A work such as we are carrying forward in Boston through the Welfare Mission gives the church membership constant opportunity to exercise that altruism and charity which are such a vital part of true Christianity. The fact that we are making this constant effort to reach the poor and needy in the spirit of the Master helps to break down religious prejudice. It has made friends for our church and has predisposed some to accept the message. It is a type of Christian ministry that many of our larger churches could and should undertake.
C. A. REEVES.
Our Boston Seventh-day Adventist Mission was established for three reasons, and by the grace of God is accomplishing these objectives.
I. To carry out the injunction of Isaiah 58:6 ("Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free?") together with the counsel given in Testimonies for the Church, volume 2: "Read Isaiah 58, ye who claim to be children of the light. . . . The prophet is addressing Sabbath-keepers, not sinners, not unbelievers, but those who make great pretensions to godliness. . . . Our souls must expand."—Pages 35, 36.
2. To reveal God's love for mankind through Christlike compassion for the poor of earth and to be a channel whereby the well-to-do class may respond to our appeals for the unfortunate, thereby working for both classes.
3. To bring to these classes a knowledge of saving truths of the third angel's message.
Conducted in co-operation with the Boston Temple Church, Pastor C. A. Reeves and the members of the church stand behind us in this work. The mission is sustained by funds gathered in from various sources. Our church members and non-Adventist friends are appealed to for gifts of furniture, clothing, and other items they can spare. These articles are called for by truck, delivered to the mission, then renovated and placed on sale. Another part of our income is derived from the sale of health foods. When our truck calls at the homes of the people, a supply of health foods goes along with it. Profits from these sales aid in our mission expenses.
Three meetings a week are held at our mission headquarters. On Sunday evening the mission director or possibly a visiting minister gives straight doctrinal and prophetic sermons. At our Wednesday evening prayer meetings the simple saving truths of the gospel and testimonies are given. Once each month George Cornforth and some of his fellow workers from the New England Sanitarium come to give our health message. On Sabbath afternoons we have a regular Sabbath school program at the mission. We gather an offering for our world-wide work, and an expense offering is also taken.
The mission is sustaining five full-time workers. Several other church members give part-time service during the week. On page 206 in Ministry of Healing, we read, "A thousand doors of usefulness are open before us. Often we lament the scanty resources available, but were Christians thoroughly in earnest, they could multiply the resources a thousandfold." Our mission project is a living monument of the truthfulness of this statement. Our first investment was $25 for one month's rent for one floor. Today we are buying the whole building. Since our first investment, we have long since gathered in $25,000 from various sources, thereby fulfilling that prophecy.
Ministering brethren, why not encourage laymen to establish missions in other cities and towns? If this work were carried on by our people, it would be to many churches as life from the dead.
