General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4

PUBLICATIONS FOR THE NATIVE RACES

We all firmly believe that the third angel’s message, the last gospel message, is to be proclaimed to every kindred, tongue, and people, and this includes the Chinese, Japanese, and other Asiatic races: also the Malaysian, Polynesian, African, and South American tribes. GCB April 2, 1901, page 10.9

Some of these peoples have a rich and extensive literature, and there are some whose literature is very scanty and limited. There are hundreds of millions among the Chinese, Japanese, and the peoples in India who must some day have the third angel’s message in their own language, and we shall expect soon to see printing-houses established in these great countries. GCB April 2, 1901, page 10.10

For the Polynesians, Malaysians, and the native tribes of Africa and South America, we shall need to plan the work differently than for the Asiatic races, which number several millions. GCB April 2, 1901, page 10.11

As a means of supplying literature to the native races of Africa, South America, and Polynesia, we shall find it greatly to our advantage to encourage and stimulate teachers and students in our various colleges to enter into this work. For the benefit of their local work we find that printing offices of some sort have been established at Battle Creek, South Lancaster, Healdsburg, College View, and some other of our schools. These offices are accomplishing less than one half of what they might do as an educational agency, and less than one tenth of what they might do as a missionary agency if they were properly encouraged, guided, and assisted by the General Conference. GCB April 2, 1901, page 10.12

Some systematic planning on the part of the General Conference might place upon the printing department of each school the responsibility of securing translations, and of bringing out religious tracts and pamphlets, in one or more of the languages where literature is needed in small quantities and at small expense. GCB April 2, 1901, page 10.13

That which may be worked out with varied degrees of success in our several training schools may be illustrated by an account of what we have begun to do at Cooranbong, New South Wales. We have often been told that the Avondale School was to be a sample school. A sample is usually a small piece of something that we expect to get more of. Let us study the sample. GCB April 2, 1901, page 10.14

Avondale has been chosen as a place where evangelistic workers are to be trained for missionary fields near by and far away. It is written that at “this school, students should be taught agriculture, carpenter work, and masons’ work, and that soon a printing office should be established in which students may be taught typesetting, press work, and binding.” GCB April 2, 1901, page 10.15

At a meeting held in the Avondale church the last Sabbath of the Union Conference, it was stated by Sister White that if we would move forward in harmony with God’s providence, Avondale would be a center where persons would be gathered, not only from all parts of Australasia to be trained for workers, but that students would come from the Polynesian Islands and from the mission fields to the north and west of Australia, and even from the native tribes of Africa, to receive a portion of their training that would fit them to be efficient missionaries. She also stated that our printing office should be established soon, and that workers should be trained in it to bring out publications for the various missionary peoples whom they represent. GCB April 2, 1901, page 10.16

After due consideration it was arranged that this should be a missionary printing office, owned by the Union Conference, and managed by a committee appointed by it. The superintendent of the Polynesian Mission Field was the first chairman of this committee. GCB April 2, 1901, page 11.1

For some time our councils and correspondence with the brethren connected with the missions in Fiji, Samoa, Raratonga, and Tonga have led us to the conclusion that it would be greatly for the advancement of the work in Polynesia if the missionaries in those fields could be supplied with suitable literature to accompany their oral instruction. The missionaries feel deeply their need of tracts and pamphlets. They see that a greater part of the literature prepared by the older missionary societies is almost valueless, because in most cases the subject selected is above and beyond the comprehension of the people of these fields. GCB April 2, 1901, page 11.2

Our missionaries are unanimous in the opinion that if we would be successful in teaching the natives of the islands, we must give them books that are freely illustrated with a class of pictures that they will understand. Wherever such books as “Christ Our Saviour.” “Gospel Primer,” and other works of this class have been introduced, the natives have been delighted, and have repeatedly asked why they can not have more books like these. GCB April 2, 1901, page 11.3

It was agreed that it would be for the best interests of the work in all the islands if we could adopt Avondale as the place for the building up of a polyglot missionary printing establishment from which we should issue tracts, pamphlets, and books for the various missions in Raratonga, Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga; also for the New Zealand Maoris, and later on for other missionary places. By centralizing this work it was hoped that competent translators, revisers, and printers could be brought together and connected with the Avondale school in such a way as to accomplish very important results. Among these results we might name the following:— GCB April 2, 1901, page 11.4

First, the existence of such a printing office would enable persons well advanced in Christian experience and knowledge of the truth to be brought from various island groups to complete their education at Avondale. Here they would get broader views of the work of the missionary than could be gained in schools established in the island groups. They could learn the printing work, and while setting type would become familiar with the English language, and with the best way to express the same thoughts in their own language. GCB April 2, 1901, page 11.5

Second, by centralizing the work one set of electrotype blocks of the illustrations required could serve for all the different languages, and thus a great saving of expenses would be effected. GCB April 2, 1901, page 11.6

Third, the employment of young Australians who are students, to work along with the students from the islands, would naturally result (a) in their learning the languages of the islands; (b) in their becoming interested in the people whose language they are handling; (c) in their offering themselves to be missionaries in the various groups; and (d) in their carrying to the missionaries in these islands willing hands and courageous hearts, with well-trained minds, fitted to take an active part in the educational work in the islands. GCB April 2, 1901, page 11.7

The working out of these plans has fully met our expectations. We have issued a good line of religious and health tracts in the Raratongan language, a few in the Tongan, several in the Fijian, and shall soon get out a line for the New Zealand Maoris. GCB April 2, 1901, page 11.8

This work has helped us bring students from all these peoples to the school. It has acted an important part in their education and training, and has encouraged Australasians to study these languages. Last August David Holland, a cousin to old King George of Tonga, was teaching his language to a class of seven. GCB April 2, 1901, page 11.9

We earnestly hope and pray that this good work will go on until a corps of well-trained workers, partly natives from the many peoples needing the gospel, and partly Australasians who have devoted their lives to Christ, shall go forth from the Avondale school to be helpers in the various mission fields as teachers, printers, Bible workers, and preachers. And may the Lord hasten the day. GCB April 2, 1901, page 11.10