Although the over-all report of the impoitant Grand Rapids Autumn Council just held, prepared by the Secretarial Department of the General Conference, appears in the Review and Herald, a few of the leading actions of vital concern to our workers are recorded here for study. The effectiveness of these plans and recommendations will be gauged by full acquaintance with them, and hearty support thereto by all workers. First should be emphasized the report of the Committee on Evangelism, presented by the union conference presidents:
Report of Committee on Evangelism
Realizing that we have entered upon the day of God's power and of unprecedented opportunity in saving lost souls, and believing that the minister of today is called upon to make known the saving knowledge of God as never before, and recognizing that the work of soul winning is being sadly neglected among us now when we should be gathering in the largest harvest of souls in our history ; therefore, We recommend, 1. That a call be sent forth to all our workers and members to renew their dedication without reservation to the work of God and earnestly seek that spiritual revival necessary before the Pentecostal outpouring of God's Spirit can be experienced.
2. That immediate steps be taken in all our conferences and churches to enlist the active participation of the church membership in all possible forms of soul-winning endeavor.
3. That we appeal to those church members who have settled in, or are planning to settle in, already overpopulated Seventh-day Adventist centers to give heed to the counsel of the Spirit of prophecy and go into -needy areas where we have no, or but few, believers, and assist in raising up new churches wherever possible.
4. That the conferences give special study to the organization and utilization of their evangelistic forces with the view to distributing the work of the ministers in such a manner that the workers who are best fitted for aggressive evangelism be allowed to devote the major portion of their time to that particular line of work, while others less gifted along evangelistic lines be called upon to look after lines of endeavor where their abilities can be utilized to good advantage.
5. That new evangelistic recruits be carefully selected, making sure that only such individuals be employed who give evidence that they have been called of God for the work of the ministry and are successful in winning men and women to Christ, and that in planning the evangelistic work with their workers, conference leaders seek to encourage the younger ministers to help them wherever possible to become more successful as soul winners.
6. That ministerial interns devote their time to evangelism and not to work among churches, as district leaders or church pastors, and that the first-year interns be directed first of all to learn the art of soul winning personally and directly by combining personal house-tohouse visitation with their public ministry.
7. That committees exercise greater care at the time of the conference sessions and annual audits in checking over the soul-winning accomplishments of individual workers in connection with the renewal of licenses or credentials for an additional period of service.
8. That in selecting conference leaders nominating committees exercise special care to make sure, as far as possible, that such men be chosen who have had a sufficient background of evangelistic and pastoral experience to give them the necessary understanding of, and interest in, evangelism to cause them to lead their fellow workers, as well as the churches, into strong, aggressive, soul-winning endeavor.
9. That the General Conference arrange for a meeting of the union and local conference presidents, together with such General Conference representatives as may be available, to give special study to a program of evangelism commensurate with the urgency and need of our day.
Youth Night
Somewhat related to the foregoing recommendation was also the one on Youth Night :
We recommend, To our evangelists that they capitalize on the wave of evangelism for youth that is sweeping the country, by having one night a week in their public evangelistic meetings to be known and advertised as "Young People's Night," suggesting Friday or Saturday night as preferable, and that on this night the young people of the church be invited to participate in the service.
Press Relations
Still another action touching us all is on Press Relations:
WHEREAS, Our denominational program for building co-operation with the public press is bearing fruit, with the result that newspapers generally are giving an increasing amount of space to the publication of church news and information concerning home activities, world work, and teachings of Seventh-day Adventists ; therefore,
We recommend, . . . 3. That we encourage our ministers to give more thought and study to press relations, to gain experience in writing, and to use the newspapers in relation to churches under their care and their evangelistic efforts; and
4. That we make such plans as will open the way for the giving of short training courses in religious reporting for senior ministerial students, ministerial interns, and our younger ministers.
Allotment of Ministerial Internships for 1946
All workers will be interested in the internship allotments for 1946. Here they are:
We recommend, That provision be made for ninety-seven ministerial internships for 1946, the allotment to be as follows:
1. That seventy-five internships be assigned to the several union conferences as follows: (See PDF for statistics)
2. That eleven internships for colored workers be distributed by the General Conference Committee in counsel with the several union conferences.
3. That eleven internships be assigned to the Bureau of Home Missions for distribution by the General Conference Committee in counsel with the several union conferences.
And all will be gratified over a plan for providing help for ministers coming to us from other denominations:
We recommend, That the General Conference Committee be authorized to set up a fund to assist ministers of other denominations who accept our faith and who need to get a training for work in our cause, and that the Committee work out a definite plan on which such assistance may be given.
Special Missionary Training
With respect to the overseas missions side, there will be general rejoicing over a comprehensive provision for special missionary training, reading as follows:
We recommend, I. That a 'six months' period of special missionary training be provided for missionary appointees in a School of Missions to be conducted in connection with the Theological Seminary in Takoma Park, Washington, D.C.
2. That this training include a course in medical and health evangelism for nonmedical appointees, and general orientation courses for missionary appointees.
3. That the staff for medical training include one full-time clinic nurse, qualified in public health, and doctors and nurses in the Washington community who have had rich experience in their particular area of study, either through mission service or special study.
4. That the staff for the missionary orientation courses be the officers and other members of the General Conference staff who have had experience in foreign mission service, together with the regular staff membe the Theological Seminary, and others who ma brought in from various parts of the field for spe c instruction.
5. That the General Conference Committee, in conjunction with the Theological Seminary Board, work out plans for the carrying out of this resolution.
Basic Spirit of Prophecy Library
It is good to know that at last the plan for a Basic Spirit of Prophecy Library has been set in operation, that will prove a godsend, and constitute a great unifying agency in our overseas divisions:
We Recommend, The following books for the Basic Spirit of Prophecy Library:
1. Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White (220 pp.). (Embodying a brief autobiography of Ellen G. White, drawn from Life Sketches; the early visions taken from Early Writings and Testimonies for the Church; and a well-prepared Appendix statement on the place of the prophetic gift in the remnant church.)
2. Early Writings on the Conflict of the Ages (250 pp.). (Being the Spiritual Gifts section of Early Writings augmented by matter drawn largely from Spirit of Prophecy, volume I, and Acts of the Apostles.)
3. Selections from the Testimonies-3 volumes, 450500 pages each (1,350-1,500 pp.). (A new selection drawn from the English 3-volume set of Selections and from the Latin-American 3-volume 1,100-page selection.)
4. Gospel Workers (534 pp.).
5. Your Home and Health (380 pp.). (Being a slight abbreviation of Ministry of Healing with some cha rearrangement.)
6. Messages to Young People (soo pp.).
7. Steps to Christ (1.44 PP.).
8. A book on Christian education, embodying part of the book Education and portions of Counsels to Teachers and other educational material.
The final items pertain to the huge budget for 1946—$12,400,000--which, large it as it, nevertheless in no way compasses the crying needs. It reads as follows:
Summary of Appropriations
Base, all divisions: $7,453,171.93
Specials:
Overseas divisions: $1,245,000.00
N. American and General: 946,100.00 2,191,100.00
