292
The Publishing Ministry
Stephen Haskell organized in the local conference in New England
and which extended to the General Conference. Without “missionary
correspondence,” et cetera, there would be no need for a supply and
distribution center (ABC).
] which is to our tract and missionary society
like a wheel within a wheel. The movement of this inner wheel keeps
in healthful, powerful action the outer wheel. Let this inner wheel
cease its action, and the result will be seen in diminished life and
activity in the tract and missionary society.—
Christian Service, 131
.
Ministers to Help With Book Sales—The proper circulation and
distribution of our publications is one of the most important branches
of the present work. But little can be done without this. And our
ministers can do more in this work than any other class of persons. It
is true that a few years ago many of our preachers were carrying the
matter of the sale of books too far. Some of them added to the stock
which they held for sale, not only publications of little real value, but
also articles of merchandise equally valueless.
But some of our ministers now take an extreme view of what I said
in Testimony No. 2 upon the sale of our publications. One in the State
of New York, upon whom the burdens of labor do not rest heavily, who
had acted as agent, holding a good assortment of publications, decided
to sell no more, and wrote to the office, stating that the publications
were subject to their order. This is wrong. Here I will give an extract
from Testimony No. 2:
“The burden of selling our publications should not rest upon min-
isters who labor in word and doctrine. Their time and strength should
be held in reserve, that their efforts may be thorough in a series of
meetings. Their time and strength should not be drawn upon to sell
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our books when they can be properly brought before the public by
those who have not the burden of preaching the word. In entering new
fields it may be necessary for the minister to take publications with
him to offer for sale to the people, and it may be necessary in some
other circumstances also to sell books and transact business for the
office of publication. But such work should be avoided whenever it
can be done by others.”
The first portion of this extract is qualified by the last part. To be a
little more definite, my views of this matter are, that such ministers as
Elders Andrews, Waggoner, White, and Loughborough, who have the
oversight of the work, and consequently have an extra amount of care,