General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4

CITY WORK

J. O. Corliss

April 19, 5:30 A. M.

I call attention to the Lord’s words in the tenth chapter of Luke: “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.” GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.2

After having told his disciples not to make very great preparations for their personal comfort, he told them that when they came into the cities, “Heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” Two things were to be done; first, heal the sick; second, preach the kingdom of God. GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.3

I have been struck with the thought that in every instance where the Saviour has given the gospel commission, and sent out his workers, he told them to heal the sick. When he sent out the seventy, as recorded in Matthew, he said, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received freely given. GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.4

So again, in the ninth chapter of Luke, we find that he called his twelve disciples, “and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.” Thus the Saviour gave his ministers just the same authority to heal the sick as to preach the gospel. He has united the two things in gospel work, so that it would seem almost impossible to separate them. GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.5

There is no one thing which has all the elements of success in it for city work. We used to think that an eloquent preacher was required to go into a large city; that he must stir the multitudes with his eloquence, and with his method of uniting the different points of doctrine, so that people would be charmed by it. But from my observation, and in fact from my own experience of many years in city work, I have learned that it is not the eloquent minister who succeeds in such work: in fact, a minister is but a single factor in the work. The great thing necessary is to have a competent and united force of consecrated workers. Workers are needed more than preachers in city labor. Where these are absent, not much can be accomplished which ought to be done. GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.6

A man may not be able to present the truth in the clearest way, but that matters not, if that man is a thinker and worker, if he will study up sure and safe plans by which to reach the people. GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.7

The very first thing necessary in city work is to teach the people how to work. You may ask. What people?—The people you have with you in the faith. If there are no paid laborers, no accredited Conference workers at hand, call on lay members of the church, no matter how humble they may appear, to assist in the work. We may think, when we enter a place, that there are none there who have talent, but upon investigation one is surprised to find the amount of talent that is rusting in our churches today. We do not want to get the idea that because a man is not accredited by the Conference with credentials, that he can not do anything in such work. I have found that when a person comes into the truth, he makes a better laborer than some who have been long in the church, because everything he has received, is fresh in his mind, and he knows better how to utilize it than do those who have been longer in the way, but have let the definite things of the truth fade in their minds. Besides, new converts are more easily instructed in methods than our older people are. The older ones criticize methods that the younger ones readily receive and act upon. It is therefore well to commence training young converts as soon as they receive the truth. In San Francisco, our best workers, outside of the Conference laborers, are those who have recently embraced the truth, and they do the most work. GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.8

The question arises. How can we get them into the work?—Not by preaching theory to them. They need preaching; but of that kind which will educate them in all lines of work. But in our San Francisco work, a Bible study is given following the morning service, in which from seventy-five to one hundred take part. These are held with a view to teaching the people how to work, giving them an opportunity to ask questions. I have been astonished at the questions sometimes asked, which show an anxiety to learn all that is for the people. There we teach the people, how to state this point of truth, or how to help in this emergency. If anything comes in to prevent our having such a meeting as that, the people are very much disappointed, and they come down to the front after the service, and say, “Why can we not have our Bible study to-day?” GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.9

We have for the use of our people something which we have found worked well, and that is a folder, inviting people to our meetings. We have these printed by the thousands. They cost something to be sure, but the expense are all paid by our collections. You will notice on the outside of this little folder, “A cordial welcome to our church.” When opened, the first thing to meet the eye is, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.10

It also contains an invitation to make their church home with us. People like to be invited to make the church their home, whether they are with us in sentiment or not. GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.11

Next comes the location of the church, and the time of the meetings, with the name of the pastor signed thereto. At the bottom it says, “The pastor will, be most happy to make your acquaintance, or to call if furnished with your address.” I have had many calls from those who do not belong to the church, asking for prayer, and ministration to them when sick. It is an astonishing thing how many people depend on us to come and see them in cases of emergency. GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.12

Then it says, “If you know of any sick or in distress, please inform the pastor.” And so they come. Then on the side, right in the center of this we have also a text of scripture: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.13

These folders are neatly gotten up, and they take with the people. They cost something; but when you have them, you do not want to give them up after seeing results from them. GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.14

H. S. Shaw: About what do they cost? GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.15

J. O. Corliss: I do not know. I have nothing to do with the finances of the church. That is to say, I do not handle any of the funds, and then I do not have any criticism. I have always kept out of every office that I could among Seventh-day Adventists, because I have found that there was more criticism than glory in office. As Moody said, I have found it a good deal better to be able to set ten men to work than to do the work of ten men. So I do not handle the finances. The treasurer of the church looks after every cent that comes in, in the form of collections as well as the tithes. I do not touch it. He informs me frequently of how much he has on hand, so that I may know what expenditures to arrange for, and so not to run in debt. The consequence is that the California Conference has not had one cent yet to pay for any church expenses in the city of San Francisco for printing or anything of the kind. GCB April 21, 1901, page 370.16

