Organizing the Church for Welfare Ministry
77
ago, and I was much encouraged. Looking at the people assembled, I
felt that I could indeed say, “The Lord has fulfilled His word.”
During the past few years the “beehive” [
Reference is here made
to a revelation in 1876 when the activities of the then relatively new
churches in San Francisco and Oakland were represented as two bee-
hives.
] in san francisco has been indeed a busy one. Many lines of
Christian effort have been carried forward by our brethren and sisters
there. These included visiting the sick and destitute, finding homes for
orphans and work for the unemployed, nursing the sick, and teaching
the truth from house to house, distributing literature, and conducting
classes on healthful living and the care of the sick. A school for the
children has been conducted in the basement of the Laguna Street
meetinghouse. For a time a workingmen’s home and medical mission
was maintained. On Market Street, near the city hall, there were treat-
ment rooms, operated as a branch of the St. Helena Sanitarium. In the
same locality was a health-food store. Nearer the center of the city, not
far from the call building, was conducted a vegetarian cafe, which was
open six days in the week and entirely closed on the Sabbath. Along
the water front ship mission work was carried on. At various times
our ministers conducted meetings in large halls in the city. Thus the
warning message was given by many.—
The Review and Herald, July
5, 1906
.
For This Purpose the Church Is Organized—Someone must
fulfill the commission of Christ; someone must carry on the work
[113]
which He began to do on earth; and the church has been given this
privilege. For this purpose it has been organized. Why, then, have
not church members accepted the responsibility? There are those who
have seen this great neglect; they have seen the needs of many who are
in suffering and want; they have recognized in these poor souls those
for whom Christ gave His life, and their hearts have been stirred with
pity, every energy has been roused to action. They have entered upon
a work of organizing those who will cooperate with them in bringing
the truth of the gospel before many who are now in vice and iniquity,
that they may be redeemed from a life of dissipation and sin.
Those who have been engaged in this Christian help work have
been doing what the Lord desires to have done, and He has accepted
their labors. That which has been done in this line is a work which
every Seventh-day Adventist should heartily sympathize with and