The American Bible Society
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
° M'N "3AV 10.131i,V3 0V09 't46 0'S 30 s dN0D 1V87N3'.) Id3a ivollslivi 0 • • nigillimlilli 0 01.1111000 0111111 mio IVO NEAT,/ )•10,90t- 1111111111111111111111111 1111 11111111111111111Illimmibmno CaN~; VIDL 1111111111111111 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 llosignoim, omoo' 45 4—/e/Pft./.0.4 Ilk "!!!!!lonmuninuonlifinuollOn i Ot Official Organ of the 111111111111111 Atlantic Union Conference 000 . of Seventh-day Adventists '.1111 lllllll Volume LVI SOUTH LANCASTER, MASSACHUSETTS, OCTOBER 28, 1957 Number 42 to read the same passage with him on the same day as a means of maintaining spiritual ties. The American Bible Society The program, now in its 14th year, was hailed by President Eisenhower in a special message to the Society as hold- ing "a mighty promise" for mankind. In ceremonies at the White House the distribution is lagging far behind "The custom of reading the Bible on October 15 the American Bible So- the world birthrate. The Society and together has brought strength to many ciety marked the successful distribu- its 23 affiliated societies around the families," he said. "United in a vital tion of a half-billion volumes of Scrip- world annually distribute a smaller faith, parents and children can accom- tures since its founding in 1816. number of volumes of the Scriptures plish great things for good. Rev. Dr. James Z. Nettinga, the So- than the increase in the world birthrate. "From Thanksgiving to Christmas, ciety's secretary for encouragement of Many of these volumes contain only during the period when millions of be- use of the Bible, presented to President one book or Gospel. In terms of the dis- lievers in lands around the world join Eisenhower the 500,000,001 volume, tribution of whole Bibles and Testa- in reading your suggested list of pas- symbolic of the start of the second half- ments, the total is barely one-fifth of sages from the Bible, a mighty promise billion. the world's annual increase in popula- is held before our eyes. As the Bible's The Society conducts its work in tion. message is made available in 1,100 more than 60 countries and distributes The Society was established in New tongues reaching into the most distant the Scriptures in nearly 200 languages. York City under the leadership of Elias corners of the earth, we are given the Frequently, a translation of the Bible, Boudinot, president of the Continental strength to continue our work toward or some part of it, is the first written Congress. He was the first president of that greatest objective of all: peace on form of a language. the Society. Other founders included earth, good will toward men." Of the first half-billion volumes dis- Rev. Lyman Beecher, the noted preach- tributed, approximately 51 per cent er, and James Fenimore Cooper, the were distributed in this country and the novelist. First Minuteman Church remaining 49 per cent abroad. The Society is dedicated to the trans- The first Minuteman church for 1958 More than forty million volumes of lation, publication, distribution, and en- is the Coxsackie church in the Greater Scriptures have been distributed with- couragement of the use of the Bible, New York Conference. They reached out charge to members of the armed "without note or comment." The pro- their goal October 10, and we want to forces by the Society since it began the scription against notes or comments has congratulate them on being the first practice in 1820. Over 600,000 of the avoided controversy and brought wide church in the union to reach the Min- volumes were in some form of raised support. Sales are never made at a uteman goal. lettering for the blind, or in "Talking profit, and are frequently made below Here is a church which has to work Book Records" in which the text of cost, or given free, to persons who can- hard and has very little territory. They the Bible is read. not afford to purchase the Scriptures. planned their Ingathering for the time The Society is also observing this President Eisenhower serves as hon- when the tourists would be up their year the successful translation of at orary chairman of the committee spon- way, and they kept at it until they least one book of the Bible into 1,100 soring the Society's Worldwide Bible reached their Minuteman goal. languages. The entire Bible has been Reading, a program directed toward Our very hearty congratulations go translated into 210 languages, and the having millions of persons all over the to the faithful workers in Coxsackie. I New Testament alone in 270 additional. world