G. F. Watson: I would like to ask if you count this kind of work where we have a church in existence, hovering over the church? GCB April 21, 1901, page 371.1

J. O. Corliss: No, sir; not if we do the work of reaching out for the lost. A man can hover over, and simply preach to a church until it depends entirely upon his preaching; but our church does not do that. Our church is at work. We try to get every member of the church at work. But the pastor wants to have a discriminating mind, as he talks with different members of the church, to know just what that individual is fitted for. I believe we can do this. GCB April 21, 1901, page 371.2

How is the work done? We have, in the first place, our regular Sundays at the Seaman’s Home. We have the third Sunday there, also the fifth Sunday when it comes. That leaves only three Sundays to be distributed among all the other pastors of that city. GCB April 21, 1901, page 371.3

What do we do when we go there? We do not preach on the prophecies, on the nature of man, or on the Sabbath question. Having passed through the vicissitudes of seafaring life, we talk to these men in a way for them to know that we appreciate their position, and point them to Christ. After the service those men come around to me, and seem so glad to let me know that they are benefited by the meeting. GCB April 21, 1901, page 371.4

Then we have jail services every third Sunday. The brother who leads the meetings at the Helping Hand Mission attends to these, and the people are glad to have him take this work. By taking hold of these things, those concerned know that we have something else in our minds besides proselyting people. GCB April 21, 1901, page 371.5

But we have another preparatory work that I have come to consider one of the greatest factor we have in training workers. Every Thursday night, just as regularly as the weeks come, we have a doctor occupy the pulpit. There are two of them, in fact, who divide the time between them. There are Drs. Coolidge and Buchanan. They take up the most common diseases, and tell them how to know the symptoms of these. They do not talk in technical terms, but give popular talks, that a common person can receive. The people are then taught how to give simple treatments. There are many poor unfortunates in that city who need help that they are not able to procure in any other way. Our people are instructed to go out, and wherever they find a soul that needs such work done, to take hold and do it free, without saying a word about their religion, or anything of the kind. But they talk to these people, and console them with texts of Scripture, telling them that old, old story about Jesus Christ. The tears ran down the faces of those addressed, and they begin to say, “What church do you belong to?” upon receiving answer they say, “I have seen that little church a great many times.” When that person gets on his feet again, he is quite sure to appear in our church. While in our regular Sabbath Congregation there are many people who seem to have just as much interest in those services as our own people have. It is the work of the church that does it. The doctors in their practice in the city come across cases that they treat as charity cases. But in order that they may show interest in such people, they offer to provide a nurse. Then the doctor comes to some one who has been sitting under his Thursday night teaching, and says: “I want you to take a case and nurse it for three or four days or a week, and do it for charity’s sake, do it for the love of Christ.” That individual takes the case, and nurses it through the extreme condition. One can not, after that, make such a patient think that Seventh-day Adventists are not Christians. In this way we may get hold of many. GCB April 21, 1901, page 371.6

The one nurse we have who does most of the work in that line is also connected with the branch sanitarium. But she meets with us in our workers’ councils, and so proves a link to unite the medical and evangelical work in the city. In fact, the boards of the medical institutions, and of the church, hold joint meetings, thus working in perfect harmony in every way. GCB April 21, 1901, page 371.7

Another branch of the work is that of the Christian Help band. Although that is rather old, and has died out in some places, it is not so with us. I have not time now to read the report of what it is doing, but it meets once a week, in the basement of the church. There garments are made for the poor, and plans laid for aggressive work. Other people in the church go out and collect food and garments. I can not tell you all that they do. But I know that it is common to see some one bring to the prayer meeting Wednesday night a grain-sack full of bread, for the brethren to distribute where it is most needed. There is hardly a week passes in which there is not at least one grain-sack of loaves of bread coming to the prayer meeting in this way. Many are led to say, “Do not tell me that Seventh-day Adventists are not good people; if there’s any religion in the world, they have it.” GCB April 21, 1901, page 371.8

We have also committees to visit old people. Wherever there are old persons who can not get to church regularly, those on this committee visit them as often as practicable. Others visit the sick and poor. Our people contribute regularly to a poor fund. All these committees report at the regular weekly workers’ meetings. I have little else to do in these plans of work than to counsel with those engaged in carrying them out. This much seems necessary where so many are engaged in work, in order to preserve harmony and unity of purpose. GCB April 21, 1901, page 371.9

One important work is that of carrying about the city, and distributing the Signs of the Times, our pioneer preacher. Several bring in reports at each meeting of how many Signs they have sold during the week. They not only take the Signs of the Times, but the medical journal printed on the Coast, the Pacific Health Journal. One sister has reported the sale of two hundred and fifty Signs in a week, and as many as fifty Pacific Health Journals. How she did it, I do not know. I only know that she has done it, and she is not a very strong woman physically, either. When I think of this, I wonder what our young people are doing who are strong and able to work, but are waiting for the Conference to put them to work. These workers come to the meeting each week, and it would do you good to see the glow of grace and the smile of satisfaction upon their faces. I must acknowledge that they give me much courage. They never meet difficulties, even though their territory includes a large Catholic district. From among their readers they give out names and addresses to the Bible workers for the extension of their work. GCB April 21, 1901, page 371.10

