Support of City Missions
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“My brother, you have not taken a course to encourage men to
give themselves to the ministry. Instead of bringing the expense of
the work down to a low figure, it is your duty to bring the minds of
the people to understand that ‘the laborer is worthy of his hire.’” “The
churches need to be impressed with the fact that it is their duty to deal
honestly with the cause of God, not allowing the guilt of the worst
kind of robbery to rest upon them, that of robbing God in tithes and
offerings. When settlements are made with the laborers in His cause,
they should not be forced to accept small remuneration because there
is a lack of money in the treasury. Many have been defrauded of their
just dues in this way, and it is just as criminal in the sight of God as for
one to keep back the wages of those who are employed in any other
regular business.
“There are men of ability who would like to go out and labor in
our several conferences; but they have no courage, for they must have
means to support their families. It is the worst kind of generalship
to allow a conference to stand still or to fail to settle its honest debts.
There is a great deal of this done; and whenever it is done, God is
displeased.
“If the presidents and other laborers in our conferences impress
upon the minds of the people the character of the crime of robbing
God, and if they have a true spirit of devotion and a burden of the work,
God will make their labors a blessing to the people, and fruit will be
seen as the result of their efforts. Ministers have failed greatly in their
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duty to so labor with the churches. There is important work to be done
aside from that of preaching. Had this been done, as God designed
it should be, there would have been many more laborers in the field
than there now are. And had the ministers done their duty in educating
every member, whether rich or poor, to give as God has prospered him,
there would be a full treasury from which to pay the honest debts to
the workers; and this would greatly advance missionary work in all
their borders. God has shown me that many souls are in danger of
eternal ruin through selfishness and worldliness; and the watchmen
are guilty, for they have neglected their duty. This is a state of things
that Satan exults to see.
“All branches of the work belong to the ministers. It is not God’s
order that someone should follow after them and bind off their unfin-
ished work. It is not the duty of the conference to be at the expense