood that these regulations governing transfers among organizations in no wise preclude the right of the individual worker to make known his desire or burden to arrange a change of field.
"No institution or conference shall employ a worker until he is properly released from the institution or conference by which he has been employed."
The method of procedure for the calling of workers is important, but is there not a larger issue at stake? In an hour when nations are enlisting the full strength of their citizens—armed and civilian alike—in a supreme effort to carry forward their objectives, should not the church of Jesus Christ consolidate her plans for a continuing work rather than permit that work to be jeopardized by unnecessary transfers ? Does not the hour demand that we as workers co-operate with our field and institutional leaders in an earnest endeavor to eliminate every unnecessary move? This will not only save money, but it will save souls. And it will undoubtedly permit a stronger growth in the individual fields. Make sure that God is leading in every decision we make.
Another item of particular interest was the reorganization of our colored work. As this has been reported in the Review and Herald, we merely draw our readers' attention to it, expressing at the same time our conviction that these new and enlarging plans will bring real strength to the efforts of our colored workers throughout this field.
Many excellent messages were heard at the Council, all of which were calls to renewed consecration for the task in this great hour. As we turned our faces from the Stevens Hotel in Chicago to go our several ways, it was with the conviction that the inspiration of this Council would be felt at the ends of the earth, for ours is truly a world work.
R. A. A