We have also a Chinese work in the city, Brother and Sister Brand, members of our church, are doing the best they can for the Chinese who are in the city. They have a small work, but we do not overlook it. Of course there are great obstacles to meet in the Chinese work. But without specifying these, whoever goes into a large city, and undertakes to carry forward a work of that kind will find them without anybody telling him what they are. But these difficulties will put him where he will seek God for wisdom, and he will be sure to have some original thought about his plans every day. He can not depend upon his past knowledge of the second or seventh chapter of Daniel, and say, “I can preach on that subject without study,” and then simply spend his time eating and sleeping and taking a little pleasure. A man working in a city goes there to study the situation from every detail he meets along the way. GCB April 21, 1901, page 372.1

We have workers’ meetings once a week, on Wednesday evening. We pray together, and talk over the situation, ask and give counsel, so that everything may be understood for the week to come. If I were holding regular meetings every night in a city, and I had a company of workers sufficient for the enterprise, I would have a workers’ meeting every morning, where the workers could receive instruction. The reports of the day before would then be given, and the difficulties talked over. But in our circumstances we get together but once a week. But these meetings are blessed, precious seasons, and tears run down my face at times as I hear the workers tell what they have found and what blessings have come to them. Not a single murmur or complaint comes from them. The spirit they have is permeating the church, and many are beginning to desire to sacrifice for the Master’s sake. GCB April 21, 1901, page 372.2

We have also a Japanese school. We have one Japanese brother, who works all he can in behalf of the truth. Not long ago he brought three Japanese, and said, “Sie wants baptism.” We got these three Japanese brethren together, noble looking men as you ever saw, and baptized them. They stayed in the church for two or three months, when they got to feeling a burden to go to Japan, and every one of them has gone back to Japan, to assist in the work there. I hope the brethren in Japan will find them, and set them to work; for they know what it means to work. GCB April 21, 1901, page 372.3

It is not eloquent preaching in the pulpit, or anything of the kind, that is needed in city work, so much as solid, earnest work to be carried on every day. My candid convictions are that to be most successful in city work, we must have men who will keep their eyes open, and will not feel that their work is done when they have preached a sermon on the state of the dead, the Sabbath question, or something of the kind. I do not know whether I ought to make an open confession now or not, but I believe I will. During my nearly two years’ work in San Francisco, I have not preached one entire sermon on the Sabbath question. GCB April 21, 1901, page 372.4

David Paulson: And yet people have been accepting the Sabbath right along, have they not? GCB April 21, 1901, page 372.5

J. O. Corliss: Yes, and we have had as many as three baptisms in a month. We have never failed to have a baptism every month, of people coming into the truth. It is done by working outside. The minister gets no credit for it, and deserves none. The earnestness of the workers, and their careful methods recommend the truth to others. It is not long before they begin to inquire about the Seventh-day Adventists, and what they believe, saying, “I have always thought that the seventh day is the Sabbath.” You do not have to argue with such people. We preach Christ, and let everything cluster about him, and center in him. In every discourse Christ is the theme, and the Sabbath is put in in a way without saying very much about it, so that when people accept Christ, they accept the Sabbath with him. The Sabbath is an important part of this message. But we have come to a time when we can preach it more powerfully than by dwelling on the difference between two days. People want the Sabbath to come to them warm from the Saviour himself. We do not have to argue about the sleep of the dead. Our Sunday night services, for the last ten months have been according to the Testimonies. “What’s that?” you say. The Testimonies have said, Study the books of Daniel and Revelation more. There is light in them for this people. So we have dwelt upon these with wonderful effect. You may ask, “Do not the people grow tired of hearing the prophecies of the second and seventh of Daniel?” We take the practical things in these prophecies, and apply them in this generation. I can not tell you just how—I do not preach from notes, I have not carried any notes for many years; but I want to tell you that God does reveal wonderful things from these books of prophetic warnings. GCB April 21, 1901, page 372.6

F. M. Roberts: Would not that little folder be a good thing to use in tent work? GCB April 21, 1901, page 372.7

J. O. Corliss: Yes, I think it would be excellent. GCB April 21, 1901, page 372.8

Question: Do not people sometimes ask for sermons on the Sabbath-question? Is the fact that we live the Sabbath, a reason why we need not preach it? or should not our living and preaching be in harmony? GCB April 21, 1901, page 372.9

J. O. Corliss: I preach it, but I preach Christ, and then let the Sabbath weave about him. I do not have to show the difference between the Sabbath and the first day of the week. Do you not remember that in “Early Writings” it says that there came a time when we went forth and preached the Sabbath more fully? That is just what I believe is preaching the Sabbath more fully—Christ in the Sabbath and the Sabbath in Christ. GCB April 21, 1901, page 372.10