read identical pre-selected pas- wonder which church will be the next Although the distribution of Scrip- sages of the Bible on the days between to reach the Minuteman goal for 1958! tures by the Society has mounted Thanksgiving and Christmas. It began LEMUEL E. ESTER, Secretary steadily each year from 6,410 volumes during World War II when a lonely Home Missionary Department in its first year to 15,170,058 in 1956, marine on Guadalcanal asked his family Atlantic Union Conference 2 ATLANTIC UNION GLEANER Send in T a ose Names! mission Secretary of the change, giving have information of a similar nature Recently we re ived the following the old and the new address in full. from the Department of Defense con- letter from the w of one of our men This work is the responsibilty of the cerning the other military organizations in uniform: church Servicemen's Secretary, but any of the nation. Our men should be re- I would like infor tion as to how we may church member should feel free to do minded that "fraudulent enlistment" get the Review and erald, the Youth's In- it if it is not done by anyone else. may be punished by court-martial. structor, and the Sa. bath School Quarterly. We want the home church to keep in Let us avoid difficulty by going into My husband has !be .n in the army for seven touch with our men in uniform. We are the service as 1-A-0 draftees! When months and we have not received them. We would also like to kn• who we are to contact anxious that the conferences know the two-year period of obligated active for the MV Kit. Ou church does not seem where these men are so that they can service has been completed, let us re- to know. help them. We are eager to supply member that we should not volunteer We would appreciate your answer as soon them with literature provided by the for a Reserve assignment, but allow the as possible. Because there ay be many other offerings of our people. But none of military authorities to place us in har- servicemen who e out of touch with these things can be done unless their mony with the law. the church or wh are not receiving the names and addresses are sent to the Con- Thus far our medical men and our literature furnish d free to them we ference War Service Commission Sec- ministers who wish to serve as chap- retary. hasten to make e following urgent He will forward them to us. lains are exceptions to the above. GEORGE W. CHAMBERS, Secretary suggestions: The above letter was the first word Gen. Conf. War Service Comm. 1. Before a you g man goes into uni- that we had that the young man was in form present hi with a Servicemen's uniform. Kit. This should be done at a social Whether the man who goes into uni- Listen Every Sunday gathering held in his honor, at an MV form—or is now in uniform—is a faith- meeting, or at a gular church service. ful member of the church or not, we Dedicate this ma to God, and let him want his name. Many times we can win The Voice of Prophecy know that the c urch believes in him drifting youth to Christ. BOX 55, LOS ANGELES, CALIF. and is counting n him to uphold the G. W. CHAMBERS, Secretary standards of the hurch while he is in Gen. Conf. War Service Comm. "Oh, Thank You!" uniform. 2. When he e ters the service send Enlistment or Re-enlistment From Martha Retzer, supervisor of his name, serial umber, and complete the Voice of Prophecy Bible School in military address the Conference War of Conscientious Objectors Hawaii comes this recent interesting ex- Service Commiss n Secretary. In response to a request for informa- perience: 3. When his military address is tion concerning the possibility of the During the One Million Contact project in changed inform he War Service Com- re-enlistment of servicemen who desire March, 1957, a former Voice of Prophecy stu- to make Army service a career or who dent and now Seventh-day Adventist of Hono- lack only a few years to reach their NOT AS S OTHING twenty-year retirement, the following reply, dated August 27, 1957, has been Atlantic Union Gleaner S SOFT MUSIC Official organ of the Atlantic Union Confer- received from Major General James P. ence of Seventh-day Adventists, South Lan- Cooney, of the office of the Surgeon caster, Mass. General of the Army: Editor T. R. Gardner The Department of the Army has reiterated Editorial Secretary Laura M. Drown its policy that personnel who indicate con- Published weekly, except one week in Tuly scientious opposition to the bearing of arms and one week in December, by the College are ineligible for enlistment either in the Press, South Lancaster, Mass. Regular Army or in a Reserve Component.