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The Retirement Years
and honor our aged workers, the men of gray hairs, who have seen long
and faithful service in the cause of God, and who are recognized and
honored in the courts of heaven as laborers together with God.—
Letter
152, 1903
.
Experienced Workers Needed in the Home Field
Dear Brother and Sister Haskell,
... Today I had an interview with Elder Loughborough [
Elder J.
N. Loughborough was 69 years old when this letter was written
] in
regard to his going to Australia. I told him that it appeared to me that
we were sending too many from the home field. I told him that the
churches needed the work that he could do. I advised him to delay
his journey, and work for a while in the churches, encouraging and
comforting them, and setting things in order. We see the need of the
help of old, experienced laborers, who have been connected with the
work almost from its beginning, whose experience in it dates nearly
from the passing of the time in 1844. We need the help of men who
can testify as did John, “That which we have seen and heard declare
[39]
we unto you.”—
Letter 195, 1901
.
We cannot afford to deprive our home mission of the influence of
middle-aged and aged ministers to send them into distant fields, to
engage in a work for which they are not qualified, and to which no
amount of training will enable them to adapt themselves. The men
thus sent out leave vacancies which inexperienced laborers cannot
supply.—
The Review and Herald, July 17, 1883
.
Old Age More Productive Than Youth
The true minister of Christ should make continual improvement.
The afternoon sun of his life may be more mellow and productive of
fruit than the morning sun. It may continue to increase in size and
brightness until it drops behind the western hills. My brethren in the
ministry, it is better, far better, to die of hard work in some home or
foreign mission field, than to rust out with inaction. Be not dismayed at
difficulties; be not content to settle down without studying and without
making improvement. Search the Word of God diligently for subjects
that will instruct the ignorant and feed the flock of God. Become so